retro
Fashionably old-school
Retro describes styles, fashions, or aesthetics that imitate or evoke the past, typically the mid-20th century.
Unlike merely old things, retro involves conscious revival or nostalgia: retro furniture, a retro diner, retro video games.
The word often suggests affection for an earlier era's look or feel rather than authentic vintage items.
As a noun, retro is that aesthetic itself: The whole apartment was done in retro.
Quality from past eras
- classicOf lasting excellence
- old-schoolAdhering to past methods
- mid-centuryHalfway through a hundred
- kitschTasteless, garish art
kitschy · analog · vinyl · neon · chrome · pixel · 8-bit · groovy
Quality from past eras
- thriftCareful use of resources
- secondhandHaving had prior ownership
- bell-bottomsFlared-leg trousers
- polyesterSynthetic petroleum-based fabric
tie-dye · paisley · flapper · high-waisted · cat-eye · rockabilly · preppy · mod
Old valued collectible
- vintageQuality from past eras
- memorabiliaCollected items of significance
- ephemeraDisposables preserved as collectibles
- artifactHuman-made historical object
heirloom · collectible · relic · curio · kitsch · tchotchke · bric-a-brac · thrift
Longing for the past
- reminiscenceRecalling past experiences
- memoriesStored past experiences
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
longing · sentimentality · flashback · recollection · bygone · yesteryear · halcyon · reverie
vintage
Quality from past eras
- classicOf lasting excellence
- old-schoolAdhering to past methods
- mid-centuryHalfway through a hundred
kitsch · kitschy · analog · vinyl · neon · chrome · pixel · 8-bit · groovy · mod
vintage
Quality from past eras
- thriftCareful use of resources
- secondhandHaving had prior ownership
- bell-bottomsFlared-leg trousers
polyester · tie-dye · paisley · flapper · high-waisted · cat-eye · rockabilly · preppy · mod · boho
antique
Old valued collectible
- vintageQuality from past eras
- memorabiliaCollected items of significance
- ephemeraDisposables preserved as collectibles
artifact · heirloom · collectible · relic · curio · kitsch · tchotchke · bric-a-brac · thrift · secondhand
nostalgic
Longing for the past
- reminiscenceRecalling past experiences
- memoriesStored past experiences
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
wistfulness · longing · sentimentality · flashback · recollection · bygone · yesteryear · halcyon · reverie · fondness
arcade
Arched passageway or gaming hall
Atari · Nintendo · joystick · cartridge · side-scroller · platformer · chiptune · emulator · console · coin-op
homage
Expression of deep respect
reimagining · remake · reboot · parody · send-up · spoof · imitation · recreation · mashup · sampling
- fashionfashion, clothing, apparel, attire, garment
- art stylesimpressionism, surrealism, cubism, realism, pop art
- fashion termsstyle, fashion week, runway, catwalk, runway shows
- aesthetic stylesminimalism, vintage, bohemian, industrial, rustic
- decor stylesmodern, contemporary, traditional, rustic, bohemian
- design themesminimalism, vintage, futuristic, rustic, gothic
retrofuturistic
Suggestive of times ahead
modern · contemporary · forward-looking · cutting-edge · avant-garde
retrostate-of-the-art
Most technologically advanced available
high-tech · cutting-edge · hi-tech · advanced · modernized
retrocontemporary
Of the present age
modern · trendy · fashionable · newfangled · current
- retro gamingPlaying older video games
- retro toysOld-fashioned children's amusements
- in retrospectConsidering past events now
- retro styleImitation of past aesthetics
- retro vibesPast-era aesthetic atmosphere
- retro designIntentionally dated aesthetics
retrograde, retrospect, retroactive, retrogress, retrospective, retros, retronyms, antiretroviral, retronym