As teacher Sarah Miller passed through the halls of Utica High, she spotted students wearing a particularly old trend: scrunchies and bright neon shirts. Immediately, her mind crossed into memories of her in high school.

“It’s like looking into a time machine, or a mirror,” teacher Sarah Miller said. “It reminds me so much of when I was young, back in the 1980s. The trends are so similar it’s crazy.”

Just like the seasons, fashion trends are constantly changing. New shirts, skirts, styles, and other accessories appear as the decades change and evolve. It’s simple. With each decade that goes by, new trends appear, and old trends are forgotten. But, what happens when an old trend pops up again? And more importantly, how does it happen?

In Utica high, it’s out with the new and back in with the old. Sounds odd, right? But that’s just how it is, and many students speculate there are reasons for that.

“I think fashion is kind of like a circle, every once in a while an old fashion trend becomes trendy again,” junior Alicia Rayl said. “It’s the same trend as it was back then, but with a modern twist. Usually just different fabrics, but still that old feel to it.”

A specific decade of trends that is returning is the 80s. Many stylistic choices from the 80s seem to be reappearing in modern fashion. Scrunchies, neon colors, stripes, and jean jackets are just a few examples of the styles returning. Many stores stock their shelves full of these ‘new’ trends, and many students sport the trends.

But, what makes it specifically the 80s style? Simple things such as how baggy a clothing item is, or even the color can have it be identified as an 80s type of clothing. Even the pattern can help identify the stylistic era.

“I see a lot of kids wearing stripes. I think stripes definitely relate back to the 80s. Especially the colors, if they have more of a dim color, it’s seen as vintage, and looks very 80s like,” junior Donald Noll said, “I see lots of girls wearing scrunchies too, and that reminds me of the 80s, as well.”

In the 80s, one of the most popular fashion trends included jackets and shirts with very bright colors, such as neon colors. Many students have noticed bright colors coming back.

“I notice some kids wear neon colors, such as a very bright jackets, normally they are pretty baggy too,” sophomore Paige Dearment said. “I’ve seen my mom wear similar things in old pictures.”

But, it’s not just the students. Many teachers see these new trends as a blast from the past. The teachers also agree that these new trends are heavily 80s based.

Some teachers have remembered what they used to wear in high school. From overly baggy shirts, to hairstyles, to tight pants.

“Scrunchies! I see them around a lot now,” teacher Kirsten Bolitho said. “I remember in high school I used to wear scrunchies, too. Most of the girls did, it’s really weird to see them returning.”

As 80s trends return, the cycle of fashion has circled back around. Modern fashion has turned back into older, more retro fashion. Movies, television shows, music videos, and even social media has been turning to 80s trends. By doing this, they gain popularity, sparking the trends to stay alive.

“I know a lot of people like ‘Stranger Things,’ and the outfits I see remind me of that show,” senior Laila Hicks said. “I think it is part of the reason the 80s style is gaining popularity.”

Media coverage is a big reason any fashion style becomes trendy, especially when it is used across media platforms. Platforms such as movies, tv shows, even music videos can create a lot of coverage for said fashion style, turning it into a trend.

“I recently have watched a few movies that are revolved around the 1980s. It, Rocket Man, Doctor Sleep, those are just a few titles,” junior Justin Carver said. “It really inspires me to wear outfits from the 80s, it just makes them look so good.”

As many years pass, and fashion trends circle around once more, new trends from the 2010s may resurface once more. As the students grow and change, so will the trends, but one day, they will look back on the older trends, and realize how familiar they truly are.