Do We Really Need to Update our Closets Every Year?

When I happened upon Hans Eikelboom, a Dutch photographer, and his ongoing photo record of street style that began 20 years ago I had to share it with you all. While he is an interesting person to talk about because of the fun you can have in trying to pronounce his last name, he actually brings to light an interesting take on fashion and marketing through his recently released photo series. For the past 20 years he has acted as the stranger hidden among the crowd that has secretly taken photos of people he sees on the street in Amsterdam, NL. There is a certain uniformity shown in his photos of individuals of all ages and backgrounds wearing very similar outfits throughout the years. They range from men wearing blue jean jackets paired with blue jeans, women wearing jean mini skirts with leggings and a basic top, fur hood coats, to side strapped messenger bags on men. It's interesting that we tend to buy new clothes each year to follow current trends, yet these photos show that while certain pieces do come in and out of fashion each year, such as mom jeans, high top sneakers, and scrunchies, we are still buying the same or similar pieces that we would 20 years ago.