Pastels, Emma Chamberlain, the original iced coffee infatuation, VSCO girls, niche memes, hot summer days, BROCKHAMPTON, painted calculators, “Chinese New Year” by Sales, checkered vans, “Slow Dancing in the Dark” by Joji, mom jeans and relatability. 

When thinking back on 2019, the sound of soft Lofi music plays in the background, and the scent of youthful summer fills the room. The year was the pinnacle of youth, creativity and teenage bliss. Casual YouTubers such as Joana Ceddidia and Diana Ren gained notoriety for being relatable and down to earth. Style shifted towards what we praise and practice now. This year is remembered so fondly as a simple time with less pressure and less online hostility. When looking back on the past, especially our past selves, there’s a level of embarrassment and self-criticism. Retrospection helps us to reminisce on these trends and see our past selves in a better light. 

A Look Back

The VSCO girl aesthetic was the most popular of the year. The fad boasted scrunchies, Hydroflasks, Puka shell necklaces and colorful, oversized t-shirts. There was a sense of girlhood and innocence in this summer trend. With a focus on environmentalism, this trend can be looked back on fondly with the only real harm being second-hand embarrassment from your past self. Though this can be looked back on as an earlier version of the clean girl aesthetic, it goes to show our generation always epitomizes some version of an “it-girl.” 

Primary colors and pastels were popularized by the “art hoe”’ aesthetic. Mom jeans cuffed over a pair of colorful socks paired with jorts, a chunky black belt, a tucked graphic t-shirt and a Kånken slung over the shoulder was the look. The aesthetic did not stop there but invaded room decor as well. Prints of Van Gogh’s sunflowers and fake ivy garnished with fairy lights adorned the walls. The “art hoe” aesthetic still leaves remnants on today’s style, as mom jeans became wide-leg pants and chunky knit sweaters continue to reign supreme. 

The trends of 2019 focused on thrifting and environmentalism–with the saying “save the turtles” echoing through the air. Though thrifting has been around forever, it was vastly popularized and rivaled fast fashion retailers during this period. Vintage clothing and upcycling tops from the thrift were popularized by Emma Chamberlain and other YouTubers. 2019 was a renaissance and rebirth of Gen-Z fashion with a newfound desire for sustainability.

2019 was a time of casualty online with niche memes. Collages featured PNG on a white background with captions–such as “artsy girl” and “starter pack.” These memes helped to distinguish and define different styles, all while being a funny joke we could laugh at. 

The Sounds

The most popular songs of 2019 had softer beats and instrumentals accompanied by vocals. Bands like Sales soared in popularity from being used in TikTok videos and as background music for YouTube vlogs. Many artists, such as Dayglow and Khalid still make music but have declined in popularity from the “Bedroom Pop” era. The soft sounds of homemade indie-founded artists like Clairo rose to popularity from her 2019 album, “Immunity.” The “Bedroom Pop” genre had this sense of relatability that drew in listeners. 

Relatable YouTubers and vloggers gained notoriety from the mega-rich content creators at the time. Emma Chamberlain’s vlogs had a humble relatability and a quirky editing style that was never seen before. 2019 was the pinnacle of casual vlogging with “Get Ready With Me” and “Spend A Day In My Life” videos and influencers like Joanna Ciddia posting a wide range of content including vlogs, paintings and skits. Yet, following health concerns, she vanished from the internet and has yet to reappear. 

Nostalgia and Memories

These trends are antiquated in 2023 but are looked back on tenderly. When talking about 2019, a sense of nostalgia washes over, coupled with the simplicity of being young with fewer responsibilities in a pre-pandemic world – right before life was turned upside down and the internet forever changed. Maybe this is why the year is coined Gen-Z’s “1985” – the year when things were simpler and so many now-college students found their identity and grew up. The year promoted sustainability, being yourself and allyship. Being kind to our younger, and slightly embarrassing selves, helps us grow and look back on where we all started. 

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Hi! I’m Annie Gleydura, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.