# What retro clothing would you like to see back? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 7, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550 "2021-04-07T14:50:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/162 "2021-06-09T22:50:29Z")
In the mid 1980s, along with leggings and such, tunic length sweatshirts with pockets were in style. I loved them. They came back for a retro-microsecond about 3 years ago and I bought 3. I wish I had bought a dozen. What I really miss is natural fabrics that breathe and don’t put microplastics in the wash water. But such fabrics have become quite expensive, even though organic cotton uses way less water to grow than standard cotton. And this fat lady would like jeans without the spandex that is de rigueur in plus size clothing. Please. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/163 "2021-06-09T23:01:41Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > The snoods as I think I understand the term, are hair coverings worn by certain religious women who also wear prairie dresses. Those are prayer caps, or kapps. A snood is a crocheted hairnet that can be a decorative way to keep hair under control. Some snoods are metal. They have a long history, going back to the dark ages, when they were more likely to completely cover the hair for practical, not decorative reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Mnemnosyne](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mnemnosyne/32/3347_2.png) [@Mnemnosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemnosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/164 "2021-06-09T23:29:44Z")
Cloaks! Cloaks seem so much more convenient than jackets/coats to me. Protect from the rain, hang around your shoulders but cover much of your body, often with slits in them so you can stick your hand out briefly, can come in hooded and non-hooded varieties, and when you go inside where it’s too hot to wear your coat/jacket, you don’t have to awkwardly carry it around or anything; instead, just open your cloak and shrug it over your shoulders to hang behind you instead of wrapping around you. Heh, and I write this before reading the thread, but didn’t hit post, and now as I do before posting I see I am not the only one who wants cloaks. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/165 "2021-06-09T23:31:00Z")
My mother likes cloaks. I could take ‘em or leave them, but see value in having a large staff. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/166 "2021-06-09T23:39:25Z")
I know that a lot of people sneer at 80’s fashion (although not so much here, apparently); but what I would like to see is women’s jackets with shoulderpads. Actually, most of women’s fashions in the 80’s (except for leg warmers) would be nice to have back. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/167 "2021-06-10T02:11:39Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Dresses and skirts, and long pants and shirts. I know you always like to play the “Everything was so much better in the 1940s” clueless old man card, but this doesn’t make any kind of sense. You can pretend that “no one knows how to dress anymore!” but claiming that people don’t wear dresses, skirts, long pants or _shirts_ is idiotic unless you live in a nudist colony. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/168 "2021-06-10T02:22:17Z")
And make those shirts brown. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/169 "2021-06-10T03:44:08Z")
I guess I misunderstood the question. I thought it asked what retro clothing I would like to see back. Like, in my opinion. How clueless and idiotic of me. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/170 "2021-06-10T06:35:20Z")
**Moderator Warning** > [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I know you always like to play the “Everything was so much better in the 1940s” clueless old man card, but this doesn’t make any kind of sense. You can pretend that “no one knows how to dress anymore!” but claiming that people don’t wear dresses, skirts, long pants or _shirts_ is idiotic unless you live in a nudist colony. While @jtur88’s post is admittedly vague, given the subject of the thread it’s pretty clear that he meant retro style dresses, skirts, long pants, and shirts. It’s a fair point that his post is too vague and we can’t tell if he means 60’s style or 40’s style or anywhere else in time other than retro. But, that doesn’t give you the right to basically insult him by saying he’s playing a clueless old man. This is an official warning for personal insults outside of the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/171 "2021-06-10T06:42:32Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@jtur88](#): > > I guess I misunderstood the question. I thought it asked what retro clothing I would like to see back. Like, in my opinion. How clueless and idiotic of me. Let’s dial back the sarcasm and focus on the actual topic, please. Your post was so vague that it was almost a non-answer. Try to be more specific in threads like these. “Dresses and skirts, and long pants and shirts” could describe clothing from the 1800s as easily as from the mid 1900s or even today. