Lately we’ve seen a lot of mentions of retro in the media. Generally it’s in reference to clothing styles, but other categories have also appeared. Here’s some framework for the term “retro.” It typically refers to items and styles that are between 20 and 40 years old or so. Using today as a benchmark, that means from 1983 to 2003.
You might be wondering what the difference is between “retro” and “vintage”. As a rule, vintage items are authentic of the period in question. Retro items are derivative; they’re new items that imitate the vintage period. I’m going to keep this simple and just use retro, which in my opinion is in the eye of the beholder anyway. Despite what fashion magazines are saying, in my eyes styles from 1990 aren’t retro.
From my vantage point, the nineties were forward looking. One magazine described four “retro” pants styles, all “non-skinny.” They cited wide leg, flared, cargo, and straight leg denim and leather. You need to go back to the seventies to find my retro pants: bell bottoms!
If you really want retro, look at the first wave of tie-dyes (especially if you went to San Francisco or Woodstock). Tie-dye is a good example of a trend that is retro for younger folks when you look at styles from the nineties, but truly retro for me, from when the Beatles inspired authentic Indian tie-dye. My husband imported tie-dyed styles from India in the seventies for his company India Imports of Rhode Island.
A lot of the 70s fashion revolved around hippies. You had peasant blouses, ponchos, hippie sandals and maxi dresses. I had a Gunne Sax maxi (by Jessica McClintock) that I bought in San Francisco, and Olaf Daughters of Sweden clogs that I bought in the West Village in New York City. Gen Xer 90s retro includes shin-length slip dresses. Today’s “retro” clogs wouldn’t have cut the mustard in the seventies. Doc Martens are said to making a comeback. I bought mine in the forward-looking nineties; now they’re being called retro. Mine were red and I wore them to death.
I just saw a report that flip up eyeglasses from the seventies are coming back. I confess, I don’t even remember those from the first time around. The glasses I picture from the seventies are John Lennon’s little round wire frames. They never went away, so I guess I shouldn’t really call them retro.
Moving away from clothes, there are so many other iconic retro items. There’s the classic Volkswagon bus. My brother used his as a camper and I made him fancy curtains for it. The website rugs.com informs us: “Shag rugs have made a comeback in a huge way. What was once thought of as a casualty of the 70s are now popular again…” It’s still a risky floor covering for anyone with pets who are prone to throwing up. My brother’s camper didn’t have rugs, but it probably saw plenty of throw up.
Another 70s staple that can be found on EBay is the blue cornflower pattern of Corning Ware. We have a stash of them in our cabinet. It used to be a go-to gift for bridal showers before the big stores had registries. Fondue pots were another popular shower gift back then. Raise your hand if you received at least three of those and re-gifted one of them. Lava lamps were also all the rage in the 70s.
Moving away from the kitchen and decor, the seventies also saw the introduction of the VHS recorder. Today’s generation is into streaming; they probably think that DVD’s are retro. But VHS is the true retro. Blockbuster has announced plans to “Rewind” and open some new stores. You read it correctly: Blockbuster. There are even vintage Blockbuster items for sale on EBay. When it comes to fun and games from the seventies, let’s not forget Rubik’s Cube, the Nerf ball and the Pet Rock.
My retro options mentioned here might seem to have run the gamut, but I’ve barely scratched the surface. This seems like a good place to stop and let you mull over what you would add to this list. Keep in mind that retro is in the eye of the beholder. Your retro may be from a different decade than mine. If you’re not sure, just look at some old photos and see what style of legs are on the pants you’re wearing.
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