Fashion has faced major changes over the past couple of years. “New” trends are taking inspiration from previous decades, most heavily centered in the late 2000s to early 2010s. With these trends returning, controversy has risen about many areas of fashion today. Due to bringing back fashion trends from a decade ago, questions arise about what trends should have been left in the past. Some returning fashion trends include low rise jeans, jorts, lingerie tops and chunky shoes. 

“I like that. It’s fun,” sophomore Amelia McCleod said about the recently popularized Y2K style. This style focuses on articles of clothing such as low rise pants and longer shirts. These pieces are the opposite of the high rise jeans and crop top trend that has also been circulating, and was at its peak prior to the Y2K fashion return. One of the most controversial articles of clothing from Y2K fashion are lingerie tops. Made as pajamas, wearing these tops as everyday wear had some questioning how appropriate it was to wear them to school. McCleod said, “I think  [lingerie tops] are appropriate for the most part, if you have a jacket. Or not, people should wear what they want to wear.” McCleod also feels that controversy over a trend adds to its popularity. 

Senior Avery Kightlinger said, “I am all for styles being brought back and rebirthed in more modern times, I think it’s so fun because typically a new spice is added to the already fun style that had previously existed, and it just makes for an interesting whole new take and originality on styles that were initially awesome already, especially Y2K.” Kightlinger also expressed her love for lace/lingerie tops, a huge part of 2000s fashion. 

On the other hand, Kightlinger said, “If I were to take a personal stance on a trend and style I really disliked it would 100 percent have to be skinny jeans. I’m no fashion critic but I really loathe skinny jeans and I’m glad we as a society are now in a more flared and baggy jean era.” Skinny jeans versus mom jeans has been a huge topic of debate, especially between generations. Flared and baggy jeans are other types of jeans returning to popularity.  

“It all depends on the intention, because some clothes are definitely aimed to do exactly that [start controversy], and to strictly attract attention rather than be functional or realistic,” Kightlinger said about whether or not controversy adds to the popularity of a fashion trend. She explained that the controversy adds to the shock-factor of the piece more so than the popularity of it. 

Adding to the dispute on popular fashion trends, a new dress code for Ventura High students was recently announced. Both McCleod and Kightlinger agree that the new dress code will not be changing the way they dress. Kightlinger also said, “The new dress code is definitely disappointing in the sense that I was finally hopeful we were done punishing and sexualizing young girls — dress codes have always been targeted at this one particular group and it’s just super frustrating.”

Fashion has always been an outlet for people to express themselves. Trends from previous decades are coming back, and many are adding new twists to old trends in order to make it their own. Popularizing older trends again, combined with the new dress code has started controversy about certain items. From the beginning of fashion, the goal for many was to stir controversy over articles of clothing. This is something that will most likely continue as fashion continues evolving, and new styles are remade to fit modern ideas.