What Back to the Future Got Right | Fashion Edition

October 21st, 2015. The day Marty McFly jumped 30 years into the future from 1985. The writers of Back to the Future Part II had to make some wild assumptions on what every day life would be like 30 years later, and many of their ideas became pop-culture icons.

Items such as the Hoverboard, Pepsi Perfect, and Automatic Nike shoes are all actually being created in one way or another today thanks to the film. And while some of their creations haven’t quite been realized (flying cars, dehydrated food, fax machine popularity), others have been eerily accurate: video chat is so common today that we do it from our cell phones, cars are using alternative fuel, and thumbprint identification is old news by now. But another major prediction that the movie made was what people would wear in the future.

Now that we’re actually in the future, how does 1985’s prediction of our clothes hold up?

1. Bold Patterns

 

Doc Brown is spotted multiple times wearing bright, outrageous patterns, as are multiple people throughout the future. Today, wearing bold, crazy patters is in style for both sexes in the form of shirts, pants, hats… everything is patterned!

 

2. Automated Clothing

 

In Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly has a jacket that dries itself when it gets wet and a pair of Nikes that lace themselves. In real-life 2015, we’re not quite there. While Nike has confirmed that they are actively working on the shoes, they aren’t available quite yet. Although Nike has been quick to throw around images of the “future” shoes, no release date has been specified.

 

3. Accessories

 

Where Back to the Future really got things wrong is the accessories. In the film, children wear hats that make them look completely goofy, while the “punks” are wearing some kind of fashionable armor. Men wear two ties with their suits, or transparent ties. Luckily for us, most of these didn’t actually happen. These days, ties are slim, hats aren’t utterly ridiculous (except for fedoras and bucket hats), and the only place you’ll find “fashion armor” is on a high-fashion runway.

 

Fashion is an ever-changing industry. Every few years it feels like we go “back to the future” as fashion trends ebb and flow, and what was old becomes new again. If you want to stay ahead of the game, check out the Fashion Design program at Clary Sage College.