This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Ky Tanella. Find them on Instagram at @ky.tanella. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In the age of constant consumerism, fast fashion, landfills piling with clothes, and trends with a shelf life of a few weeks, there comes rebellion. Slow living, thrifting, and purchasing physical media have been an important part of Gen Z’s commupence. But… why is vintage so popular? Why is physical media making a comeback, when we have everything available to us on streaming or subscription services? Why is thrifting so popular when new clothes seem to be made and promoted faster than before?
“Slow Living”
Let’s get something straight before I start! Slow living does not equal minimalism! It’s a lifestyle that prioritizes mindfulness, appreciating the present, and prioritizing quality over quantity! The movement isn’t necessarily about having fewer possessions, but it’s mainly about using the things you already own to stop over-consumerism. It’s also about prioritizing your mental health and taking the time to practice self-care, so you’ll appreciate life more mindfully.
There are so many videos – namely TikToks – that make you feel pressured to over-consume. You have to have whatever makeup item is trending this week to be cool or pretty, you have to buy this pair of shoes that’ll go out of style in three weeks, or something cheap from the Target $5 isle. Slow living purposefully reminds you that what you have is enough, as long as it works for you.
Additionally, de-cluttering your space is completely different from taking the joy and personality out of your decoration or your furniture! That’s partly why Facebook Marketplace and Re-Stores are popular destinations for furniture items – for price and personality. New-Age furniture tends to succumb to the “boring beige” trend, and happens to be of worse quality than older furniture made from wood (rather than particle board). Vintage furniture can be passed down and moved around; new-age furniture cannot.
“Vintage”
Expanding on my point above, personality and authenticity in our living space are important values to Gen Z. We want a home that says “this is me!” Maximalism does not equal over-consumption, especially if your decorations or trinkets are second-hand or heirlooms. The concept of slow decorating encourages the person to cultivate that authenticity, and have a home that’s unique to oneself. Understanding the value of things outside of their selling value or their trendiness is necessary for recycling and repurposing. And finding that perfect piece of furniture or decoration at your local thrift shop may just be worth the wait.
When it comes to clothes, it’s no secret that quality has decreased over the years. Blame high-volume companies that push for quick production, normally under inhumane conditions. Sitch and fabric quality due to this “fast fashion” approach cause your clothes to degrade quicker, thus pushing you to buy more clothes, and the cycle repeats. Clothing is made from synthetic material rather than natural materials (like wool, cotton, and linen).
The craftsmanship and hand-made quality of vintage clothing just make it a better investment in the first place! Certain things will never go out of style, and even if it does, who cares? Vintage clothes (especially at thrift shops and flea markets) ensure originality, a sort of one-of-a-kind feeling that clothes from Zara and Shein cannot provide. And, it’s fun! Hunting for clothes or decoration and finding that perfect piece is significantly more fun than having everything handed to you.
Repurposing older clothing is yet another facet of slow living, especially if it was already an item in your closet! Even if you don’t have a sewing machine, skills like crocheting, dyeing, or just simply cutting old t-shirts are essential and give your clothing a specific uniqueness! Donating your clothes is great, but certain places can just throw them in a landfill, thus continuing the cycle of fast fashion.
“Physical Media”
Physical media is coming back in a big way. From DVDs, CDs, vinyls, comics, books, polaroids, 35mm film, snail mail, to physical zines! In the online age, it’s easy to feel like we don’t own anything. Purchasing physical media and discouraging subscription services (especially those like Spotify or Netflix) is a direct rebellion to this lack of ownership!
The best example of this is when companies (and consumers) thought audio-books would erase physical reading as we knew it. But, it’s very apparent now that’s not the case! There’s something so refreshing about opening a new book, seeing the cover art, physically feeling the pages, and physically reading the words in front of you. It’s part of the reading experience, and it’s clear that physical books are so essential to history, and our future. Read banned books, y’all! And support local bookstores and libraries!
Vinyl releases are still a huge part of a musical artist’s revenue. Although they’re a little expensive, they normally come with personalizations (such as posters, photocards, or other surprises) that make the physical media so much more worth it. CDs and walkmans seem to be coming back due to the joy of owning your music, and supporting your favorite artists! DVDs ensure that an artist’s film stays alive longer than a streaming service wants to pay the licensing fee for (and directly support the filmmaker)! Vintage VHSs are displayed in rooms and on shelves to add personality to the space, and is an amazing way to keep old movies alive and well. Snail Mail Clubs are cute little subscriptions where you get stickers, magnets, and little trinkets from small artists!
Not only does buying physical media support living artists, it supports art. If all of our history is online, where will it go if it happens to be erased, or gets shut down? How will our children learn to understand and appreciate the art of their time if everything is accessible, yet gone within a flash?
“Ownership”
Today, the state of art and media is a little scary. We “rent” our movies, our music, our books, our homes from companies that just keep increasing the price of access. And new streaming services seem to be popping up every day, that play with the rights to certain movies. The influx of options completely changed the music and movie landscape – you have everything right at the tip of your fingers. You can play any song you want, and watch basically any movie you want with a few clicks of a button. But you don’t own any of it. As soon as you stop paying, it’s not yours. And that’s the new norm!!
I don’t mean to get a little nihilistic, but it’s insane how normalized this is in today’s society, and I personally love the rebellion! So… why is vintage so popular? To keep the art alive! To have a keepsake that feels special! To support artists! To feel like yourself! To be unique! And I think that’s beautiful.
So… why do you think vintage is so popular? Drop a comment down below!
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