Nostalgia & Fashion in 2026
Last semester, in my Fashion Forecasting class, our final project was to collaborate as a team and predict a widespread trend for Fall of 2027. We chose Nostalgia. We had backup research from Hailey Bieber being seen in a Herve Leger bandage dress to King Kylie making a comeback and the “2026 is the new 2016” trend. From doing research for this project, it really made me think about how people use fashion as a way to connect with emotions and reality.
Why is nostalgia and longing for the past so relevant in fashion right now? Brands are using storytelling and emotion as their way of connecting with consumers. From major brands pulling brand revivals, for example, Hollister and Gap, to the current popularity of 90s it-girl Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her simplistic style becoming a current trend within young women.
Y2K has been trending in fashion for a few years now, so it makes sense. But, recently we’re seeing a lot more of it. Even at the Superbowl, there was a Dunkin commercial with 80s/90s sitcom stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Jason Alexander, and Matt LeBlanc. With all the chaos in the world right now, people are looking back on simpler times, and fashion being one of the biggest industries in the world, is being pulled in.
As someone who feels nostalgic from time to time, I can agree that especially with Gen Z, the feeling of wanting to go back to being a kid, without all the technology and politics, is definitely apparent. When Labubus and Jellycats came out, the nostalgia specifically with Gen Z was starting to be shown more.
This brings me back to last year when I competed in the Fashion Scholarship Fund. The case study was to collaborate a non-fashion brand and a fashion brand. I chose Ralph Lauren and Build-A-Bear Workshop to create a Ralph Lauren Build-A-Bear teddy bear. In my case study, I also brought up research about nostalgia in fashion recently, due to my non-fashion brand being Build-A-Bear. I brought up points about the trend of “Kidults” – adults who buy kids toys or collectibles that can help them reminisce on their childhood. Overall, I can see nostalgia being a trend in fashion for many years to come.
