Erick Vargas 

Professor Carr 

English 11000 

25 March 2019 

90s Fashion is Possibly Coming Back to Stay 

   There are new fashion trends coming out each year. For teens all around the world, they just want to be on the “trendy bus”. The focus of this new trend is on vintage apparel, and this trend isn’t leaving soon. The 90s vintage apparel is attracting society because it is environmentally friendly due to its long-lasting quality and the ability of being resold. It also helps people express themselves by being able to show originality, uniqueness, and stand out.  

   If we care about protecting our earth, then wearing eco-friendly clothing plays a significant role. The mass-produced clothing that are being sold to us are hurting the environment. The fashion industry is the “second largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry” (Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry). There is wastewater filled with chemicals from the factories that is being thrown in rivers, polluting our waters. Each year the fashion industry uses 1.5 trillion liters of water. One way you can start helping the earth, is by purchasing vintage clothing. If everyone bought one used item this year then we would save “5.7 billion lbs. of CO2 emissions” which is the equivalent to “half a million cars taken off roads for a year” (2019 Resale Report). There can be a significant change to the environment if we all buy used clothing. The quality of 90s clothing was made to last long, it focused on “quality over quantity, for reasons both financial and cultural” (Darling). In other words, 90s clothing has more character compared to today’s mass-produced clothing because of the better quality and more time it took manufacturing. When these clothing were made, it was a different time, culturally. At the time there were things happening that made a significance influence on the clothing. Because 90s vintage clothing is environmentally friendly, due to the quality and longevity, they are attracting society today.  

   Due to the quality, vintage clothing are items that are in the resale market. Resale clothing can be repurchased either online or in stores, like thrift shops. Unlike vintage clothing, clothes that are being sold today are cheaper to make but not cheap to own. For example, if you buy vintage jeans from a thrift store it will probably cost no more than eight dollars, while jeans today are sold for an average price below fifty dollars. In other words, we are purchasing clothing that is both expensive and not so great of a quality. For reasons like these, 90s vintage fashion is soaring. They are predicting that the total secondhand apparel market “will reach $51 Billion in 5 years” (2019 Resale Report). Possible reasons for this prediction could be that it is more beneficial to the consumer who own vintage clothing to resell them to others in order to make profit. It also benefits the Earth’s environment. By not throwing away these clothes, we are using less CO2 emissions, hence improving air quality. Another reason is so that future generations can take hold a piece of history through these vintage clothing. Based on graphical data on secondhand apparel, accessories and footwear from each age group on thredup.com, it is reported that generation Z experienced a 46 percent growth between 2017 and 2019 (thredup.com). Vintage apparel is attracting society because of its ability to be resold in order to preserve the environment, history, and save more money. 

  There are many ways in which people express themselves. For example, clothing is a great way to show your personality. Vintage clothing like from the 90s can help you express yourself because it is a “timeless trend that can be a part of any wardrobe” (Daria). When wearing vintage clothing you are expressing a sense of uniqueness, “you will never walk into a room to find another person wearing the same thing you are” (Darling). In other words, vintage clothing is in many cases different than other clothing you see today, it gives you originality. Vintage clothing is one of a kind and collectable that is worth getting. It is much more than old and used clothing. As Gina Daria stated on her blogpost, “there is a history and art to them, and they are filled with the stories and memories of the people that came before us and wore them” (Why is Vintage so Popular”). Wearing vintage clothing is a way that we can keep those histories and artistry alive. Because vintage clothing is a way to express yourself, it is one of the many reasons why it is attracting society today.  

   Not only does vintage apparel help the environment, helps express people’s personality, and its ability to be easily repurchased, but it also has been attracting through the media. Celebrities are wearing 90s apparel while sharing pictures on social media, which is seen by anyone. Through social media, celebrities can influence society, because of the massive audience they can communicate to. According to Elana Fishman, celebrities like “Kendall Jenner, Bell Hadid, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna are increasingly opting for rare vintage finds over the standard next-season designer fare, both on and off the red carpet” (Fishman). Since celebrities can afford high standard designer fashion, it makes it easier for them to explore different fashion. While they explore the new fashion, people observe them, which builds up the attraction for the vintage apparel.  

   Vintage 90s fashion is a trend that has many people participating. One of the reasons why it is attracting people is because it contributes to making our environment better, through the resale industry. The resale industry is increasing in a significant rate, it is predicted to surpass “$51 Billion in 5 years” (2019 Resale Report). Not only will you be helping the environment by buying clothes, but you are also looking good doing it. Another benefit of wearing vintage clothing is that it helps express yourself, it can show originality and uniqueness. With these reasons, 90s fashion is becoming popular and is sticking around for a long time.  

Work Cited 

“2019 Resale Report.” Thredup, https://www.thredup.com/resale  Accessed 24   Mar.2019. 

Daria, Gina. “Why is Vintage so Popular.” Love that Fit, 2 May 2018,   http://www.lovethatfit.com/why-is-vintage-so-popular/ express. Accessed 22   Mar. 2019. 

Darling, E. Rebecca. “Five Reasons Vintage Clothing Is Not Just “Old Used Clothes” (Even Though It Kind of Is).” Huffpost, 6 Dec. 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/five-reasons-vintage-clothes_n_6432122. Accessed 3 Mar. 2019. 

“Environmental Impacts of the Fashion Industry.” SustainYourStyle,   www.sustainyourstyle.org/old-environmental-impacts/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2019  

Fishman, Elana. “Why stylish stars are suddenly wearing old clothes.” PageSix, 23 Oct. 2018,    https://pagesix.com/2018/10/23/why-stylish-stars-are-suddenly-wearing-old-clothes/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019.  

Godfrey, Ottilie. Vintage Fashion. United Kingdom, Arcturus Publishing, 2013.  

Hays, Kali. “Apparel Resale Market Expected to Hit $41 Billion by 2022.” WWD, 3 Apr. 2018, https://wwd.com/business-news/financial/apparel-resale-market-expected-to-hit-41-billion-by-1202642422/. Accessed 4 Mar. 2019. 

“Industry Statistics & Trends.” Facts on Fakes – NARTS: The Association of Resale Professionals, www.narts.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3285. Accessed 4 Mar.     2019. 

Kamal, Hana. “American Fashion Through the Decades.” InterExchange, 24 Sep. 2015, https://www.interexchange.org/articles/career-training-usa/2015/09/24/american-fashion-through-decades/. Accessed 4 Mar. 2019. 

Lux, Heidi. “Eco-friendly fashion: How is vintage clothing ‘green’?” Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, 21 May 2010, https://www.cltampa.com/news-views/environment/article/20734333/eco-friendly-fashion-how-is-vintage-clothing-green. Accessed 23 Mar. 2019. 

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