Fashion trends have a tendency to weave in and out of popularity and move to different parts of the world at different periods of time. A trend that has started off in Southern America may find its way to Eastern Europe, and even though it dies out in popularity in its land of origin, it may well be in high demand in the other regions. We often see that trends from the past come back to life after a certain person wears the clothing or the design somehow regains popularity. Also, clothing from the past and even traditional clothing are usually designed with some kind of purpose in mind. It is utilitarian, or it is developed given the available resources. In this way, it often comes in handy even today, and when it does, it can easily become the next fashion craze. Here are a few things that are trendy today but have rather humble beginnings.
1. Poncho
Probably one of the most iconic forms of clothing from the Southern Americas, the poncho has been around for hundreds of years. It also spread to all parts of the world. The basic structure remains the same, an open-sided cape with a hole for the head to pass through. It is generally made of a thick material that makes it an excellent windbreaker and overall insulation layer for the winter season. Today it is found in many different designs and is also made from a number of modern materials, but the basic concept remains the same. You can find the poncho in every part of the world, and the next time you see one, you will know that that is a bit of South American culture that you are seeing.
2. Hawaiian Shirt
Possibly one of the most iconic styles of a shirt that has been marketed in movies, video games, and even music videos, the Hawaiian shirt is correlated with sunny beaches, cigars, and vacation time. While this is seen as a piece of clothing that the rich would wear on vacation, it is fascinating to know the history of the Hawaiian shirt and know that it was initially something that Hawaiian field workers would wear. In fact, in the early 20th century, the Hawaiian shirt was seen as a symbol of oppression as it was the uniform for workers that worked on plantations. It is so popular all over the world today that it is the top export for Hawaii. Today, it is something that is worn with great pride on festive occasions and even generally in everyday life by both Hawaiians and people from all over the world.
3. Jeans
This is another very popular article of clothing that has extremely humble beginnings. Even though it is seen as a symbol of American culture today, it was, in fact, a European development. Jeans actually originated from Italy, in a city called Genova, which is where the modern pair of pants gets its name. This is where the original denim fabric was made and given the classic blue color that we associate with a pair of jeans today. The term denim also comes from a place in France known as Nimes, where they attempted to recreate the original denim material that was initially developed in Italy. Later, as America gained independence from the UK, Levi Strauss and a few others started to really market denim jeans as they wanted to create something that was comfortable, breathable, and durable for blue-collar workers to wear. They were very successful, to say the least, and it wasn’t just workers that were interested in their jeans.
4. Kimono
When it comes to elegant clothing, few things come close to the Kimono in terms of elegance, simplicity, and nobility. This is a dress that originates from Japan and is something that is very popularly worn today. It is something that is usually reserved for very formal occasions and is a symbol of not only style but also seen as a gesture of respect for the people that it is worn for. This is a challenging piece of clothing to produce, and the majority of the work is done by hand. Even in machine-made versions, there is a lot of work that can only be done by hand.
Together with clothing, there are other traditional trends that are also inspired by certain cultures, such as Oud-based fragrances. These were popular mainly in the Middle East in the past. Today, the popularity of this fragrance has grown so much that even high-end perfume makers are creating Oud-based scents. Similarly, things like cigars have also become popular fashion statements all over the world, and it is unlikely that they will fall out of popularity anytime soon.
