By Shelby Fitchett

Quarantine created an unprecedented setting for fashion everywhere. As we look towards 2021 for greener pastures, it is important to recognize and analyze the biggest trends of 2020, the influence they had on the year as a whole, and their impact going forward.

The beginning of 2020 saw the continuation of the E-girl and E-boy aesthetic which was a callback to the scene era of the mid-2000s. While popular figures like Avril Lavigne led the scene movement in the 2000s, the angsty and modernized revival was led by internet culture and was commonly referred to as a TikTok aesthetic. 

This trend revolved around colorful hair, heavy eye makeup, facial piercings and the delicate pairing of both masculine and feminine clothing to cohesively create a clashing look that permeated both internet and gaming culture alike, thus earning the name e-girl or electronic girl. 

As the year passed e-girls saw the transformation from strictly punk to surreptitiously campy. Y2K fashion had a re-emergence into the fashion of the early 2000s, with clear references to both the e-girl aesthetic and the modernized streetwear fashion that took over Instagram explore pages everywhere. 

This trend evolved from platform boots to platform shoes, and saw the continuation of colored hair into chunky highlights or “money pieces”. This was easily the most prominent aesthetic of 2020, with a large number of influencers adapting it into their own streetwear style.

Yet, as the year continued to pass, and the metaphorical storm continued to rage on, the fashion landscape saw a longing for any kind of return to simplicity. Along with huge trends like designing your island in Animal Crossing, cottagecore rose quickly and quietly. 

The cottagecore aesthetic was dainty and soft, reminiscent of a dream that you can’t quite remember. This aesthetic saw the rise of dramatic sleeves, gingham print and flowy skirts, like an updated Tumblr girl who only wore flower crowns. This trend was characterized as romantic and went viral after an exploration into the diversity of it. 

While these weren’t 2020’s only trends, these three specifically had a hand in almost every trend applicable to 2020. From sweater vests to straight jeans to puffy sleeves, these were the trends that saw the most interaction. 

Although this could be due to the virality of them, it is also possible that they were so prominent because of their accessibility to anyone. Each of these trends could be easily replicated with old pieces in messy closets, tucked away for months or even years. Despite the constantly evolving landscape of fashion, vintage has never been cooler. “If it isn’t broken, why fix it?” or something like that.

So, although we can’t count on these trends sticking around for 2021, we can always expect another revival of what once was, as well as the modernization of it to fit generational standards. What all of these trends had in common was their nostalgia, some we all long for today.

Shelby is a culture writer for La Tonique.