I have a vivid memory of going to the mall with my mom and picking out a Calvin Klein T-shirt. The year was 1996 and everyone in my 5th grade class seemed to be living the “CK” dream. The prospect of having my own piece of Calvin made me almost as excited as the prospect of marrying Lance Bass. I think I spent 45 minutes debating between the black or white one that my mom nearly regretted her decision to take me to Marshall Field’s (RIP) in the first. I remember proudly stepping off the bus that Monday, feeling like the coolest 11-year-old at Ivy Hall Middle School. Oh the ’90s—what a time to be alive!
As we left the ’90s, the new millennium brought upon serious change. Suddenly wearing the name of brands on your clothing became taboo and, dare I say, tacky. As much as I had previously loved my Calvin Klein T-shirt and adidas tracksuit, suddenly as a high schooler, I wanted almost as much to do with those brands as I did my parents (ie nothing). (Side note: Teenagers are the worst.)
Flash-forward and the concept of “the brand” is back and better than ever. Everyone from Gigi to Justin are sporting the iconic ’90s brands. But beyond the celebrity hype, what is the real reason these brands are having a revival? One word: Instagram. Thanks to social media, rocking a pair of retro Vans or high-waisted Tommy jeans has become double tap worthy. Throwback Thursday has become every day in the world of fashion.
If you had told my high school self that I would some day be an “adult” lusting over a Calvin Klein sports bra I would have sneered and rolled my eyes (once again, teenagers are the worst). Luckily, I can leave my attitude in the past and embrace the iconic ’90s brands of my childhood as a fashionable, hopefully more well-mannered adult.
I’m not the only one in favor of “bringing back the brand”—check out these Style Gurus who are letting their labels hang out!
