FASHION trends come and go, but it appears that this summer, a variety of noughties styles have returned to shelves.
Whilst we recently saw shoppers beam over the re-emergence of peplum tops, many millennials ‘couldn’t accept’ seeing ballet flats back on shelves.
And it’s not just the iconic 2010s top, or the 1940s shoe, all of which sent people crazy in the 90s, that have left fashionistas stunned – it also appears that leopard print, mini skirts, and low-rise jeans are here to stay this season.
We asked body confident babe, Elisabeth Carley-Leonard, to try out and review a selection of the nostalgic trends from the high-street, so you don’t have to.
From Leicester but now living in London, Elisabeth, who is five foot 8 and and a size 16 with 36E boobs, exclusively told Fabulous: “As a millennial, I always knew that certain trends would come back around again, I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
“Today, I’m going to try on some of the in-trend items from New Look and I’m going to see if they suit my curvy body, because back then, I was a size 8 to 10, and now I’m a size 16.”
Here, Elisabeth put to the test and shared her thoughts on the nostalgic offerings from New Look, a one-stop shop for trendy fashion pieces.
Elisabeth revealed the pair of summer shoes that she would definitely smash – as well as the trends that she would certainly pass.
That’s hot: Leopard print
Fashion fans have been going wild as leopard print has taken over the high-street this summer.
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Elisabeth modelled a stunning leopard print midi skirt, which retails at £23.99, and was left incredibly impressed.
Thrilled to see the re-emergence of the 1960s animal print, the influencer explained: “I’m starting very safe and staying within my comfort zone, with this skirt, which I love.
“Let me be honest with you, I am always a bit wary of wearing leopard print as a curvier woman, because I just feel like the print doesn’t always sit well on us, but the cut of this skirt and the style of this print, I really like it.
“This skirt has got stretch to it, and I think it’s super flattering.”
So short: Mini skirts
But whilst Elisabeth was keen on the animal print, she wasn’t as pleased to see mini skirts back on shelves.
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The curvy fashionista modelled a £23.99 leopard print mini skirt, as she added: “Now this skirt is also a size 16, but because it doesn’t have stretch to it, it is a little bit tight.
“And I feel like it’s really short.”
Not very impressed, she continued: “For us girls with booties, I don’t know if this is going to be the best cut for us. But I don’t hate it.
“Would I wear it? Probably not.”
Dare to denim: Low-rise jeans
Whilst low-rise jeans were all the rage in the 1990s, it appears that the ‘bumster’ trousers have since left fashion fans divided.
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Whilst Elisabeth confessed that she wasn’t thrilled to hear that the trousers, which were once loved by Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, were back on trend, she explained: “I’m gonna be honest with you – when I heard that low-rise jeans were back in style, I wasn’t happy about it.
“I was glad to see the back of them in the noughties, especially when I became curvier.”
All the 90s trends that are making a comeback
WE might be in 2024, but fashion fans are looking to the past when it comes to new styles. So what trends from the 90s are making a comeback these days?
Claw clips
These hair accessories were a huge trend back in the 90s, but are now most popular among those trying out the “clean girl” aesthetic. Designers such as Prada have released their own versions, while there are thousands of colours and styles to choose from on the high street.
Platform flip flops
Again a popular choice among fashionistas in the 90s, these heels have made a comeback with designers such as Balenciaga trying their luck with their own styles.
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 had a fashion overhaul, with stars such as 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 such as Sofia Richie are sporting the reinvented trend – pairing their own denims with a more sophisticated top. But are you willing to dig your jeans and nice tops out of the wardrobe for a second time?
But despite this, as she showed off a £32.99 bootcut pair from New Look, she revealed: “These aren’t so bad.”
Elisabeth then recognised: “The thing I love about New Look jeans is they do seem to be a lot more forgiving when it comes to curves.
“These ones in particular have got stretch to them, so there’s a little bit of wiggle room, because the last thing you want with low-rise jeans is for them to be cutting you right here [waist].
“I also expected them to sit a lot lower, but I’m actually ok with these.”
Shape shifting: Peplum tops
Another trend that shoppers recently spotted back in stores was the iconic 1980s peplum top.
