Fashion is governed by a neophilic rule with a neophobic catch: New is good and old is bad (but very old is good again). There is a theoretical benchmark for how fashionable attitudes are shaped by the passage of time called Laver’s law, named after its originator, James Laver, a British fashion historian. It goes like this: Indecent: 10 years before its time Shameless: 5 years before its time Outré (Daring): 1 year before its time Smart: Current fashion Dowdy: 1 year after its time Hideous: 10 years after its time Ridiculous: 20 years after its time Amusing: 30 years after its time Quaint: 50
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