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Pop Culture

Why have people dressed the same for the past 20 years?

The '50s and '70s were totally different as were the '60s and '80s. Why does it still feel like 2005?

via Canva

What year is it?

In 1974, “Happy Days” debuted on TV, and it was a nostalgic look back on the 1950s when greasers wore leather jackets, listened to Bill Haley and the Comets, and drank milkshakes at the local diner. It was a stark comparison to the feeling in the country at the end of the Vietnam War era, where long hair, fringe, and polyester were all the rage. The funny thing is that those eras were only about 20 years apart, but fashion, hairstyles, and culture had changed significantly.

A similar comparison to “Happy Days” could be made to “Dazed and Confused,” a film about teens in 1976 Texas who wore puka shells, satin shirts, and Kangol hats released in 1993 when young Americans were obsessed with grunge and hip-hop styles. But what if someone in 2025 made a film about 2005? Would there be a big difference in any of the fashions or hairstyles? How long would it take to notice that the film is set in the past?


Writer Jason Pargin ("John Dies in the End") recently had a viral hit on TikTok with a video asking whether fashion has changed in the past 20 years. He did so by showing the characters in “The Office” who could walk into any building in corporate America in 2025, and no one would think they’re a time traveler. “The only signifier of which era you're in is what kind of phones they're using and how big the monitors are on their desks,” Pargin notes.

@jasonkpargin

From dec 2023, we got some interesting theories on this

Some commenters felt that Pargin chose a poor example of stagnant style because office attire changes more slowly than streetwear. "The Office is a bad example because business casual hasn’t changed much," one commenter wrote. "Suits from the '60s still look about the same today, with fit slightly changing over the years. Office wear hasn’t changed much, but casual and fashion keep evolving."

Pargin’s video sparked a passionate discussion on various social media platforms. Many people on X felt that he was right and that culture had stagnated because of the internet.


Others agreed, referencing “stuck culture,” defined as “a perceived stagnation in cultural innovation, particularly in media, where there is a notable recycling of ideas and a lack of groundbreaking content.”



Some people say that styles have changed, especially among young people, but older people haven't noticed.


Pargin’s video inspired a response from TikToker Kevin Earl, who believes that economics has played a significant role in why fashion doesn’t change as quickly as it once did. In 2025, clothing is more likely to be mass-produced than in previous decades, and manufacturers want a sure thing, so they produce cheaper clothes that appeal to everyone.

“When considering mass-produced clothes, the kind of stuff available to everyone. Think about the clothes at big box stores like Target, Walmart, Old Navy, places like that. Most of the clothes for sale there have pretty much been the same the last 20, even 30 years. A lot of cheap, basic t-shirts, jeans, tank tops, stuff like that,” Earl says. “Basically, these big stores aren't trying to design and sell clothes that are human-centric. Rather, they're trying to squeeze as much profit as they can out of a minimum viable product.”

In a way, just like Hollywood has been churning out the same predictable superhero films for the past 20 years, clothing manufacturers have been doing the same for your wardrobe.

@kevinearl93

Why have people looked the same the last 20 years? #2000sfashion #2010sfashion #2020sfashion #jasonpargin



Living in a stagnating culture is a drag. But it does open up opportunities for excitement. A stagnating culture means anyone who does something fresh and exciting is bound to capture people’s attention. If the slow pace of change bums you out, take it as an invitation to create something that stands out and captures everyone’s attention. In a world that’s gone beige, a pop of color can really grab people’s attention.

@olliemuhl/TikTok

Stunning in every era.

We’ve had quite a few stories of older women shattering the glass ceiling of beauty standards, showing us that a few wrinkles and gray hairs do not make a woman inherently less attractive or glamorous.

In fact, the opposite is often true. For with these markers of age comes wisdom, sovereignty, and the kind of confidence that can only be granted through experience. All of these are sexy things.

But women have been made to think otherwise for far too long. And let’s be real, just because there has been progress here, it doesn’t mean that the beauty industry (or how we collectively view beauty in general) has quit becoming a young woman’s game.


Older women still rarely find themselves represented as vibrant, sexy, desirable or aspirational as their younger counterparts. Or as compared to older men…which is a whole ‘nother can of worms.

All this to say, anytime there is a story of an older woman challenging societal norms simply by being their fabulous selves, we think it’s a story worth sharing. And this one certainly fits the bill, with its own special flavor of grandma-grandson wholesomeness.

This is Ollie Muhl—a content creator, and objectively good looking dude.

Of course, perhaps Muhl should credit some of his aesthetic to genes provided by his grandmother, whom he recently discovered was an international model back in the day.

In a video posted to his TikTok, Muhl shared that when her grandmother first told him of her former profession, he “didn't believe her.” But grandma had the receipts, aka a stunning modeling portfolio.



That video quickly went viral. People could not stop talking about how gorgeous Muhl’s grandma was. A few even recognized some of her ads.

“OH MY GOD my grandma has a picture of your grandma on the wall of her small hut in the middle of nowhere in Moldova! This brings so [many] memories. The world is a small village, “ one person wote.

Another gushed, “literally one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Wow.”

After his initial video went viral, Muhl was inspired to prove that even after 50 years, his grandma still had the “it factor.” So he surprised her with a professional photoshoot.

In a subsequent TikTok video, we see Muhl’s grandma gasp as she’s greeted by a hair, makeup and wardrobe team, who quickly get to work zhuzhing and spritzing.


@olliemuhl I better be the favorite grandchild after this A huge thanks to everybody that helped to make this happen. Truly a special moment for my grandma.💕
♬ original sound - Ollie



Meanwhile, Muhl’s grandpa is also there, and “in need of air” as he watched his wife get glambotted.

