Social media reviving trends, styles from 80s, 90s among current Bearden students

Disposable cameras may not deliver the efficiency, convenience, or quality that smartphone technology offers, but that hasn’t stopped them from gaining popularity amongst tech-savvy teens.

It is second nature for teens to scroll through social media to see public figures posting about the latest trends, from fashion to technology. Recently, social media has taken a nostalgic turn. Some of the biggest fads from past decades have once again become mainstream by taking over social media feeds and Bearden High School students.

Walking through the halls, Bearden students can be seen wearing “mom jeans” and Birkenstocks with scrunchies on their wrists, looks that were popular decades before they were born. It seems as though fashion, like history, repeats itself.

“When ‘mom jeans’ came back into style, it was a total win for me,” senior Leini Elder said. “They should have never gone out of style in the first place.”

The resurgence in the popularity of fashion from the 80s and 90s shows that there is an undeniable hankering for the way (some) things used to be. As fashion designers decide to bring back these styles in hopes of turning a profit, social media makes them mainstream.

“My clothing purchases are inspired based on what I see on social media,” senior Nicole Couvertiere said. “I saw a tik toker wearing these ‘mom jeans’ and crop top on social media, and the next thing I knew I was online shopping for it.”

The demand for 80s and 90s trends is not limited to clothing. Despite advanced technology that occupies the hands of most Bearden students, disposable cameras are making a comeback. 

“I used to love taking pictures with disposable cameras before cell phone cameras became popular,” mother Mourine Brady said. “I really wouldn’t use one now since I have an iPhone, but it’s fun to see that the younger generation is taking an interest.”

Compared to cell phones which have cameras that are continually being enhanced, disposable cameras are primitive. However, they have seemed to spark the interest of Bearden students.

“I started to see disposable cameras pop up on the internet, and I thought ‘why not?’” Couvertiere said. “I am really glad I did too because whenever you pull out a phone, everyone tries to get ready, but when you snap a picture with a disposable, it is purely candid.

“It leaves you with a true picture of your friends.”

As trends are restored and once again become mainstream, Generation X and Millennials get to see their styles reinvented on the younger generation. 

“I love it when my daughter goes through my old bins of clothes and finds something that’s in style,” Brady said. “It makes me feel trendy, even at my age.”