By Starly Richards,
Media Editor,
and Laurel Merrick,
Editor-in-Chief.
Trends are recurring. They go up and down and up again, and you have undoubtedly noticed it. Around campus, kids’ TV show-themed backpacks are worn by the most senior among us, reminiscent of the same thing worn a decade prior. Senior backpacks have been a tradition around the Santa Rosa High School campus for years. From “My Little Pony” to “Star Wars,” a wide variety of bags you would expect to see at an elementary school have found their way onto the backs of the Class of 2026 and every senior class preceding them. But, you may be wondering, why wear something that you can’t even fit your textbooks in?
Well, for one, it’s fun. Wearing fun backpacks can bring some life into the monotonous trek that is the final year of high school. “It’s bringing whimsy into my senior year,” remarked senior Milo Ward. “Black is, like, the only color I own.” Kids’ backpacks have exciting designs, especially compared to a typical solid-colored Jansport backpack. You can choose your favorite childhood show or even just a kids’ show that you enjoy now. “I chose a ‘My Little Pony’ backpack because I love ‘My Little Pony,’” said Ward.
It can also be a way to participate in a tradition: “All of my senior friends last year did it and it seemed like a really fun tradition to be a part of,” said Ward. Many juniors are also excited to participate as well: “I would love to have a fun little backpack when I’m a senior,” said junior Fin Simmons.
There are also benefits to using a kids’ backpack. Built to survive playground expeditions and the wear and tear of elementary school shenanigans, the backpacks can easily survive high school. “It’s durable; it has not ripped at all,” explained Ward.
Trends, such as senior backpacks, move in cyclical patterns, falling in and out of the mainstream throughout all of time. Kids’ backpacks that are popular in elementary school eventually make a comeback senior year. Similarly, the same can be said for fashion trends.
Junior Jayden Van-Seng said that she has noticed a revival of many old clothing trends from the past two decades. Niche combinations from the ‘90s and 2000s which were considered weird for many years are coming back in full swing and can be seen all over campus. “Y2K clothing has been very popular, like the concept of wearing jeans under dresses, short sleeves over long sleeves and low-rise jeans,” said Van-Seng.
“There’s the recurring cycle of handbags going in and out of trends. I note this with Juicy Couture and Coach bags. They were super popular around Y2K but fell off for a few years and now they’re popping up in retail stores like Ross and Burlington,” Van-Seng explained. The bags, just like many others, continue to follow the trends of popularity years after their initial peak.
Fashion is an everchanging landscape of quick trends and recurring ones. Items come in and out of popularity, some lasting decades while others reappear every couple decades. It’s worth taking a look at the cringey things you used to wear, and wonder, how long until this is the next hit thing?
