Trend bikes every 20 years. And yet, many elders still tend to stick to doors and become defensive when younger generations start wearing the clothes they loved or styling their hair the way they did as teenagers, especially when they claim the ideas as their own.
It’s definitely happening right now, when people in Gen Z and Gen Alpha decide that all sorts of previously considered old-fashioned things that Gen X kids were obsessed with are now cool again. While these young people may be taking these trends from the 80s and 90s and making them new with their own unique twists, they’re also opening up a lot of fresh cans of nostalgia for the middle-aged crowd without even realizing it.
Gen X kids were obsessed with these old fashioned things that are suddenly trending again:
1. Cassette tapes and Walkmans
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As they are with print media and newspapers, Gen Z enjoys disconnecting from their phones in favor of more physical forms of entertainment. The cool kids today buy cassette tapes and listen to them on old Walkmans, thoroughly enjoying life with these old-school classics.
By doing this, they get a break from the internet and a new way of appreciating music in a way that is completely new to them, even if their Gen X parents or grandparents see them as completely old fashioned now.
2. Wearing feather clips and tinsel in hair
Long before social media influencers showed off hair glitter deals and festival hairstyles, Gen X kids were already experimenting with colorful, eye-catching accessories in their hair. Feathers, metallic threads, beads and other playful additions were an easy way to make a personal style statement without committing to a permanent change. They were a fun way to stand out and show some creativity.
Like so many fashion trends, these accessories eventually faded from popularity before they make an unexpected comeback. Today, hair glitter is making a resurgence in salons, while feathers have made a comeback at music festivals and concerts everywhere. The details may look a little more polished than they did decades ago, but the appeal is largely the same.
3. Collectible dolls and trinkets
Today, Gen Zers can’t get enough of the trinket market. People are stands up to NeeDohs at 5 in the morning. They spend hundreds on Sonny Angels and blind box toy. Some fight with other adults over squishy dumplings from Five Below. The collector nature of Gen X childhood is back in full force.
Of course, Gen Xers were all about Care Bears, Cabbage Patch Kids, My Little Pony, and other plushies. Some kids liked figures and baseball cards. Although the content has changed, all these little toys and trinkets are becoming cool again, usually as a form of fun and community for young people today.
4. Print media
For Gen X children, newspapers and magazines were simply part of everyday life. Many households subscribed to a local newspaper, and waiting for the latest issue of a favorite magazine was often the easiest way to stay informed about news, entertainment, fashion or sports. Flipping through printed pages felt normal because there weren’t endless digital alternatives competing for attention.
After years of predictions that print would disappear entirely, newspapers and magazines has found an unexpected audience among younger generations. Some people appreciate the slower, more deliberate experience of reading something on paper rather than scrolling through an endless stream of headlines and notifications. Others enjoy collecting beautifully designed magazines or using them as a break from screens.
While print media may never dominate culture the way they once did, their recent resurgence proves that many people still value the tactile experience and focused attention that only a physical publication can provide.
5. Voluminous hair
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Our hair is an incredibly personal, emotional part of our style and self-expression. However, it is also incredibly influenced by the culture we live in and the trends we choose to follow. So it is just in time that we are in the 2020s seeing hair trends from the 80s come alive again.
Women make big, bouncy, voluminous blowouts. Gen Zers tease their hair and use heated curlers. Everyone wants to know how to grow their hair instead of following the straight, straight trends of their youth. Some Gen Z boys and men even get permanent to achieve the perfect big curly hairstyles.
6. Handheld video games
For Gen Zers today, it’s the Nintendo Switch. For many Gen Xers of the same age, it was Game Boys. Regardless of brand, handheld, hands-on video games are making a comeback. Especially as Gen Zers save more money and face financial barriers, these smaller options are their best bet.
There’s also something totally nostalgic about it for their parents, seeing Gen Zers curled up with a handheld gaming device, whether they’re adults or teenagers. The old, comforting games, the nostalgic music, the sounds of the joystick. It all brings back memories.
7. Capri pants
Despite being the kind of pants Gen Z made fun of their parents for wearing in old-school photos and even around the house when they were kids, capri pants are making a huge comeback. Yes, they are styled very differently, like most tendencies are normal when they are inherited of generations, but they bring an aura of nostalgia back to Gen Xers who were obsessed earlier in their lives.
Even gauchos are suddenly cool and trendy, not surprising as wellness trends and yoga come back into the picture for young people. They were old school staples in a Gen X teenager’s closet, and now they’re on every street corner and TikTok video online.
8. Flip phones
It may seem ironic given that so many Gen Zers rely almost exclusively on cell phones to navigate the world, but some young people are bringing back old-fashioned phones. They are trade their iPhones for flip phonesall to disconnect from social media and the internet.
You may even see influencers online posting grainy, old-fashioned photos from flip phones. Not only are they a sign that someone is disconnected from the wrath of constant cell phone use, but they become in some ways a symbol of wellness. They become cool again while still serving as a nostalgic pillar for their parents’ generation.
9. Go to the mall
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For several years, online shopping and convenience have pushed out the need for malls and department stores. Fortunately, Gen Zers are searching for community and third space make malls cool again.
Especially when they start disconnecting from their phones and save more moneygoing to the mall to try on clothes and actually connect with colleagues is becoming an important part of their shopping experience.
10. Jelly accessories
While Gen Xers adopted the jelly trend in their own unique ways growing up, jelly shoes were also a big part of Gen Zers’ childhoods, largely because of their parents.
Despite making fun of family photos for years, they are comes back strongly as an image at play in fashion trends for Gen Z. They may not always be functional, but they are comfortable and nostalgic, making them perfect for younger generations of people today.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & politics and gender studies, focusing on psychology, relationships, self-help and human interest stories.
