Nostalgia Is Rewinding Fashion in the Best Way
Picture this: a Blockbuster plastic case in your hand, popcorn butter on your hoodie, and static from a rented VHS copy of The Craft buzzing on the screen. Welcome to Video Store Nostalgia — Fall 2025’s most playfully analog trend. It’s scrappy, it’s glitchy, it’s late fees and glow-in-the-dark posters. And it’s making a serious comeback in fashion.
What Is Video Store Nostalgia?
This trend is a tribute to the tactile weirdness of the pre-streaming era — warped VHS tape graphics, lo-fi screen burn, vintage movie posters, and pixelated arcade aesthetics. It's not about being polished. It's about the grime of a 1992 rental shop floor. Think:
Faded movie tees
Analog glitch effects
Worn-in graphic sweats
Bright-on-black color palettes
Popcorn-and-Pizza-Saturday-night energy
Fashion-wise, this shows up in boxy retro T-shirts, static print hoodies, old-school fonts, and glitchcore palettes. Culturally, it pulls from Stranger Things, Scott Pilgrim, and every Gen Z creator cosplaying a ‘90s mallrat on TikTok.
🎥 Hot on TikTok: Search #vintagemoviestore and you’ll find creators like @mattplantok and @ericanorth styling thrifted VHS merch with slouchy jeans and Walkmans.
🛍️ Shop the Drop: Cordsmiff’s VHS Capsule
We’re rewinding time with five brand-new designs that capture that lo-fi magic. Perfect for movie nights, arcade hangs, or just vibing like it’s 1995.
🧥 Retro TV Hoodie – Premium heavyweight fleece meets VHS screen static. Bold, glitchy, and built for late-night rewatches.
📺 “Paused” Tee – A frozen screen moment with lo-fi edge. You are the tape.
🕹️ “Game Over” Muscle Tank – Arcade burnout meets ‘90s gym rat. Wear it like you just beat level 99.
📼 “Friday Night Tape Drop” Crop Tee – Remember when Friday night meant tapes and takeout? Now it means this crop top.
🎞️ Cordsmiff Video Club Oversized Tee – Join the club. This one’s giving sticker-riddled VHS cases and mall goth energy.
How to Style It IRL
🛹 This trend loves a little chaos. Layer your video store tee with:
A thrifted windbreaker or oversized hoodie
Baggy light-wash jeans or cargo mini skirts
Retro sneakers (Reebok, Adidas Samba, or any old-school skate shoe)
Disposable camera around your neck, obviously
👟 Spotted on IG: Influencer @lucyandthefilm pairs her Hacker Club tee with red-tinted sunglasses and a Walkman clipped to her belt.
Where Else We’re Seeing It
🧷 Urban Outfitters – Their “Found Footage” tee line is full of grainy screenshots and faux movie logos.
🛍️ Dolls Kill – Serving glitchy graphics and VHS font crop tops in spades.
🎮 UNIF – Nostalgic, chaotic energy with neon-on-black color schemes.
🧢 Depop + eBay – Search “VHS tee” or “Y2K movie shirt” and you’ll fall down a glorious rabbit hole.
📺 Hot Topic – Yes, they’re having a moment again. Think Buffy, The Lost Boys, and Daria reprints.
Reel It In: This Isn’t Just About the Shirt
What makes Video Store Nostalgia feel so relevant in 2025 is the broader cultural craving for something real. The grit. The jank. The joy of flipping through plastic cases in a weird-smelling corner store. This trend isn’t ironic — it’s affectionate.
And if you ask us, we could all use a little more rewind energy this fall.
TL;DR – Your Fall Fit Checklist:
✅ Graphic tee that looks like a video store promo
✅ Fuzzy hoodie or thrifted windbreaker
✅ Baggy pants or cargo skirt
✅ Scrunchie, Walkman, or anything analog
✅ A whole lotta attitude
🎬 Follow Cordsmiff on Facebook, Instagram, and X @cordsmiff for retro style inspo, behind-the-scenes drops, and all things VHS-core. Shop the full collection now on Etsy — no rewind required.
