# The fashion retreads of today aren't "retro"--they're just lame retreads **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2019, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497 "2019-12-07T03:06:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497/21 "2019-12-13T19:49:32Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > If hair trends count as fashion, I don’t recall a prior time where girls were coloring their hair with such crazy colors (hot pink, blue, lime green) as today. Punk rock styles had a bit of this, but it was more about the spikey or shaved heads or mohawks than the colors. It’s not just girls. Blue hair in boys, girls, men, women, and other are popping up all over the place around here. When my kids were in high school in the early 2000s there was some hair coloring stuff going on, I don’t know if it stopped and came back or it’s just growing in popularity. From what I can gather it’s part of the Club look. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497/22 "2019-12-13T22:51:26Z")
The difference between retro and retread is whether you were around for the prior incarnation. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497/23 "2019-12-14T02:37:19Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s not just girls. Blue hair in boys, girls, men, women, and other are popping up all over the place around here. When my kids were in high school in the early 2000s there was some hair coloring stuff going on, I don’t know if it stopped and came back or it’s just growing in popularity. From what I can gather it’s part of the Club look. I remember in sitcoms from my youth a lot of jokes about women coloring their hair, and being mocked for their hair color not looking natural enough. At some point (90s maybe) all of a sudden it was totally cool to have obvious hair coloring. Hair that color-wise could never happen naturally. It’s been going on long enough that it actually looks kind of dated to me. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497/24 "2019-12-15T03:43:41Z")
OK, is this retro or not? Our granddaughter, 20, suggested we go to this really cool retro restaurant she discovered. It turned out to be the shiny metal diner on Main Street that Ms Napier and I have been going to for over forty years. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497/25 "2019-12-16T00:57:59Z")
I agree with your #1. I disagree with your last two (both #5??), the flannel and the do rags. #2-#4 I haven’t seen or am not really sure what you’re referring to. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497/26 "2019-12-16T15:55:19Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > OK, is this retro or not? Our granddaughter, 20, suggested we go to this really cool retro restaurant she discovered. It turned out to be the shiny metal diner on Main Street that Ms Napier and I have been going to for over forty years. The “shiny metal diner” look has been creeping back in slowly over the last 15 years or so. It’s not completely taking over the restaurant scene or anything like that. But in a areas where there had been no “shiny metal” 1950’s-style diners/restaurants, often a restaurateur will notice that this particular niche is missing locally and will open one up. Very, very generally … something this thread is kind of getting at collectively: “Throwback” can be cool. Not 100% of the time and not in all contexts, and best when evidence of “trying too hard” is absent. But some businesses hit on just the right “throwback” angle, and it works. ---
**Author:** ![Kovitlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kovitlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kovitlac)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497/27 "2019-12-17T22:35:44Z")
High-waisted jeans are super popular because they flatten the stomach, an area that most women are sensitive about. The problem (well, if you care about what other people are wearing) is when they tuck their shirt into it. It’s not a look I’d be caught dead in, and if you have even the slightest stomach poking out, I feel it makes you look horrible. But if people want to wear it, they can go right on ahead. I genuinely don’t pay THAT much attention. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fashion-retreads-of-today-arent-retro-theyre-just-lame-retreads/844497.md?page=1)