Who remembers the sappy, clean-cut, pastel Esprit fashions that dominated U.S. fashion until nihilistic grunge took over? (And probably ushered in grunge.) Those vanilla, asexual T-shirts and pants could resurface too, so devoid are designers of new ideas.
Currently almost all urban women are now wearing slick, water-repellent polyester or nylon winter coats. (Thank goodness, fur coats are "dead") But the current winter coats are just long versions of the "ski jacket" which dates back to the 1950s.
Finally, a word about underwear. Underwire pushup bras that made every woman busty have segued into the "barely there" bralettes that are currently popular. Bralettes offer no support or coverage but are hardly new. They are simply what used to be called "starter bras" for girls who wanted grownup underwear before they needed it. Girdles which hid women's excessive thigh, stomach and hip fat, have resurfaced as "shaping briefs" and leggings like Spanx.
(It is doubtful that the "slip," worn under blouses and skirts to occlude a woman's shape, will resurface. Modesty is no longer the overriding principle in today's fashion.)
There is one under-appreciated benefit of top designers' creativity vacuum: they have turned second hand and vintage stores into the best places to shop. Anything you find in a resale shop whether a "pencil skirt," a cape or a paisley print shirtwaist will eventually come back into style if you wait long enough. Unless it is still in your closet.
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