I am a size 16 and I have tried all the old trends – peplum tops are not pretty
FASHION trends come and go, but it looks like several styles from the 2000s are making a comeback this summer.
While we’ve recently seen consumers cheer the return of peplum tops, many millennials couldn’t “accept” the return of ballet flats to the shelves.
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And it’s not just the iconic top from the 2010s or the shoes from the 1940s that made people go crazy in the ’90s that have been wowing fashionistas. It seems that leopard print, small Skirts and low-rise jeans are still all the rage this season.
We asked a confident babe, Elisabeth Carley-Leonardto try out and review a selection of the high street’s nostalgic trends so you don’t have to.
Elisabeth, who is 5ft 8in, a size 12 and a size 8E bust, is originally from Leicester but now lives in London. She exclusively told Fabulous: “As a millennial, I always knew that certain trends would come back, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.
“Today I’m going to try on some trendy items from New Look and see if they fit my curvy body. I used to be a size 38 to 40, but now I’m a size 46.”
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Here, Elisabeth put the nostalgic products of New Look, a one-stop-shop for trendy fashion items, to the test and shared her thoughts about them.
Elisabeth revealed the couple summer shoes she would absolutely destroy – and trends she would definitely skip.
That’s hot: Leopard print
Fashion lovers are in a frenzy as leopard print takes over the high streets this summer.
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Elisabeth wore a stunning leopard print midi skirt, which retails for £23.99, and was extremely impressed.
The influencer is excited about the revival of ’60s animal print, explaining: “I’m starting very safe and staying within my comfort zone with this skirt, which I love.
“I’ll be honest: I’m always a little hesitant to wear leopard print as a curvy woman, because I think the print doesn’t always look good on us. But I really like the cut of this skirt and the style of the print.
“This skirt is stretchy and I think it’s super flattering.”
So short: Mini skirtS
Although Elisabeth loved animal prints, she wasn’t too happy when she saw miniskirts back on the shelves.
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The curvy fashionista wore a leopard print mini skirt worth £23.99, adding: “This skirt is also a size 16, but because there’s no stretch in it, it’s a bit tight.
“And I think it’s really short.”
Not overly impressed, she continued: “For us bootie girls, I don’t know if this is the best cut for us. But I don’t hate it.
“Would I wear it? Probably not.”
Dare to denim: Low jeans
While low-rise jeans were all the rage in the 1990s, fashion fans now seem to be divided over the ‘bumster’ pants.
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While Elisabeth admitted she wasn’t thrilled to hear that the pants once favored by Paris Hilton and Britney Spears were back in style, she explained, “I’ll be honest with you: When I heard that low-rise jeans were back in style, I wasn’t thrilled.
“I was glad to get rid of them in the 2000s, especially when I got rounder.”
All the trends from the 90s that are coming back
WE may be living in 2024, but fashion fans are looking to the past when it comes to new styles. So which ’90s trends are making a comeback today?
Claw clamps
These hair accessories were a huge trend in the 90s, but are now most popular among those trying out the “clean girl” aesthetic. Designers like Prada have released their own versions, while there are thousands of colours and styles to choose from on the high street.
Platform slippers
These heels were also a popular choice among fashionistas in the 90s. Now they are back and designers like Balenciaga have tried their luck with their own style.
Cargo pants
Once worn by the stars of All Saints, cargo pants became a popular trend for teens in the 90s. But they’ve now undergone a fashion overhaul, with stars like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber all putting their own spin on the trend.
Jeans and a nice top
It was the phrase that defined fashion for a decade, and now famous faces like Sofia Richie are wearing the reinvented trend – pairing their own denim with a more refined top. But are you willing to pull out your jeans and pretty tops for a second time?
But despite this, when she showed off a £32.99 bootcut pair from New Look, she revealed: “These aren’t that bad.”
Elisabeth then admitted: “What I love about New Look jeans is that they seem to be much more forgiving when it comes to curves.
“These ones in particular are stretchy, so there’s a little bit of wiggle room, because the last thing you want with a low-rise jean is for them to cut you in here.” [waist].
“I also expected them to be a lot lower, but I actually think these are fine.”
Shape change: Peplum tops
Another trend that shoppers recently saw in stores was the iconic ’80s peplum top.
