These 5 Nostalgic Fashion Trends Are All I Want to Wear Right Now

The sleek lines and varied neutrals of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s wardrobe are back with a vengeance. It’s the latest iteration of quiet luxury, this time with a heavy dose of Calvin Klein circa 1999. Think straight-up-and-down midi and maxi skirts, plain white tank tops and semi-fitted tees, strappy kitten heels, baguette and East-West handbags, wide fabric headbands and clean straight-leg jeans. On their own, each of these wardrobe staples seems like smart, if slightly boring, investment pieces, but when worn together they evoke images of chic ‘90s minimalism. Anyone else suddenly craving a Caesar salad, fries and a martini?

While the working wardrobes of the British royal family may not be all that relatable to most, their Balmoral looks are much more accessible to us regular folk. Specifically, we’re  looking to copy the ‘fits captured in photos of Queen Elizabeth tromping around her Scottish residence wit a far more casual vibe than her matching skirt suits and pillbox hats in London. Her Barbour barn coats and Wellies partnered with patterned scarves tied around the head evoke a feel not just of the ‘60s, but even older still. It’s a throwback look that feels almost as old as the Windsor line itself (not quite, but certainly back to the turn of the century). Capes and brooches, two other royal staples, are also making their way into the zeitgeist, adding a bit of pomp and circumstance to your basic cold weather capsule wardrobe. The fun of this nostalgic trend is all in the combination of incredibly practical pieces with supremely frivolous ones. Because knotting a silk Burberry scarf over one’s head and pinning a sparkling brooch to the outside of one’s waxed Barbour coat does feel wonderfully campy, in all the best ways, no?

I recently heard a stylist describe the latest wave of this particular ‘90s revival as “preppy grunge” and couldn’t help but laugh at the oxymoronic vibes of such a combo. But she’s not wrong—the 2025 fashionista doesn’t seem quite ready to go full Courtney Love with ripped tights, holey sweaters and smudged make up. But she is willing to test the waters by combining grunge staples with preppy ones. Plaid shirts tied around the hips were in abundance on the streets of Paris and London during Fashion Month, often paired with tailored blazers or straight-leg trousers. The coolest way to style classic Dr. Martens combat boots in 2025 isn’t with distressed jeans and an oversize leather moto jacket, but with pleated tennis skirts and rugby shirts. After years of corporate-inspired tailored classics dominating the trends, it makes sense that we’re now only dipping a toe into rebellion. This throwback trend may be slow on the uptick, but just you wait, it won’t be long before we’re all in on true grunge once more.

Sure you could argue that a classic print like polka dots isn’t really a “nostalgic” trend. But it hasn’t had quite the same perennial appeal as stripes or leopard print and does very much bring to mind a series of highly specific sartorial eras. Princess Diana in the ‘80s with giant puff sleeves and ruffled skirts, Twiggy and other Mod icons wearing oversize black-and-white or primary color dotted micro minidresses and Marilyn Monroe in ‘50s pinup bathing suits and A-line frocks are all iconic moments in the history of the polka dot. Heck, Minnie Mouse has been sporting polka dots since her debut in 1928. And it’s precisely because of these flashes in time that the print feels so fun—there are just so many ways to style it, whether you lean hard into those fashion eras or mix and match with other influences.

Christian Dior stunned the fashion world with his debut collection in 1947, dubbed “the New Look” by Harper’s Bazaar Editor-in-Chief Carmel Snow, and completely revitalized the French fashion industry. And now the core tenets of his iconic silhouette are back with a vengeance for another spin through the trend cycle, albeit with a few modern twists. The ’47 version of the New Look was all about nipped-in waists and full skirts. The 2025 version similarly includes cinched jackets and hourglass cardigans, peplum silhouettes, longer skirts and the return of belts as a must-have accessory. We may not be wearing all these pieces together, as Dior might have styled them—I’m all for a cinched blazer over some baggy skate jeans and sneakers, or a slouchy oversize knit tucked loosely into a full A-line skirt—but the influence is clear.