Walking through the halls of HCRHS, you’ve probably seen your fair share of LuluLemon apparel and flannel PJ pants, but what’s next for HCRHS fashion? Well, between the Brandy Melville shirts and flared leggings, there are recurring themes and styles among Central students. 

So what is HCRHS wearing? From the students interviewed, 60% of people say they wear LuluLemon, 80% wear claw clips, and 90% wear Nike shoes on a weekly basis.  Now, these statistics may seem random, but they fall in line with fashion trends in highschools across the nation. Beanies, Converse, cropped jackets, colorful cardigans, cargo pants, Costco flannels, and more, have filtered into high school students’ style and created trends. Did you know this isn’t the first time high schools have seen these trends? Styles from the early 2000s, 80s, and decades before us are coming back. We saw this in the rise of scrunchies and track suits, but now it’s becoming even more noticeable. So let’s break it down–are our fashion trends today just a recycle of the past? Time to find out.

In the early 2000s flared leggings, camisoles, and cargo pants were on the rise. When walking on our campus, you’ve most likely seen your peers,  or even yourself,  sporting these as well.

In the 90s, claw clips, plaid flannel shirts, and scrunchies roamed the halls of school, just like they do today. The 80s was all about puffer jackets, animal prints, and statement T-shirts–sound familiar?The 70s had bell bottom jeans, platform shoes, and big chunky jewelry which is now back and better than ever.

Today’s students have managed to take inspiration from some of the most iconic looks over the decades and mixed them into the Gen Z style. We took the 70s Jewelry, 80s jackets, 90s accessories, and early 2000s pants and made them our own. 

In an interview with Central’s fashion & design teacher, Mrs. Veres, she said, “Many trends from the early 2000s are coming back, like flared leggings and camisole tops. I predict many more trends coming back from the past this year.” This shows the repetition of trends over the years. 

While the fashion trends may be repeated, many new stores have emerged. Currently, stores like LuluLemon and Brandy Melville are very popular amongst teenagers.  Hunterdon Central students identified their top 5 favorite places to shop as Pacsun, Forever 21, Brandy Melville, LuluLemon, & American Eagle. Some of these stores have been trending on social media like TikTok & Instagram, which may play a part in the surging popularity of the stores. 

So why are students dressing this way? Is it to follow online trends? For comfort or expression? I interviewed some HCRHS students to find out. When interviewed, Bronwyn Downey stated that she considers her personal style “sporty and comfortable.” Bronwyn also stated, “I dress for expression, I want to be comfortable during the school day, but also show who I am through my clothing”.  

Another student, Freshman Philip Kmosko, said, “I like to be comfortable so I just grab whatever sweatpants are on top”. Another student who dresses for comfort. This is the trend among most students interviewed, dressing comfy for the school day and spicing things up outside of the building. 

Overall, Central students have been proven to have unique and trending styles. The constant cycle of fashion is evident at our school. With every old trend coming to life, we have hundreds of new fashion items and stores coming into play here at HCRHS. Many different factors influence student’s style choices: comfort, expression, etc. We are one big fashion melting pot, a mixture of Y2K, vintage, athleisure, preppy, grunge, and so much more. Together we stand for creative expression and comfort during the school day.