“The way grandpa fell in love all over again,” one viewer wrote.

Finally, we see that Muhl’s grandma truly hasn’t missed a beat as she nails every angle and pose, leaving most passersby breathless.

So many commented to say how this woman should get back into modeling asap.

This is right here exactly what should be on the cover of magazines, graceful aging. And when I want that I mean, letting it do what the world is going to do and letting your personality shine through.”

“Brands! You need to book her now!’

She needs to continue modeling. We need our age represented by your beautiful grandmother. Chanel?”

And because we know you’re dying to see, here’s the final product.

Of course Muhl’s grandmother got many, many more compliments, but what really seemed to affect people was this grandson’s sweet gesture.

“A really touching story, great idea to start a shoot. Your grandmother is really very stylish. Great photos, the outfits look like they were made for you. Excellent!,” one person commented.

Another said, “Absolutely terrific set of shots, Ollie. The full story of what you did for your grandma needs to go into a top fashion magazine…It is such a fantastic story and would make brilliant reading!! ⚡️💥💜👌🥇🏆🥇👌❤️💥⚡️”

Indeed, there’s just so much to love about this. Sweet grandsons, glamorous grandmas, gorgeous photos…and a great reminder that beauty has no expiration date.

Pop Culture

She re-created famous fashion ads to make a great point about diversity

"The next generation can only get inspired and reach for the stars themselves if they believe they can do it too."

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

A classic pose.


From a young age, Deddeh Howard was enthralled by fashion and its role in culture. Unfortunately, she was never really able to see herself in it.

"Something that always bothered me when you see these amazing images [was] that very rarely you ever see a black woman on them," Howard, who grew up in West Africa but now resides in Los Angeles, wrote at her blog, Secret of DD.

"Black girls are almost invisible," she wrote.


So Howard created "Black Mirror," a photo series in which she re-creates famous photos with herself in place of models like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Gisele Bundchen, and others.

Howard's partner, Raffael Dickreuter, shot the series. As its title suggests, it holds a "black mirror" up to the fashion world. The project's goal is both to make people notice the lack of diversity in the fashion world and to provide inspiration to other non-white models.

Deddeh Howard, Gucci, fashion world, diversity

The shades of Gucci.

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

superstar, glasses, education, celebrity, representation

Glasses make you wiser.

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

Kendall Jenner, Calvin Klein, underwear models, black models

The original sexy.

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

Of the models featured on the fall 2016 runways, 75% were white. There's a major need for a diversity boost.

Sometimes, that lack of diversity can be downright embarrassing. Earlier this year, one fashion show featured models walking to Beyoncé's "Formation," a song Essence described as a "wholly and undeniable a tribute to Blackness — particularly Black girl power." The problem: The show didn't feature a single non-white model.

ethnicity, equality, Guess fashion

Guess who rides motorcycles.

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

David Yourman, high fashion, racial inequality

Classy and feminine.

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

Louis Vuitton, handbags, upper class,

A bike ride with expensive accessories.

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

lingerie, Victoria\u2019s Secret, feminine

The lingerie pose.

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

Dolce & Gabbana, little black dress, stars

Thinking "Breakfast at Tiffanys” maybe?

All photos by Raffael Dickreuter, used with permission.

Diversity, representation, and visibility play key roles in shaping ambition and self-acceptance in the real world.

It's important to be able to see yourself in the world, and it's important to know that someone who looks like you can succeed.

"The next generation can only get inspired and reach for the stars themselves if they believe they can do it too," Howard wrote on her blog. "For that reason diversity in ad campaigns is in my opinion much more important than you might think."


This article originally appeared on 12.08.16

@wisdm/Instagram

So. Much. Yes.

There are tons of mesmerizing fashion history videos online where women take viewers on a stylish adventure through Victorian gowns to flapper dresses to bell bottoms and beyond, just to showcase all the ways that women’s clothing has evolved.

But it’s been just as thrilling of a ride for men’s fashion, and Wisdom Kaye, dubbed “TikTok’s best dress guy” by Vogue, has a video to prove it.

In a video titled “High Fashion Time Travel,” the model-stylist-photographer ambitiously takes us on a style journey that begins all the way back to 10,000 BCE, aka the Paleolithic Era.

Granted, folks from the Paleolithic Era wish they could have worn such luxurious pieces, but his inspired designs still remarkably capture the essences of each time period while adding his own artistic flair.

Did we mention he even “travels” to the future? Watch below:

You might have noticed that after the 1900s, he gets very specific with which dates he’s representing (1954 vs the 1950s, for example). Perhaps this is to convey very particular, even fleeting trends that history was actually able to record. Which is certainly a nice touch, instead of applying a generic fashion identity to an entire time period. It’s almost like he’s really good at this?

With over 6 MILLION likes on Instagram alone, it feels safe to say that folks certainly think so.

“Can’t imagine the amount of time and effort you put into this🤯maaaaaad respect to you👏” one person wrote.

Another added, “the best thing my eyes have ever witnessed.”

It’s also interesting to see how, for both men and women, the 20th century forever changed the way we prioritize casual comfort (t-shirts FTW!) and how we continue to incorporate more diversity and experimentation with gender expression as a way to focus on self expression, and individuality. A special thanks to passionate folks like Kaye who can really convey our own ever evolving humanity through fashion.

By the way, there’s more eye candy where that came from. Kaye can seemingly make high fashion out of anything, from popular cartoon shows to comic characters to text fonts (yes, really), and will regularly take on fashion challenges prompted by his followers.

@wisdm8 Replying to @user9381720148560 ♬ original sound - Wisdom Kaye

Give his TikTok and Instagram a follow so you don’t miss out on any incredible looks he’s bound to be serving.