The Baby Boomer generation was born from 1946 through 1964 and formed the largest generational group in United States history (they were recently surpassed by the Millenials, those born from 1981 to 1996). The Boomer generation is characterized as focused, disciplined, and has a strong work ethic; people who generally have effective decision-making skills, are highly competitive and are optimists as well as realists. All of these characteristics and more are how Baby Boomers redefined modern living.
To compile this list of how Baby Boomers redefined modern living, 24/7 Tempo consulted several sources, including Encyclopedia.com, BBC, and Ebony Magazine. There are even words and phrases Baby Boomers say that no one else understands.
Shag Carpeting
Shag carpeting is so-called because it has a deep and thick pile which gives it a shaggy appearance. It dominated interior design in the 1960s and 1970s and was something that every self-respecting homeowner aspired to. While it’s true that it can look great and feels lovely to walk on, it has some practical drawbacks. It is notoriously difficult to clean and traps smells which is an even bigger problem if you have pets.
The dirt and odors get stuck in between the long fibers. These days, easy-to-clean surfaces such as vinyl, tiles, and laminate are popular. Carpets made from natural materials such as rattan weave are preferred. Even though retro interior designs are popular, it is unlikely that shag pile will be one of them.
Platform Shoes
Plenty of shorter folks can admit they’d like to be a little taller. Even though platforms are seen as a women’s only style in 2024, everyone was wearing platform shoes decades back. The style could be matched to anything. Some have sparkles, some are all black, some are white. They’re easy to walk in, unlike most shoes that give you an extra few inches of height.
It’s widely known that a few extra inches of height can amplify a person’s level of confidence. Platform shoes did exactly that back in the day – for everyone.
Bellbottom Pants
There was once a time when the baggier the clothes were, the more stylish they were. Bellbottom pants are in the middle of this trend. The top of the pants looks tight, just like how they do in 2024. However, once you get to the bottom, they open up. It feels like the pants were designed to hide shoes.
These pants come in jeans or business style, and it was common to see them almost anywhere you went back in the day. Because of how important the tightness of pants is in 2024, they won’t be making a comeback anytime soon.
Denim Pieces
Denim clothes and baby boomers are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate them. It was during the 1950s that baby boomers began to wear denim trousers as leisurewear. They were the first generation to do so and have been wearing them ever since. Denim is not just confined to trousers (jeans), it is also used for shirts, jackets, coats, and leggings. Boomers can’t get enough of their favorite fabric.
Polyester Shirts
The 1970s was filled with people trying new looks and exploring wardrobe changes. One of the most popular styles to wear was the polyester shirt. These shirts were made to be comfortable, while also showing off personality. The bright colors made these shirts pop and stand out.
In 2024, the shirts were used as a Halloween costume for a vintage look. Different sports teams and bars frequently have retro nights where polyester shirts are common. Now people prefer fabrics like cotton or cotton/polyester blends.
Leisure Suits
Wearing a suit often gives you the confidence you wouldn’t have if you wore something else. Unlike business suits, leisure suits were designed with the idea of style, but not a professional look. The button-up shirt that goes under a leisure suit usually is open at the top.
The suit jacket pulls further over on the person’s body who’s wearing it. A lot of these suits are more colorful than most suits as well. This look has been timeless and is still worn by classy folks today.
Beanbag Chairs
There is now a huge range of chairs available to suit your particular interior design style. If you take office chairs alone, for example, there are thousands of designs to choose from. Back in the 1970s, however, boomers liked to keep things simple. When they were at home, they flopped down on a bean bag. These cheap and convenient chairs were all the rage and have been available ever since.
Fondue Parties
Lava Lamps
What’s more old school than a lava lamp waving around? These decorative lamps were seen as a symbol of the future. Television wasn’t huge at this point, meaning lava lamps were one of the first things people could look at for entertainment. The color schemes of each lamp paired easily with the design of different rooms.
The 1960s and ’70s were a time when color started to pop in fashion, home decor, and more. The expansion of color on screen helped inspire more Baby Boomers to create their dream living areas.
Paisley Patterns
Is there anything more retro than a shirt with the same, colorful patterns facing different directions? The paisley pattern on clothing was simply another innovation people were eager to try decades ago. Flowers and different designs were openly accepted and encouraged to be worn by Baby Boomers.
In 2024, the paisley design continues to be a fashion trend Baby Boomers remember. Thanks to the color schemes on each piece of clothing, they can be paired with almost anything.
Mood Rings
Water Beds
Achieving maximum comfort is a great way to practice self-love. However, up until water beds became a thing, it was tough to find the right bed at a reasonable price. Water beds were designed to conform to the way your body lays. There are some dangers to having a water bed.
