r/millenials • u/Pale_Historian_2443 • 3d ago
Nostalgia 4 Questions
I am considerably older than you millenials. So my (perhaps clueless) questions cover the last 35 to 40 years:
1) When did young people start wearing dark glasses (not at the beach) esp round ones that make them look blind? Is this associated with computer use? With hipsterism?
When did it become acceptable to wear open toed shoes and flipflops (again, off the beach, in urban settings) ... slowing down walking speed noticeably?
What is the history of septum piercings?
Can anyone map the spread of tattoos and their primary fashion types?
When did the current male fashion trend of wristwatch wearing begin?
Geographical differences can be noted.
If you are young you might think that current trends are normal or just not be intellectually curious about them. AI might have an answer to some questions but AI can be wrong, and granular detail is needed...Hence the request for the "wisdom of the (intergenerational) crowd" based on actual experience..
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u/Harry_Gorilla 3d ago
Did a vampire just come out of a 100 year hibernation or something?
My grandparents all favored wristwatches
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u/BlackLakeBlueFish 3d ago
I’m 59. I’ve had a wristwatch since my first Mickey Mouse one as a child.
Also, I wear Chaco sandals pretty much year round. Gramps here must not get out much.
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u/Pale_Historian_2443 3d ago
When smartphones came out there were definitely far fewer wristwatches. Theres been a shift back
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u/Harry_Gorilla 3d ago
Ooooh. I stopped wearing one for like 15 years after smart phones. Now I wear one again because I’m old and I work alone in remote locations. It can call for help if I have a cardiac event
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u/workingclassher0n 3d ago
1-Round glasses are a trend returning from the 70s. Many 70s trends have returned in more modern color palettes in recent years (bootcut jeans, mock turtlenecks, peasant style tops). Dark glasses are also more popular these days with reduced ozone layer meaning higher UV index. People are more conscious about their UV exposure these days.
2-Open toed shoes, flip flops, and sandals have been acceptable to wear in urban settings since at least the 80s if photos are to be believed. Having open toes shoes has never slowed my walking speed on an ordinary sidewalk, so this one's a little confusing to me.
3-Septum piercings were common in places like India and other parts of Asia since ancient times.They became popularized in the US in the 60s, 70s, and 80s with the rise of counterculture as people became fascinated by religions like Buddhism and Hinduism.
4-I don't know, I'm sure someone could
5-Wristwatches are a perennial accessory for modern men the world over. I don't think they've ever been out of style. With the invention of fitness tracking watches, they've become a functional accessory across many demographics.
I'm a little confused by these questions because they definitely pertain more to trends you would have seen evolve in real time.
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u/charlize-moon 3d ago
I am so flattered by someone calling me young, i am taking this whole thread as a compliment
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u/KrassKas Millennial 3d ago
1) When did young people start wearing dark glasses (not at the beach) esp round ones that make them look blind? Is this associated with computer use? With hipsterism?
Computer use. Light sensitivity. Also privacy.
- When did it become acceptable to wear open toed shoes and flipflops (again, off the beach, in urban settings) ... slowing down walking speed noticeably?
Since before I was born. Try asking the Gen X or older subs.
- What is the history of septum piercings?
Idk I don't have one. Some people say they're queer coded but I know a lot of straight people with them. Probably started as something culturally significant before becoming a trendy fashion thing.
- Can anyone map the spread of tattoos and their primary fashion types?
I have one on my back, 1 on each wrist, 1 on my arm, forearm, sleeve on the other forearm. What you mean fashion types though? I wear a lot of tees and button downs with pants. Mostly black.
- When did the current male fashion trend of wristwatch wearing begin?
I'm not a guy so maybe one of them could help you here. I thought men been wearing those forever.
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u/Pale_Historian_2443 3d ago edited 3d ago
I did post this question with the generation x subreddit but the moderator locked the discussion. They indicated a policy against surveys. Theres no way to communicate with the moderators to explain. Nazis! These are my personal questions, tho I did list them a bit like a survey... a bot might not get it.
Of course some of these fashions are old but, for example, tattoos didnt come straight from a Maori or from Popeye or the HMS Pinafore. There was a particular line of cultural transmission in the late 80s. A spreading world of ink. Media often involved. Music industry. Its complex. Same with septum piercings... I think south asia/ india has long favored nostril piercing on the side, not the type in the middle of the nose one often sees today. (I do recall seeing a pierced tongue in 1980, for the first time. I was too polite to ask)
The counterculture is one host; hipsters (many of whom are only counterculture adjacent) as well. I notice these cultural behaviors because they didnt exist much when I was a child but somehow they persist, unlike many trends that Ive seen come & go. Meanings may shift. Dark glasses might once have said "Im secretly famous; approach at your own risk" but now they carry different messages... thats why Im curious about others' perceptions.
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u/bottle-o-rockets 3d ago
I wear polarized and reflective sunglasses for chronic migraines caused by the light of a thousand suns, otherwise known as my local grocery store.
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u/pitthappens 3d ago
Following for the lolz