Nostalgia is something everyone experiences from time to time. Whether it be a vanilla bean candle or the patterned carpet from an old bookstore, everyone has that one thing that triggers their nostalgia. For me, along with many others, 2019 is a year that triggers some of the most nostalgic memories to look back on. 

For Gen Z, 2019 was a year of TikTok videos, hydroflask water bottles and VSCO photos. These are just some of the trends that have created such fond memories of 2019 in the minds of many young people. In fact, “2019 nostalgia” is the second search term that pops up when typing 2019 into TikTok’s search bar! So why can’t we stop looking back on this year? What made it so unforgettable? 

One thing that could be making us feel nostalgic was the fashion of the year. When I think of the fashion trends of 2019, I almost start to think of the ‘80s. The mom jeans, scrunchies and fun patterns are all fashion statements that 2019 shares with the ‘80s. Even big brands were pushing throwback looks during 2019.

Brands like Perry Ellis and Guess were hopping on this trend during 2019, reviving and changing their retro styles for new collections. 

“Tommy Hilfiger got in on the action – adapting its vintage 1986 Tommy Jeans Coca-Cola collaboration for a modern audience,” said Thomas Shambler of Esquire. 

This trend in nostalgic clothing could be a big reason for our feelings of nostalgia towards the year. There also seemed to be a trend with vintage media as well. 

Another big influencer of the nostalgic feeling around 2019 could be the release of “Stranger Things” season three. Generation Z seems to have a strong connection to this show because we grew up watching it, and the main characters grew up alongside us. It only increases the nostalgia factor that season three was released during our modern summer while the show took place in the summer of 1985.  

Many people on social media at the time seemed obsessed with the ‘80s energy of the new “Stranger Things” season. I remember vividly many people on TikTok attempting to dress as if they were in the show because they loved it so much. Looking back years later, many have only grown more sentimental over 2019. 

One TikTok video, from user @cc_.lia, shows a picture from “Stranger Things” season three, along with the music from the show with the caption “this song makes me physically ill from nostalgia.” 

Many videos even have comments claiming that they think 2019 was our generation’s 1980’s, with a nostalgic 2019 edit video from user @ch.2100 on TikTok being captioned “2019 was Gen Z’s ‘80s.”  

Clothing and TV weren’t the only things referencing the ‘80s. The VSCO photo editing app was very popular during 2019, even coining the term “VSCO girl” for its frequent users. The photos many people would take on the app had a very retro, camcorder-like filter on them that almost every photo on Instagram had back then. 

With its retro influences, 2019 is dear to many hearts. But why is it so dear to Gen Z’s, considering that they didn’t live through the decade that 2019 seemed to pay homage to?

2019 could be such a nostalgic year for many because it was the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the last year we all remember that had complete normalcy; we weren’t too afraid of germs, we went to school in person and a mask was something only medical staff wore. 2019 feels safe— it feels like the last memory untouched by COVID-19.  

2019 isn’t the only year that we’ve looked back on with fondness. Our media now tends to do this for many years, not just this one. 

Natalie Salter of The California Aggie makes the point that “In 2025, online spaces have never been more obsessed with aestheticizing anything they can get their hands on.” 

As you scroll the lengths of any social media app now, especially Pinterest or TikTok, you can see this statement becoming increasingly true. 

The over-romanticization of the past could come from the mass majority wishing they lived in simpler times, or wanting to escape the reality that we are currently living in. Unfortunately for us, this glorification of fond memories won’t bring them back. 

While 2019 wasn’t the perfect year, it created many amazing memories for us to hold onto. However tempting it is to keep romanticizing the past, remember that it’s better to stay present and that this moment, too, is one you’ll reminisce about years down the line.