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While they were originally worn with a range of business casual pieces and the skinniest of jeans, peplum tops now seem to be gaining popularity as the days get warmer and Instagram is filled with more holiday outfits. next one trendy silhouette that you should add to your summer shopping list.
Still, Elisabeth wasn’t entirely convinced. A purchase for £25.99 took her back to her teenage years.
The content creator admitted: “I actually had this outfit when I was 15. It’s weird.
“For me, the advantage of peplum tops if you have long hair is that your waist disappears completely.
All the sloppy ’90s clothes Gen Z thinks are trendy
Millennials survived Robbie Williams’ departure from Take That, the Y2K bug… and low-cut waistlines.
While Gen Z trashes millennials at every opportunity, they now scour thrift stores and pop culture archives for the most disastrous trends.
Clemmie Fieldsend, fashion editor of Fabulous, shares the ’90s fashion trends she finds ‘boring’ but Gen Z finds ‘cool’.
“They told us skinny jeans weren’t cool. I agree with them, but it’s hard to get fashion advice from someone who wears a skirt over jeans and a sweater that Andi Peters would have worn on children’s TV.
Pedal pushers
I was shocked to see Topshop pedal pushers on Asos. They were the go-to tw of fashion’s most unfashionable era: the late nineties, early noughties. And now they’re back with Emily Ratajkowski and Alexa Chung, selling them on the high street.
Fuddy Flies
The most tasteless of all the nineties fashions that is still acceptable today is the fleece. You probably had a knock-off version from Berghaus back in the day.
In October, customers went crazy for F&F’s Tesco North Face knock-off, which cost £37 (£283 less than the original’s £320) and was viewed seven million times on TikTok.
Cropper jacket
The lightly padded waterproof jacket is currently a hit among celebrities.
As far as I can tell, this jacket was inspired by one of the TV series’ most unlikely fashion muses: Coronation Street character Roy Cropper, who has worn it on the cobbles for the past 30 years.
But brands like Prada and Bottega seem to have been inspired by Roy’s beige jacket.”
“So if you’re more of an apple or pear shape, I think they would look really good on you. I’m more of an hourglass shape, so they just don’t really do anything for me.”
Elisabeth then showed off another peplum top, this time in black, priced at £22.99, as she continued: “I used to go out in something similar to this.
“It’s the epitome of jeans and a going-out top. It’s like being in a time machine.
“Did I wear it with confidence then? Yes. Would I wear it now? Absolutely not.”
Comfort is key: Ballerinas
Although Elisabeth was not impressed with the rise of many of these old trends, she admitted that she was happy to see ballerinas becoming popular again.
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The flat, slipper-like pumps, reminiscent of ballerina pointe shoes, have been around since the 1600s.
This enduring trend has undergone changes over the years and while they never completely disappeared from fashion, their last period of absolute cool was sometime in the mid to late 2000s.
How New Look reinvented itself from a teen store
by fabulous fashion editor Clemmie Fieldsend
“Do you remember meeting up with your friends in the city center of your hometown on Saturdays to go shopping?
Well, if you were like me, you’d end up in a New Look,” says Clemmie Fieldsend.
“New Look was always one of those stores where, when all else failed, you could always go to get everything you needed.
Your school uniform, night out or disco outfit: whatever your needs, you can count on New Look to meet your style needs.”
Clemmie says: “I felt like I was outgrowing New Look and thought it was a younger brand that couldn’t offer what I wanted, but a quick look at their website or in their stores proved me wrong.
This summer they present a number of trendy products, from clothing to accessories and of course their comfortable shoes.
They recently roped in Girls Aloud’s Nadine Coyle for an exclusive spring edition, plus fashion influencer Georgina Lennon.
They deliver quality basic models, luxurious stables and trendy designs that reflect the New Look we all once loved, but with a slightly more grown-up feel.”
And now the largely unstructured shoes are back on the shelves, and Elisabeth is beaming in her new red pair, which cost just £15.99.
The brunette beauty was happy to be wearing the comfy shoes again, saying: “What I can say about these shoes is that they are ridiculously comfortable and I’m starting to remember why I used to wear ballerina flats all my life.
“They feel comfortable as soon as you put them on.”
Looking back at the old trends, Elisabeth concluded: “The only thing I am happy with are the ballerinas.
“As far as I’m concerned, everything should remain in the past.”
