On December 31st 2023, Tiktoker turned fashion ‘it girl’ Addison Rae rang in the new year by posting a photo dump to Instagram. Wearing high rise denim shorts with tights, a faux fur coat, winged eyeliner and black nail polish, the photos could easily be mistaken for a Tumblr post from 2014. With her followers commenting “2014 era is back” and “so Tumblr 2014 coded”, Addison Rae confirmed the resurgence of 2014 fashion in 2024.
Historically, fashion trends have repeated on a twenty year cycle: every two decades or so trends from the past tend to resurface and regain popularity. However, in recent years, the trend cycle has been accelerating at an exponential rate. This can be largely attributed to the internet, which plays a crucial role in expediting the trend cycle by enabling worldwide communication. Fashion trends are seemingly no longer controlled by a cyclical concept, but rather dictated by what’s popular on TikTok and Instagram. The twenty year cycle has been made obsolete, with trends repeating themselves at a far quicker rate of ten years. While we may not feel ready for the return of the skinny jean, I fear it may be soon approaching – 2024 is the new 2014.
It’s easy to look back at 2014 fashion through rose tinted glasses, or rather a sepia Instagram filter. The peak of the King Kylie era, 2014 saw the rise of distressed denim, tattoo chokers and flannel shirts. Before the days of TikTok micro trends, Tumblr served as a main source of fashion inspiration on the internet. 2014 was a pivotal year for Tumblr fashion, with pleated tennis skirts, Doc Martens, winged eyeliner and wired earphones becoming hugely popular. One of the most defining images of 2014 fashion was a photo of a group of miserable looking teenagers, dressed strictly in dark clothing from American Apparel, standing against a concrete wall. This, along with Kylie Jenner’s blue haired selfies, was the epitome of cool.
But don’t worry, the recycling of trends doesn’t necessarily mean that all aspects of 2014 fashion will be making a comeback (peplum tops and moustache necklaces are never okay).
The trend cycle encourages the incorporation of some elements from past decades into contemporary styles. While I don’t necessarily advocate for a full return to early 2010s fashion, it’s certainly fun to play with trends influenced by the past. As Gen Z, many of us were too young to properly participate in 2014 fashion. At the awkward ages of eleven or twelve, we may have been exposed to trends online or through our older siblings, but were too young to actively take part. While the growing obsession with 2014 fashion can be largely attributed to the accelerating trend cycle, perhaps it also stems from a desire among Gen Z to live out the dreams of our awkward prepubescent selves? In the words of design legend Alexander McQueen in Women’s Wear Daily, “fashion should be a form of escapism”. As we struggle to navigate the challenges and uncertainty of our early twenties, fashion can provide a sense of comfort and familiarity. Perhaps drawing on the styles and trends of our childhood may help us deal with the impending doom of adulthood.
The call for a return to 2014 fashion is not just a Gen Z created TikTok trend.
Certain elements can also be observed on the catwalk, a realm some argue holds even greater influence over trends than the internet. In an article reviewing the SS24 shows, British Vogue highlighted some of the key trends of the season to be “short shorts, high rise trousers and mesh skirts”. Denim short shorts and a high waisted silhouette were hugely popular in 2014, while mesh skirts are reminiscent of the gothic/grunge Tumblr aesthetic. Other trends from the early 2010s have already begun to gain traction, both on the runway and the internet. Ballet flats, for example, popular throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, were one of the biggest trends in 2023. Revived by designers like Miu Miu and Sandy Liang, ballet flats quickly became cool again. Seeing the rise of ‘ballet core’ across social media, ballet flats were styled with more modern pieces like baggy jeans and midi skirts, seamlessly integrating into the fashion trends of the 2020s and gaining cult status.
So, what 2014 trends will witness a revival in 2024? Short shorts will be making a serious comeback this Spring/Summer. While not limited to the denim styles that dominated 2014, expect shorts in darker hues and materials like wool and leather to take centre stage. Pairing shorts with tights, a popular trend in the early 2010s, will also be making a resurgence. The faux fur coats of 2014 are gaining traction on the internet, a main player in the current ‘mob-wife’ aesthetic. Faux fur will continue to grow in 2024, with the fur coat being the pièce de résistance for AW24 outfits. Leopard print is set to regain popularity, already included in many ‘fit checks’ on TikTok and Instagram. While a complete return to skinny jeans may not yet be on the horizon, 2024 is set to depart from the oversized low-rise denim that has dominated previous seasons. Instead, there will be a return to high waisted straight leg jeans. For accessories, wired earphones have become cool again. As sported by fashion ‘it girls’ Bella Hadid and Lily Rose Depp, wired earphones exude an effortlessly cool energy, heavily inspired by 2014 Tumblr fashion (bonus points if you’re listening to Lorde’s ‘Pure Heroin’).
As the trend cycle accelerates, the obsession with Y2K trends that dominated fashion in recent years has begun to tire. This rapid acceleration raises serious concerns about the future of fashion: how can consumers possibly cope with the constant influx of new trends? Is the trend cycle completely ignorant of the need for sustainability in fashion? While trends are fun and lighthearted, they also reveal darker aspects of the fashion industry, encouraging unsustainable practices like overconsumption and excess waste. Putting nihilism aside, early 2010s fashion is currently reclaiming the spotlight. Influences from 2010s fashion have been seen across the runway, from the skinny jean silhouette shown at Prada SS23 to the revival of micro shorts at Miu Miu SS24. While fashion designers are instrumental in shaping and influencing trends, the internet plays a crucial role in determining their popularity, with social media serving as a driving force behind the resurgence of early 2010s trends. Just as Tumblr influenced the rise of the American Apparel tennis skirt in 2014, a singular Instagram post by influencer Addison Rae affirmed the revival of 2014 fashion in 2024. Whether we’re ready for it or not, 2024 is the new 2014.
WORDS: Elena Mullen