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/172 "2021-06-10T11:02:43Z")
> [@Mnemnosyne](#): > > Cloaks! Cloaks seem so much more convenient than jackets/coats to me. I think this is another of those fashions, like hats, that doesn’t fit well in places where people drive a lot. A long cloak would be a pita to wear when seated, and a short cloak starts to erode many of the benefits (like being able to swish it around and look cool). Heck, even long overcoats are becoming rare; barely reaching the knees seems to be the limit. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/173 "2021-06-10T11:09:00Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > A long cloak would be a pita to wear when seated, and a short cloak starts to erode many of the benefits (like being able to swish it around and look cool). Thus the split along the backside of a trenchcoat. I’m fond of wearing a khaki trenchcoat with a fedora when it’s cold or rainy out, and I’d be perfectly happy to see that come back into fashion, if only so people would stop telling me I look like Inspector Gadget (who wore a grey coat, dammit!) I’m also fond of wearing ascots/day cravats as an alternative to a necktie for business casual or semi-formal occasions. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/174 "2021-06-10T20:43:25Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I think this is another of those fashions, like hats, that doesn’t fit well in places where people drive a lot. My issue with hats generally is the dreaded hat hair. I don’t have a short hairstyle, so my hair looks pretty bad whenever I take off a hat. So for outdoor things, it’s fine, because I don’t have to take my hat off. But going to work, I’ll have to take the hat off in the office, and I’d rather not carry around some hair product and duck into the bathroom before walking into the office itself. The length of coats getting in the way of driving is definitely a thing (and the closing your door on your long coat). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/175 "2021-06-10T21:28:02Z")
Originally called “Brothel Creepers” which is now a somewhat different style of shoe, but with the same rubber sole. > **[The story behind brothel creepers](https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2012/10/03/the-story-behind-brothel-creepers/)** > > Unbeknownst to most, these are yet another fashion trend that has made a bold reappearance from 21st century history. The creeper shoe was originally developed by George Cox in 1949 under the name “Hamilton” and was inspired by the crêpe-soled... ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/176 "2021-06-10T21:32:53Z")
I’d bring back cargo everything. Lots of pocketses everywhere. Ironically the love for cargo started to dwindle right as they became useful with the extreme penetration of portable devices. I guess if something’s actually useful it can’t be fashionable. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/177 "2021-06-10T21:37:07Z")
> [@Mnemnosyne](#): > > Cloaks! Cloaks seem so much more convenient than jackets/coats to me. Protect from the rain, hang around your shoulders but cover much of your body, often with slits in them so you can stick your hand out briefly, can come in hooded and non-hooded varieties, and when you go inside where it’s too hot to wear your coat/jacket, you don’t have to awkwardly carry it around or anything; instead, just open your cloak and shrug it over your shoulders to hang behind you instead of wrapping around you. They are great, but too often they come in cotton or polyester, which is useless in the rain. They need to be made of a tight weave wool. A good cloak is also a decent short blanket. > [@Ludovic](#): > > I’d bring back cargo everything. Lots of pocketses everywhere. Ironically the love for cargo started to dwindle right as they became useful with the extreme penetration of portable devices. I guess if something’s actually useful it can’t be fashionable. Very true, and I also love cargo pants & shorts ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/178 "2021-06-10T21:51:05Z")
Cargo shorts are “retro”? Heh. I’m so retro it hurts. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/179 "2021-06-11T00:35:28Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I’d bring back cargo everything. I loved cargo pants, but many were of excessively heavy denim. I’ve seen them recently offered in knit pants for women which is equally ridiculous as knit gets very misshapen the moment you put the phone, or the keys in a pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/180 "2021-06-11T23:51:57Z")
Are desert boots really out of style? Are they “retro”? They’re my everyday shoes. If I’m not wearing sneakers, I’m wearing Clark’s desert boots. I’ve worn them since high school. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550/181 "2021-06-12T04:45:35Z")
In 1970, everybody in Bogota wore a Ruana - a heavy wool poncho, slit open on one side so converts in a second from an open shoulder-cape to a snuggly blanket. At Bogota’s elevation, there can be a 20-degree drop frrom the sunny to shady side of the street. I bought one to take home and loved iyt Returning to Colombia 20 years later, not a single ruana to be seen, no longer in fashion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-retro-clothing-would-you-like-to-see-back/939550.md?page=10)