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Whilst they were originally worn with an array of business-casual separates and the skinniest of jeans, as days get hotter and Instagram gets filled with more holiday outfits, it appears that peplum tops are the next trendy silhouette you should be adding to your summer shopping list.
But despite this, Elisabeth wasn’t totally convinced, as a £25.99 buy gave her flashbacks to her teenage years.
The content creator admitted: “I legitimately had this outfit when I was 15 years old. It’s weird.
“For me, the thing about peplum tops when you’re curiver is you lose your waist entirely.
All the naff 90s clothing Gen Z thinks is trendy
Millennials survived Robbie Williams leaving Take That, the Y2K bug . . . and low-slung waists.
Despite slating millennials every chance they get, Gen Z are now busy rifling through second-hand shops and pop culture archives trying to bring back the most disastrous trends.
Fabulous’ Fashion Editor, Clemmie Fieldsend, shares the 90s fashion trends she thinks are “naff” but Gen Z think are “cool”.
“They told us skinny jeans were uncool and, while I agree with them, it’s hard to take fashion advice from someone wearing a skirt over jeans and a knit Andi Peters would have worn on kids’ TV.
Pedal Pushers
I was astonished when I saw Topshop pedal pushers stocked on Asos. They were the go-to trew of fashion’s most unstylish era – the late Nineties, early Noughties. And now they’re back on Emily Ratajkowski and Alexa Chung, and being sold on the high street.
Fuddy Fleeces
The naffest of all the Nineties fash deemed acceptable right now has to be the fleece – you probably had a knock-off Berghaus one back in the day.
In October, customers went wild for F&F at Tesco’s North Face dupe, which cost £37 (£283 less than the £320 original) and got seven million TikTok views.
Cropper Coat
The slightly padded waterproof coat is a hit with celebs at the moment.
As far as I can see, this coat is inspired by one of TV’s most unlikely fashion muses, Coronation Street character Roy Cropper, who has worn it for the past 30 years on the cobbles.
But brands such as Prada and Bottega have seemingly been inspired by Roy’s beige jacket.”
“So if you’re more of an apple shape or a pear shape, I think they suit you really well and I’m more of an hourglass, so they just don’t really do anything for me.”
Elisabeth then modelled another peplum top, this time a black one, priced at £22.99, as she continued: “I used to go out out wearing 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 back then? Yes. Would I wear it now? Absolutely not.”
Comfort is key: Ballet flats
But whilst Elisabeth wasn’t impressed to see the emergence of many of these old trends, she admitted that she was thrilled to spot ballet flats gaining popularity once again.
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The flat slipperlike pump, which are meant to evoke a ballerina’s pointe shoes, have been around since 1600.
The enduring trend has gone through changes over the years, and whilst they have never disappeared from the fashion landscape entirely, their previous period of decided coolness was during the mid-to-late 2000s.
How New Look reinvented itself from a teen shop
by Fabulous fashion editor Clemmie Fieldsend
“REMEMBER on a Saturday you’d meet up with your mates in your local town or city centre for a nosey around the shops?
Well, if you were like me you’d end up in a New Look.” says Clemmie Fieldsend.
“New Look was always one of those shops that when all else failed you could rely on them for whatever you needed.
Your college uniform, night out or disco outfit – whatever was required you could count on New Look to meet your style needs.”
Clemmie says: “I felt myself growing out of New Look and thought of it as a younger brand that wouldn’t have what I wanted but a quick scroll through their website or look through stores has proved me wrong.
This summer they are serving up some on trend delights from clothing to accessories and of course their comfortable footwear.
Recently they’ve lured in Girls Aloud’s Nadine Coyle for an exclusive Spring Edit plus fashion influencer Georgina Lennon.
They’re providing quality basics, elevated stables and trend lead designs that echo the New Look we all once loved but just a bit more grown up.”
And now, the largely unstructured shoe have emergence back on shelves, and Elisabeth was beaming with her new red pair, which cost just £15.99.
Thrilled to be back wearing the comfortable shoes, the brunette beauty shared: “What I will say about these shoes is they are ridiculously comfortable and I’m starting to remember why I lived my life back in ballet flats back then.
“Immediately comfortable as soon as you put them on.”
Reflecting on the old trends, Elisabeth concluded: “The only thing I am happy about returning is the ballet flats.
“Everything else should stay in the past in my opinion.”