Archive Lacroix and Couture Pieces

I get whiplash trying to keep up with how fast archive Lacroix and old couture are everywhere again. One week it’s a cropped Lacroix jacket, next it’s a full couture dress from the ‘80s that probably smells like mothballs. Taylor Russell in vintage Chanel at Venice (2024)—that was a flex. Fully documented, looks amazing, and Instagram can’t argue with the receipts. That’s the new standard: you better have the paperwork and a good story.

Red carpet stylists told me archive couture is less about nostalgia and more about investment. Gowns from the ‘80s and ‘90s are worth way more now, and I’ve seen Lacroix go for six figures at auction. But backstage? Total chaos. Seams falling apart, missing boning, tailors sweating bullets because the dress might not survive the night. Real couture isn’t like your friend’s “vintage-inspired” knockoff—it’s fragile, sometimes falling apart before the cameras even show up. Anyone who says it’s just about timelessness has never seen the insurance forms. And if you spot a wine stain on a couture gown, that’s probably the most honest moment of the whole event. Vogue’s got a whole breakdown on 2025’s vintage trends if you want more.

Cultural Shifts: Trends Replacing Outgoing Styles

So, velvet blazers are supposedly dying out and boots are getting boring, but why do people keep buying parachute pants and mesh tops instead of, I dunno, pants that actually make sense? It’s not just nostalgia. There’s a weird shift happening—2000s obsessives, TikTok teens, and random office workers turned club kids are all mixing it up.

Indie Sleaze Renaissance and Noughties Fashion

Every time I open my closet, I see those old American Apparel disco shorts and wonder if I’ll ever wear them again. Probably not. It’s not even about nostalgia—it’s data. McKinsey says Y2K vintage searches are up 70% this year, and people still ironically play LCD Soundsystem. Indie sleaze is everywhere—smudged eyeliner, thrifted tube socks, lipstick that’s never quite right, tank tops that barely count as clothes. There’s no official list. At a party, someone had on a leopard coat and gross ballet flats. Nobody cared at all, but two people DM’d me for Depop links later.

Big Bud Press, Ed Hardy (don’t ask me why) keep popping up in memes and sponsored posts. No one’s in charge of this. Vogue keeps hyping nostalgia, but I remember when skinny scarves were a joke. Reddit’s full of people saying the new 2000s wave is about comfort, not copying bad ideas from the past proof: early 2000s fashion is back, apparently. Everything’s a mess, nothing’s official, it all gets dumped into mood boards, and then—poof—nobody cares about studded belts anymore.

Rise of the Corporate Drag Trend

Business casual is toast, but don’t trust anyone who says slouchy blazers are ironic. When did we all buy three pairs of pinstripe pants? Harry Styles wore a pussy-bow shirt on TV and now every office dress code is a TikTok meme. Not exaggerating—trend forecasters say “corporate drag” is the new safe bet for anyone wanting to look “gender fluid.” It’s wild. Neoprene briefcases at house parties, fake ID lanyards as accessories, Brooks Brothers trying to be streetwear.

Nobody’s dry cleaning wool pants for work. It’s all about mashing up Wall Street clichés—shoulder pads, lapels—with, I guess, rebellion? My stylist friends hate calling it drag, but what else is it? Performative suiting, thrifted ties with anime pins, vests over bare skin, sockless loafers. It’s standard now, for both fashion students and actual accountants. GQ’s style editor said, “The most subversive thing a man can do is look like he cares about HR.” No one’s got a real uniform, just spreadsheet jokes and $300 tailoring bills. Is it ironic? Maybe. Are we all just tired? Definitely.

Menswear-Inspired and Western Influences

My closet’s a graveyard for double-breasted blazers and bolo ties, and honestly, not every trend sticks around just because it’s loud. Sometimes the loudest ones vanish first. Menswear-inspired stuff and western frills? More backstory than most people’s exes.

Authentic Western Gear and Fringe Pieces

I’m so tired of cowboy boots and studded jeans. Remember when every influencer in 2022 swore a snap-button shirt would change your life? Then everyone bailed when the seams started coming apart. Real western gear isn’t about raiding Boot Barn or pretending you’re in a country video—there’s a limit to how many times you can wear pearl snaps before it looks like a costume. GQ’s style desk and, weirdly, my uncle (actual cowboy, not kidding) both say fringe is risky: too much and you’re in limbo, not enough and you look lost.

Labels hype up limited suede vests and shiny belts, but Depop’s numbers don’t lie—genuine western listings barely grew 3% since 2023. These “vintage-inspired” collections always miss the mark on utility; people want real pockets, not fake ones. Sometimes I think brands just chase nostalgia while buyers want stuff that works.

Adapting Vintage Menswear Styles

Suits with padded shoulders and cinched waists—did everyone own one, or just borrow for weddings and forget? Brands keep pushing “timeless” linen shirts and high-waisted pants, but half the time it just looks like you raided your grandpa’s closet. Hardcore Fred Astaire fans can spot a double-breasted suit instantly, but most people can’t even figure out cufflinks. My tailor once said, “Fit is king, nostalgia is marketing,” and he’s not wrong. There’s this idea that a menswear jacket makes you look sharp, but who actually dry cleans blazers every week? Not me. Not anyone I know. Balancing tailored and relaxed is impossible—those “versatile” vintage pieces usually just gather dust while sweatpants win.

Anyone who says the three-piece pinstripe is dead hasn’t checked the resale sites—1940s ties still cause bidding wars, but only among stylists or collectors. The boldest stuff—heavy suspenders, for example—gets borrowed for parties or awkward work events and then forgotten. Honestly, most people change from tweed to a t-shirt before dinner and call it “modern.” And let’s be real: most vintage blazers smell weird, and nothing fixes that except giving up entirely.