The Retro Food and Fashion That's Back in Vogue

In my 70s, I feel like I'm 20-something again.

By

Janie Emaus

 
Published February 19, 2026
Ryan Olbrysh (Shutterstock, 7; Stocksy, 2; Getty Images)

My mirror shows a face with dozens of laugh lines framed by white hair. Simple tasks such as brushing my teeth can throw out my back. My cardiologist told me on my last visit that the valves in my heart are like leaky pipes. Despite my outward appearance and aging ailments, inside I often still feel like my 20-something self.

Perhaps that’s because nostalgia has made a comeback. Or maybe, at this stage in life, nostalgia is simply part of the aging process. I can’t imagine my grandmother having longed for the days when she used a washboard instead of a washing machine or an icebox instead of a refrigerator. But maybe she did.

Lately, it seems as if the past has actually stepped into the present. Our fast-paced world of instant gratification has created a yearning for those days of face-to-face interaction instead of Facebook, back when a catfish referred to an unappealing bottom fish no one wanted served on a platter and surfing was an activity that involved water.

This craving for a simpler life has brought back many aspects of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. 

Every day my 20-something self comes to mind. Just last week, my granddaughter walked in wearing a yellow and green argyle sweater, bell bottoms and platform shoes. In a flash, I saw myself dancing in a dive bar as a live band played “Money” by Pink Floyd. Clutching my heart, I told her I had that exact outfit. My granddaughter gave me a sly smile and said, “It is yours, Grandma. I found it in the back of your closet.”

On closer inspection, I realized it was my outfit, right down to the shoes.

Her fashion statement is just one of the many aspects of our past that have circled into our current world:

Fashion

Every time I walk through a local department store, my heart quickens, and not from the valve issue. This comes from memories that flood through me as I see geometric prints, sweater vests and shoulder pads. Some of these fashions, such as the miniskirt, are better suited to my 20-year-old self, but I’m happy to see the prints, plaids and even overalls back in fashion.  As long as those ridiculous stirrup pants, which I did wear because well, everyone else did, never make a comeback.

Food

I never thought I’d see a fondue set ever again. But there it was in the home section of many big box stores. Ah, those days were fun. Everyone sitting around the fondue pot, sipping Boone’s Farm apple wine and watching the cheese bubble like a volcano about to explode. I have not been to a fondue party in many years. But if I had one today, I would be drinking a martini and not cheap wine. And talk would center around senior discounts and not senior classes. But the laughter would be the same.

Another retro food making a comeback is ambrosia, that fruit salad topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, thought to give immortality to mortals and gods — even though it sounds more like a recipe for heartburn than long life. The ever-popular deviled eggs are also enjoying a comeback. This time around, the eggs are enjoying a “richer” life, often topped with caviar. 

I’ll try any food again as long as it’s not tongue. The memory of that ugly slab of meat thawing on our kitchen counter when I came home from school almost turned me into a vegetarian.

Podcasts

Podcasts are reminiscent of the old radio shows such as Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story, Fibber McGee and Molly and The Mercury Theatre on the Air, with the War of the Worlds broadcast, which caused fear and confusion, much like the emergence of AI. One could say the CBS Radio Mystery Theater is the father of today’s true crime podcasts.

The big difference is in how we listen. Instead of sitting around the radio as a family, we now listen plugged in with earbuds or headphones, but the concept is basically the same. They are audio platforms for education and entertainment. Today, anyone with a basic understanding of the internet, which means anyone over the age of five, can host a podcast.

Music

Vinyl is making a huge comeback. I still have hundreds of albums, minus the ones my daughter sneaks out of our house. I’m not sure the transistor radio will ever come back around. Although it was fun to set up at the beach and wait for a favorite Beach Boys song to play. These days, there is no waiting. We just cue up our favorite playlist and voilà, we get the song choice immediately. Maybe too quickly. In this age of 24/7 availability, patience often rides in the rumble seat.

And so it goes. Fashion, fads and food continue to circle through the decades as sure as the moon circles the earth. I don’t think we’ll ever go back to rotary phones, carbon paper or eight-track cassettes. But you never know.

What I do know is that it would be nice to go back to slower days unplugged from technology. I know my 20-something self would agree.

Janie Emaus is the author of the blended holiday picture books, Latkes for Santa Claus, a finalist in the 2022 International Book Awards, and Easter Eggs & Matzo Balls. Her third picture book, Mrs. Claus’s Noodle Kugel, will be released in September 2026. She is also the author of the novels The Advice Columnist and The Time Traveling Matchmaker. Her essays, stories and articles have been published in numerous magazines, anthologies and websites. To learn more about Janie, visit janieemaus.com.