From digital cameras to blazers and mini skirts, early 2000s trends are returning as Gen Z reimagines fashion. With dozens of styles from past eras returning, it can feel like full-on time travel, and nostalgia is the hottest trend on the block. Take a look at what teachers rocked in their high school days.
Amira Sani is an Ethnic Studies and AP World History teacher, but perhaps more importantly, she was voted best dressed in high school. Staples in her high school wardrobe consisted of white v-neck t-shirts, skinny jeans, UGGs, and a North Face jacket—items familiar to today’s teenagers. Rocking a thick side bang, bandage skirts, and tucked-in tank tops was Sani’s one-way ticket to being stylish.
“The age of the internet has been a savior for many today,” Sani said. She admitted to regretting some trends she might have followed, but recognized the internet as a powerful tool to spread many fashion ambitions.
“We were way cooler than all of you,” said Michael Amoroso, head of the Leadership department, who remembered wearing aviator glasses because of his love for 1986 action movie ‘Top Gun,’ which were regularly worn by the characters.
Amoroso recalled the popularity of country music when he was in high school as well as his hefty collection of t-shirts featuring brands of alcohol. “I do not endorse any students wearing alcohol brands to school because that is against school policy,” he said.
Today, he takes pride in students’ school spirit. “I like to see the M-A student population wearing Bear wear and representing their school in a prideful fashion,” he said.
Multicultural Literature and Voice teacher Samantha Castillo reflected on how trends recycle through generations. “I like wearing bootcut jeans,” she said, drawing a parallel to her high school days when “skinny jeans were huge.”
“My style was pretty simple, but influenced by what other people were wearing,” Castillo said. She noted that the most drastic change she made were bangs—a look Castillo vividly remembers through numerous high school photos showcasing her “really thick front cut.”
Castillo also highlighted her appreciation for how younger generations now draw inspiration from their parents’ or older siblings’ styles, including a recent resurgence of ‘70s hairstyles that she admires, despite the fact that she remarked “I wasn’t born in the ‘70s…but it is cool to see.”