You can’t keep anything sharp near the bed since there are constant concerns about whether they’ll accidentally pop. Water beds are still around in some places in 2024, but they helped designers come up with different ways to make them safer. Old school water beds Baby Boomers remember have been reworked and remodeled since then.
Mullet Haircut
Trends recognized by Baby Boomers go beyond wardrobe choice. The mullet hairstyle shot up in popularity, thanks to celebrities like Paul McCartney and Billy Ray Cyrus. The theory behind a mullet look was to have the best of both worlds. It’s meant to help men look professional in front-facing settings.
When they turned around, the mullet was long enough to show the fun side of their personalities. In 2024, there are still some people who rock the retro look. However, many men prefer the clean-cut look with hair that looks more organized and put together these days.
Afro Hair Style
That doesn’t mean afros are reserved for African Americans, though. People like Bob Ross also rocked afros back in the day as well, and he’s an artist who charmed Baby Boomers to the extreme. It’s a hairstyle that’s easy to maintain, but it can potentially require a lot of patience to maintain.
Men’s Perms
Perms were a hair styling trend that defined the boomer generation. Every few months, women would sit for hours with curlers and perming lotion in their hair. It was not a comfortable experience but they loved the result so it was worth it. The trend was not limited to women, many men including celebrities and footballers also had permed hair. It is almost impossible to get a perm these days. Instead, we use curling wands or tongs.
Macramé Pot Holders
Making your home look the way you want is one of the most important things in life for some people. One of the best ways to make this happen is by decorating with stunning plants. They bring vibrant color and great aromas and also give people a purpose in taking care of something.
Not everyone can take care of an animal or raise a child, so a plant is a nice thing to settle on. The macrame pot holder was a popular way to hang plants up. The holder needed to be sturdy but also had to be stylish enough for people to want to have it in their homes. They’re still around today, and with plants becoming even more popular, they should stay around for a long time.
Nehru Jackets
Most professionals feel comfortable wearing a nice jacket of some kind. While it might not seem like it, a nice jacket can boost your confidence and cause you to turn around and stare at someone when they walk by you. The Nehru jacket became popular back in the day, due to its uses.
They can be worn in professional and personal settings. Multi-useful clothing staples end up being money-savers. The Nehru jacket was once the perfect thing to buy, and they’re still worn today by Baby Boomers.
Dressing For Air Travel
These days, going to the airport means you’re likely going to wear your most comfortable clothes. Most folks don’t want to bust out anything too nice, since they know they’ll be swarmed with germs. However, back in the day, you would be negatively judged if you weren’t dressed up nicely for flying.
This is because flying on an airplane wasn’t something every person could afford. It was reserved for the super-wealthy. That’s why you’ll see pictures of full meals being served on flights from decades past. The people who flew on planes were well-off, to say the least.
Writing in Cursive
Writing in cursive used to be a right of passage. It felt like learning a new language almost. The cursive writing style was once thought of as incredibly fancy. However, schools have stopped teaching it altogether. Gen-Z doesn’t know how to write in cursive because they never learned. Millennials weren’t forced to use it, so most barely remember how to do it.
Baby Boomers consider writing in cursive as an art. It will be interesting to see if this writing style ever returns to schools at any point. If so, older documents will be read exactly how they were written.
Fuzzy Toilet Seat Covers
Boomers liked to make things look more luxurious and personalize things, including toilets. So, it was not unusual to see a fabric cover for toilet seats in the 1970s and 1980s. However, they are not very hygienic and are not easy to keep clean so they soon fell out of fashion and you hardly ever see them now.
Socks and Sandals
Style has evolved over the years in so many awesome ways. Today, wearing socks and sandals is one of the worst fashion choices anyone could make regarding footwear. But at the time, it was one of the more popular fashions. Sandals were emerging on the scene, but people didn’t want to show off their feet.
Covering them with socks was the perfect middle ground for wearing them. The ease of slipping on shoes, while making sure your feet stay warm and clean, is a huge win. Younger generations prefer hiding their feet, so this Baby Boomer trend is a style that might come back.
Meatloaf
Some of the best sides to include next to meatloaf are salad, potatoes, and mac & cheese. There aren’t a lot of foods that are as beloved and easy to eat as meatloaf. Baby Boomers know and love meatloaf, and they’ve done their best to educate younger generations about it.
Plastic Covering Furniture
Everyone is looking for the easiest and best ways to keep their home and furniture clean. One of the older methods was to cover your furniture in thick plastic. Since plastic covers can be wiped off or replaced, their popularity is understandable. However, buying the amount of plastic you’d need to cover every piece of furniture in your house became expensive.
Plastic doesn’t last the same when washed in a full-fledged washing machine. These days, people prefer spraying their furniture down with stain-resistant solutions.
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