Hand-me-downs to Kick-you-up in style
Growing up, we used to dread getting hand-me-downs from our older siblings, cousins, or even our parents. Remember all those times where your mom would drag you into Gap Kids because you needed a new pair of pants after you got grass stains all over them from recess, but then you would walk out so fast once she would take a look at that price tag? Then when you get home, she would put you into a pair of your older brother or sister’s pants and say “you’ll grow into them sweetie.” I don’t know about you, but I remember crying so hard because I just wanted something new for myself. The fashion industry has been working to be more sustainable in terms of their production and materials for quite some time now, but have you ever noticed how fashion trends are making full-circle comebacks in the style world? Pieces get introduced as either “vintage” or even “revamped”, but in my eyes, I take this to be one of the best solutions to recycle clothing and reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. I don’t know about you, but mom and dad’s closet is definitely my favourite place to shop. Here are the top 5 picks to rummage for in order to stay styling this cold season: denim jackets, pouches/fanny packs, vintage band tees, high-waisted bottoms and crewneck sweaters.
Denim jackets never go out of style. From a stone-washed looks, to colours by the books, a denim jacket is such an easy staple to add to your wardrobe! One of the best reasons to wear a hand-me-down jacket too is that it adds a sort of worn out appearance to the outfit. The whole idea of wearing distressed clothing is definitely back in style today, so what better way to be ahead of the game than to have something in fashion now, but from the 80’s!
Music is another world that is constantly evolving with the times. The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, even the rap industry have done nothing but grow and expand with what’s in the “now.” The music industry plays a role in the fashion world through merch. Another thing you can find in your parents closet would be simple band/artist tees. One of my all-time favourite shirts to this day is my dad’s old Tupac t-shirt that says “Only God Can Judge Me,” because quality made shirts don’t come around that often today, but also because a simple graphic tee can add some spice to any outfit.
Movies and tv shows had their fair share of impacting the fashion industry, for example my style icons growing up were Rachel Green from FRIENDS and Hilary Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. What these two had in common that I absolutely adore is their high-waisted bottoms. Denim, corduroy, joggers and dress pants; it was all high-waisted with the trends back then and are making a full-circle comeback with our styles today! We’ve had our era with hip huggers, but it’s time to serve high-waisted looks especially in this cold season.
Sweater season is right around the corner and I have a tip for you to stay cozy in style; wear an old sweater. Crewnecks are so versatile and can easily be styled up or down. A big trend nowadays are college/university crewnecks, so imagine yourself walking around this fall/winter season in your denim bottoms, oversized jacket, beanie, scarf, and old-school Harvard University crewneck that your grandpa passed down to your dad, and now to you. Big sweaters definitely have to be one of the best and most stylish ways to stay warm in the cold weather.
I don’t know about you, but I hate carrying a lot with me when I’m out. Today’s generation is learning about being more minimalistic in everything because of where the health of our planet is sitting. A way to take part in this is to reuse accessories such as a fanny pack or a simple side pouch. These items were huge back in the day, until the population began to think that ‘bigger is better’ and just made everything in larger sizes. Not only will you save yourself from spending so much on a big bag, but you’ll learn to not carry much while taking less attention away from your clothes and still rockin’ a fire outfit!
Next time you get the chance to go through your parents old stuff, ask to see pictures of them at your age, see what kind of styles and trends were circulating back then and compare it to what you see around you today; maybe even get ahead of the game. Wearing your dad’s old oversized varsity, or carrying around mom’s vintage fanny pack can also create a sense of nostalgia, but what I love the most is that passing things down through generations gives them so much more value. In the words of famous American designer Marc Jacobs, “Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.”
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