The Early 2010s: An Analysis and How to Style
By Audrey Treon
Maybe it’s because I’m rewatching New Girl and have been wearing my colorful tights again, but I look back on the early 2010s with rose-colored glasses. Even though I was too young to fully experience all the cultural markers of the decade, I like to imagine all the quintessential trends of the 2010s coming together to create a collective nostalgic warmth.
Alexis Sundman for Harper’s Bazaar UK. Styled by Leith Clark, photographed by Ina Lekiewicz, courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar UK
Twee is defined with words like “dainty” and “quaint” and the origins of twee are tied to various movements. Twee goes beyond physical fashion garments, it is connected to social and political movements, twee was a staple of the 2010s style. The early half of the decade was marked by rom-coms, vintage-inspired albums, and a retro style mixed with a modern attitude. The majority of twee fashion trends originated in the 60s and the 80s and “The Radical Roots of Twee” by Ian Wang perfectly breaks down the political, musical, fashion, and social origins of this style and subculture. When people discuss fashion trends, you often hear phrases like “That’s so in right now” or “This item is coming back” because fashion is cyclical. That thing you said you’ll never wear again, you probably will. And I hate to be the one to break this news, but it proves my point… skinny jeans are coming back — in fact, they’re already here. Skinny jeans have been a part of modern fashion since the 50s and have been styled according to other trends. For example, skinny jeans saw more rips in the 80s and 90s with the rise of countercultures like punk and grunge.
The fashion trend cycle usually follows a 20-year timeline but that timeline has become skewed due to social media and mass communication. Previously, something that was trending in 1970 would see a comeback in the year 1990. But in the year 2024, the styles of the early 2010s are already coming back. Why so soon? Shouldn’t we have at least another ten years before we see skinny jeans, chevron, and tights under shorts?
Zooey Deschanel via Instagram
The resurgence of 2010s fashion, trends, and general pop culture can be equated to many different reasons. I believe it comes down to the tumultuous times of the second half of the 2010s, which have generated collective nostalgia for such a recent time. In the past, a new decade meant change and progress (more or less). People in the 70s weren’t itching to get back to the 60s because so much social progress had been made, so the 20 year trend cycle was more applicable and appropriate. However, now that we’re seeing intentional regression and backtracking in terms of basic human rights, people want to go back to a more recent time. We look at the recent time in a positive light (there are those rose-colored glasses again), in part because that was the last time things felt, at the very least, normal. The 2016 election was a pivotal marker of the latter half of the 2010s, which brought political extremism and a global pandemic. And not to be incredibly cynical and pessimistic, but things haven’t gotten much better, at least in the socio-political landscape. This doesn’t mean that the issues that affect us today weren’t present in the early 2010s. The 2008 financial crisis left people in dire economic positions, and we still see those patterns and the societal implications today. And this doesn’t mean that the issues that affect us today weren’t present in the 2010s — they absolutely were. It is vital to remember that fashion does not exist in a bubble — fashion is affected by political, social, and cultural trends, so it’s pretty much impossible to separate the fashion of the 2010s from the political landscape of those years — the same goes for any decade. With that being said, let’s get into the fashion.
The General ~Vibe~ and Specific Trends
First and foremost, if you don’t like wearing any of these trends, you don’t have to! Really! Even if Vogue is telling you skinny jeans are back, your tastes matter more than a trend. However, if you want to sink back into the nostalgia of the early 2010s, this is your guide to the vibe and style of the time. The general vibe you ask? Using wired headphones to listen to Belle and Sebastian, grabbing a hot coffee to compliment the crisp fall weather, and maybe finishing the day off with a 500 Days of Summer rewatch. Styling trends that are so recent in the fashion zeitgeist is a beautiful thing because there is so much room for interpretation. You can go full authentic and wear them all at once or you can pick and choose. Any way you play it, the styling is up to you.
Skinny Jeans
Was there ever a garment as controversial as jeans? Everyone has their strong opinions on fit, silhouette, price, construction, finish, and origin. Skinny jeans, like any garment, can be styled in any way the wearer pleases. I strongly reject ideas of “dressing to your body type,” and “dressing in a flattering manner,” which in my opinion, are fashion rules that have the goal of making women’s bodies adhere to the current beauty standard. Skinny jeans have been worn by every body size, and the beauty of such a versatile garment is you can truly wear it anyway. If I listed out all the ways I would style skinny jeans we’d be here for days.
Personally, I love to choose between a continuous silhouette or an obstructed one. For a continuous silhouette I would style skinny jeans with a tight-fitting top — maybe made of silk or satin — and a pair of ballet flats. This creates a singular line for the eye to follow but the differing textures and/or patterns makes for a quietly intriguing ensemble. An obstructed silhouette you ask? I would pick my most voluminous top — I’m talking shoulder pads and bell sleeves with a sleek pair of skinny jeans. This silhouette interrupts the line and creates obvious character and excitement. Skinny jeans, like all garments, are incredibly subjective. Style them in the way you love; there is no right or wrong answer.
Celine Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear by Hedi Slimane, photographed by Frazer Harrison, courtesy of Getty Images for Celine
Colorful Tights
Zendaya for Vogue Australia. Styled by Christine Centenara, photographed by Daniel Jackson, courtesy of Vogue Australia
Oh, colorful tights. This versatile and budget-friendly garment is an easy way to incorporate color and pattern or add to a monochromatic outfit. They are a great way to lightly layer during warmer months but don’t fret – fleece-lined tights are now on the market for winter. A monochromatic black outfit is completely transformed with the addition of a colorful tight. Add a lavender colored tight and your outfit becomes whimsy goth, think Stevie Nicks, but add a burgundy tight and you’re a vampire in one of the many sagas. Whether you keep things classic with a black tight or change it up with patterns and colors, tights can add an unexpected and dynamic layer to your outfits.
Chevron
Ah, yes. Was there ever a pattern so divisive? I’m sure the word “chevron" conjures up images of thick, bright turquoise-angled lines. But chevron does not have to be that loud, I promise. Let us look to the icon of all things chevron, Missoni.
In 2011 Missoni did a collaboration line with Target, making their designer products more accessible. And good news, people are selling their vintage Missoni for Target products all over second-hand websites (i.e. Depop, Vinted, Poshmark). And if you want to go full-on Missoni, websites like The Real Real and Vestiaire Collective have authentic pieces for you to shop to your heart’s content. The accessibility of chevron from a price point is mirrored in the versatility of the pattern itself. A chevron of neutral, tonal colors versus a chevron of bright, saturated colors is like night and day. Personally, I love jewel tones for fall and winter and those tones perfectly translate into a knit chevron piece. For spring and summer, a bright and airy pattern is the perfect addition to any beach-going ensemble. (ADD MORE?)
Missoni for Target ad, 2011
While fashion is cyclical, sometimes fashion doesn’t follow its own rules, and the cycle is broken — keep that in mind when styling and observing these trends from the early 2010s, fashion rules are meant to be broken. I hope this helped cure some of the universal anxieties regarding the inevitable return of skinny jeans, and chevron.
