Reflecting on my college experience in the late ’90s, I remember the delight of attending themed parties inspired by the vibrant 1970s. Digging through my closet for bell-bottom jeans, platform shoes, and eye-catching shirts—many of which were borrowed from my mother’s past—was thrilling. I styled my naturally curly hair into a voluminous afro, complete with a fist pick, and felt ready to groove.
Although I was born in the 1970s, my peers and I, who were navigating college in the ’90s, felt a unique connection to that earlier decade, despite only knowing it from pictures and television shows. When I shared stories of these parties with older colleagues during internships, they often seemed bewildered by our enthusiasm for a decade they had lived through.
“How could they not appreciate it?” I thought. The disco era was undeniably cool—who wouldn’t want to dance?
Fast forward nearly two decades to my late 30s, I stumbled upon a nostalgic photograph of my friends and me from an internship in the late ’90s. My son’s babysitter, Mia, a college student in her early 20s, spotted it on the kitchen table and exclaimed, “When was this?”
“I think it was 1999,” I replied.
“I can totally tell by the clothes! I’m really into ‘90s fashion and shows right now; this looks like something from the ‘90s!” she said, excitedly.
I raised an eyebrow. To me, the denim shirts and floral skirts seemed perfectly normal. How could a mere 16 years make such a difference? “Mia, when were you born?” I asked.
“1995.”
That year was my freshman year of college. It was then that I realized Mia was a window into a world I had left behind. Over the following months, I discovered that ‘90s nostalgia had become a trend, and themed parties celebrating that decade were the latest rage. I had become one of those older colleagues I had once chuckled at, working alongside students born the same year I graduated high school.
This shift should have been expected. During my elementary school years in the ’80s, we had themed days celebrating the ’50s and ’60s. By high school, the ’70s were all the rage, with everyone donning leisure suits and disco attire for spirit weeks and parties. I recall the reactions of older generations when we shared our birth years—they were astonished, and we relished their surprise.
As the years passed, the ’70s faded into the background, making way for the ’80s, complete with big hair and neon colors, which I nostalgically embraced. Unlike the decades I learned about in history class, I had firsthand memories of the ’80s. I fondly reminisced about the music of Madonna and Prince—now celebrated in a much more mainstream way.
Even as the resurgence of ’80s culture hinted at a similar revival for the ’90s, I was not prepared for college students to hold parties themed around the decade I had navigated from an awkward pre-teen to a self-assured young adult. These gatherings featured flannel shirts, references to Seinfeld, and conversations about the dot-com boom of the Clinton years. It felt surreal; I wanted to shout at them to get off my lawn!
When my local university hosted a ’90s throwback event, I felt compelled to attend. In an effort to fit in, I rummaged through my closet and assembled an outfit that included a vintage flannel shirt, a late ’90s FUBU tee, and my beloved pink Blossom hat. Some students recognized the flannel, but the rest of my ensemble fell flat. They were born between 1995 and 1997 and could only view the ’90s through a narrow lens.
Later, I shared my bewilderment with coworkers about how young the students seemed and how they appeared oblivious to significant moments from a decade that had shaped my life. They chuckled along, but my semi-retired coworker, who was in his 70s, warned me that it only gets increasingly more challenging.
This article was originally published on July 20, 2015. For more insights on the passage of time, you can explore this post.
In summary, as generations shift, so too does our connection to cultural moments. The nostalgia that once felt unique can transform into a source of humor and incredulity as new generations embrace what we once lived through. Embracing these changes can be challenging, but it’s a poignant reminder of the inevitability of aging and the cyclical nature of trends.