I understand not every decade was a clean break, but each decade has fairly distinct defining properties. It feels like most of the 21st century has been a single run on with smaller changes. I know sometimes the definitions don’t come into focus until later, but I’ve been around since the 80s and I can distinctly remember the changes between the 80s, 90s and 00s as they were happening.
Just looking at how the NBA draft class has dressed for draft day. 2004 is extremely baggy. 2011 is significantly less baggy, and very limited color choices. 2018 everyone is wearing tight fitting clothes and lots of color. By far the biggest variety of clothing choices. 2025 is notably more baggy than 2018, color choices are a bit more limited, but lots of textures.
Hair also seems to have changed significantly from the first two to the second two. A lot more shaved heads and shorter hair in 2004 and 2011, more long hair and in 2018 and 2025.
2004 NBA draft class
2011 NBA draft class
2018 NBA draft class
2025 NBA draft class
…is this like how the BIG MAC is actually an accurate representation of inflation? Is the NBA draft an accurate representation of decades?
Obviously it’s a limited sample of men’s fashion, but yes I think these overall trends of baggyness and hair length are similar to real life in the USA. These are athletes mostly age 19, up to age 21-22. Getting money for the first time in their lives. If you’re familiar with which ones are foreign, they are sometimes the ones that are 10 years behind on the trend.
Literally zero of these kids were rich before the draft. I think it’s fair to say. Each one is in control of their own hairstyle. Each one got to pick what they wore, even if they asked their agent to pick it out.
EDIT: 2018 is also full of bowties. A trend that has come and gone. In 2025 nearly half are wearing a necklace in place of a tie.