Old is the New Cool

Kelli Pennington, the high school Darkroom Photography instructor, received her first single-lens reflex camera (SLR) when she was 16 years old. After falling in love with the esoteric art form, she continued to pursue black and white photography in college. Though now she has the option to use a digital camera, she is moved by the way film photography and SLR cameras allow the artist to live in the moment. Film cameras immerse the photographer in the long process in a way that digital media are physically incapable of doing.

Pennington is not the only one using vintage processes. Many people, including many members of the NWA community, are enamored with vintage clothing and items, such as record players, cassette tapes or film photography.

People have long been drawn to the allure of vintage. The word “vintage” itself is a blanket term first used in the mid-1900s to describe items that were between 20 and 100 years old, with anything older being considered antique. Over the course of the last decade, the U.S. has seen a steep increase in the popularization of trends from previous generations. According to Metricworld.org, “Global searches for ‘vintage fashion’ increased by 45% in 2020 compared to the previous year.”

Although many are fascinated with vintage and antique items, there exists no single, concrete reason why people are attracted to them. But for sophomore Henry Leeds, a history makes items more personal and intriguing.

“I think older things can have more meaning [to] them, or depth,” said Leeds. “If you buy something that’s super commercialized and new and it hasn’t been lived in or used or appreciated by anyone before, it might feel a little cold.” 

Quinn Marcus, a senior, also believes in the nostalgia of older items, and what they signify in what many find to be our fast-paced world. The appeal of items that are lived-in also translates to the way students experience music. Many choose to supplement their music streaming with a more physical alternative. 

“[Older items] appeal to this sense of nostalgia that we may have not lived through but signifies a time that was simpler somehow,” said Marcus. “With all of the chaotic times that we are living through right now, returning to things such as record players, records, old music [and] old movies [is comforting].”

Fiona Strom Sedita, a sophomore, thinks that many are attracted to older items due to their apparent uniqueness and quality.

“There are little quirks and imperfections that you would find in a record player [that you would not find with streaming services],” said Strom Sedita. “It might be scratched a little bit or it might have a different sound quality. Life can be really fast, and using older things can just slow it down a little bit.”

Others agree with this thought, and recognize its sentimental and nostalgic value in other forms of listening to music as well. 

“The idea of having a cassette tape or a VHS is a lot more tangible than having something downloaded,” said Ryan Stenson, a senior. 

This desire to step away from technology-based mediums applies to other art forms as well, as the disconnect from digital mediums can provide a much needed retreat for NWA community members. 

“So much of our lives are spent on screens and working with computer programs and algorithms,” said Pennington. “The reason why I’m drawn to black and white film photography is [about] really being able to be present in the moment and being able to see the hands of the artist in the craft and the final output.” 

Technology, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), is a common theme in many arguments for preserving current and past ways of doing things. There is a constant progression of technology, but older items and methods still have the craftsmanship that makes them valuable. For Pennington, software like ChatGPT does not yield an authentic and genuine output. 

“AI can never do what we’re doing,” she said. “For me, making images on film is the closest you can get to the actual happening. […] Here, any of the creative efforts that we are doing are in the moment and tangible.”

This is why many see AI as a limiting factor in creativity, in how easy it is to create work similar to human artists. For many, this presents a looming fear regarding the future of humanity, as well as self expression.

“I think that people have a sense of dread for the future,” said Stenson. “There is some sort of comfort in things that are not as modern.” 

Jack LaBar, a senior, echoes this sentiment of patience in vintage items, such as clothing manufacturing. He believes that quality is noticeably different in newer clothes.

“I think that specifically fashion and clothing is also changing,” said LaBar. “I think that clothes nowadays are not as built to last as in the ‘60s. I think there is also a certain nostalgia built into vintage items. There is almost a kind of sentimental value in vintage clothes.”

Lila Satori, a senior, buys almost all of her clothes from thrift stores, as she finds many large scale problems with fast fashion.

“[After eighth grade] I found my own style, and after Covid I have just found that thrift stores have so much and a variety of styles, so you don’t have to fit in,” said Satori. “But I also think that a lot of older fashion and items have become trendy now. It is a lot to do with the trends. I personally like analog things, but I think a lot of things come purely from trends.”

Sylvie Beers, a sophomore, agrees with Satori that many vintage trends exist for students who are trying to be more trendy.

“I think that older clothes are for people that want to stand out a bit,” said Beers.

The media has also popularized and reintroduced trends and aesthetics, such as the resurgence in ‘80s paraphernalia and music following the success of the TV show Stranger Things, or more recently, the rise of Y2K fashion becoming mainstream online through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

The appeal of vintage clothes not only comes from the acceptance of older styles, but can also be attributed to the rejection of fast fashion. It is common to find clothes for under $10 on many websites such as Shein, but many realize that the cheap prices come at a cost, as most of the inexpensive prices and fast production come from child labor overseas and the destruction of natural habitats. Some of the biggest brands contributing to this dilemma include Zara, H&M and Forever 21. 

According to Earth.org, “Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills. To put things in perspective, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up in landfill sites every second.” 

These facts are disheartening, especially for young people who will have to live with the environmental ramifications for the rest of their lives. 

As recorded by the 2022 annual industry report from the online secondhand marketplace ThredUP, “As much as 62% of Gen Z and Millennials say they look for an item secondhand before they buy a new version of it.”

This sentiment is reflected by other students who hope that vintage or second hand items will be seen as part of a movement to step away from these costly and environmentally damaging practices. 

“Our generation is trying to get out of all the despair that we feel about today’s world, and all the confusion,” said Marcus. “Somehow, all these older things that we did not even grow up with give us comfort.”

Reporting by Caroline Barr and Elliot Strom