This year on the Hill, men’s fashion has been turning heads and serving looks. Although online classes have reduced the number of students on campus, this has been a hot season for fashion. Most notably, the classic slide and sock combo has emerged as a staple item. It fits all weather and social occasions, making it a stylish and comfortable paring. 

In the hair category, mullets have made a comeback from the ‘80s, making a strong appearance on Jewell’s campus. Even though it’s no longer cuffing season, there is no denying that getting a mullet is a sure-fire method to getting a hot date.

The cold front this school year produced many wintertime looks that are fashion-forward and practical. Shorts made a huge splash this summer as the men on campus opted for wardrobe choices that prioritized warmth during the below-freezing temperatures. 

On track with the weather-based fashion statements, pit vipers have been adopted for their great sun protection qualities and classy look. It’s refreshing to see that the men on campus are prioritizing responsible eye protection, all while looking subtle at the same time. 

Something that cannot be denied is that fashion is inherently cyclical, always going back to its roots and recreating itself. Currently, it seems that the decade of choice for retro fashion is the ’70s, with the latest fashion shows displaying the big hats, satin blouses and the infamous bell-bottom jeans. However the ‘80s and ‘90s appeared to have equal influence on modern style, with another item that was once ridiculed, the shoulder pad, now coming back into fashion. Such an idea runs contrary to the way we think about retro trends – with one decade indisputably exerting more influence than others – but it can also serve as a good starting point for considering just why certain clothing items can come into style at certain times.

There is no one theory for how long it takes a fashion to become retro and to make its leap back into current clothing lines. The amount of time can vary from 20 to 40 years , and even these timeframes are not infallible. To some extent, nostalgia for past decades will always exist in the present, creating one obstacle that fashion theorists grapple with. As such, there are some who believe that rules for when something will come back into style simply cannot be made, that fashion cycles are too capricious to be fully explained or predicted. However, other fashion analysts take a different approach to the equation: that there was, at some point or another, a definite pattern to recycling trends, but today’s trends render that approach obsolete, melding multiple different periods together and making it impossible to predict how any one trend will manifest itself.

“We now live in a fast-paced consumer society,” Andrew Groves, course director of fashion at the University of Westminster, said. “Pictures of what’s on the catwalks of London Fashion Week today will be on the internet today. Everything is absorbed quicker and we want it quicker. Looks hit the high street much faster.”

As such, the amount of time it takes for something to come into style—and to go out of it—is much shorter, allowing for the potential for new trends to emerge at the drop of a hat without previous thought as to whether they should be in fashion or not.

Perhaps the most charted hypothesis of how long it takes an object to become desirable again is that of fashion historian James Laver, who theorized in 1937 that “a trend does not start to look appealing until 50 years after its time.” This would come close to validating ‘70s-inspired movements very soon.  The prominence of succeeding decades can be attributed solely to the fast-paced atmosphere of today’s fashion world. In addition, the way we are wearing clothes now is not necessarily the same as the way we wore them then; going back to the shoulder pad example, the new generation sees them as an aesthetic of sharpness to be applied across the board rather than limited to the suits of the ‘80s. New generations bring new ways of looking at the old that turn them into not just nostalgia, but trends in their own right, a part of both the past and the present.

Photo courtesy of stylewile.com

Surely by the time your life has reached the collegiate level, you’ve seen a Baja hoodie. They are the staple of any member of a middle school boy’s soccer team and every high school girl who went to Mexico over spring break. Here is where the conflict takes place in the decision of naming such a fine piece of apparel. As per any good Shakespearian tragedy, there is a protagonist and an antagonist at bay. Starring as the antagonist, comes the truly Oscar-worthy performance from any judgmental conservative or future mother-in-law. The protagonist is a free spirited soul who defends against stereotypes.  Regardless of what we name it, it can be agreed that the Baja been a trend in this winter’s fashion.

The label “drug rug” was birthed in California when many surfers returned from Baja, Mexico wearing the trending jacket and smoking questionable souvenirs. The lifestyle of baja pioneers was very easy going, thus a correlation between hippie genre was formed. The original baja hoodies were made out of hemp. Instead of seeing this as resourceful, society labeled it “drug rug.”

Hemp has been one of the most influential plants of all time. It obviously isn’t as proverbial as apples and their inflicting downfall, but hemp and its medicinal benefits have left their impression on the human race. With hemp being a recourse of the earth, one could conclude that the Baja hoodie is simply the womb of dear Mother Nature. The Baja hoodie keeps you warm for years as it protects and shelters you. A real womb only gives you room and board for nine months, and then you’re evicted; but Bajas never cease warming you. Arguably, they’re even better than the real womb. The structure of Bajas are another allegory of the womb. The front pocket pouch of the hoodie has a marsupial convenience resembling a mother kangaroo.

Fashion trends have been migrating to tribal and natural styles. Bajas come in many comfort colors that advertise the “let’s go for a hike and eat granola” fashion statement. However, this trend isn’t limited to one genre. Bajas have infiltrated the fashion world with their comfortable interior and chic exterior. The rustic and earthy look of the baja goes great with any boho shorts from H&M, leggings and Converse, or even Vineyard Vines shorts with a beanie.

If you’re looking to invest in this cultural experience of a garment, the journey to find it is half of the fun. There are generally two places where one can find these holy grails: Mexico or any shop selling Grateful Dead posters and tye-dye. Though as the trend begins to spread, it won’t be long before we see a little Polo horse on the corners of Bajas. Spring is around the corner, and with a flower crown or denim collar, this so-called “drug rug” can evolve into a chic, hippie fashion essential.