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For other uses, see Retro (disambiguation).

Retro is a term used to describe aspects of modern culture which are consciously derivative or imitative of those trends, modes, fashions, or attitudes of the recent past which have or had come to be seen as unfashionable.

Contents

Origin

The word "retro" derives from the Latin prefix retro, meaning "backwards" or "in past times" -- particularly as seen in the words retrograde, implying a movement toward the past instead of a progress toward the future, and retrospective, referring to a nostalgic (or critical) eye toward the past. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.

In the postwar period, it increased in usage with the appearance of the word retrorocket (short for "retrograde rocket", a rocket generating thrust in a direction opposite to that of a spacecraft's orbital motion) used by the American space program in the 1960s. A retrorocket (short for retrograde rocket) is a Rocket engine used to provide Thrust opposing the motion of a Spacecraft, thereby causing it In France, the word rétro, an abbreviation for rétrospectif [1] gained cultural currency with reevaluations of Charles de Gaulle and France’s role in World War II. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The French mode rétro of the 1970s reappraised in film and novels the conduct of French civilians during the Nazi occupation. The term rétro was soon applied to nostalgic French fashions that recalled the same period.

Shortly thereafter it was introduced into English by the fashion and culture press, where it suggests a rather cynical revival of older but relatively recent fashions. (Elizabeth E. Guffey, Retro: The Culture of Revival, pp. 9-22). In Simulacra and Simulation, French theorist Jean Baudrillard describes "retro" as a demythologization of the past, distancing the present from the big ideas that drove the “modern” age (Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation, p. Jean Baudrillard ( July 29, 1929   – March 6, 2007) (ʒɑ̃ bo 43).

Usage

“Retro” can be used to simply mean “old fashioned” or old, functioning much like “timeless” or “classic”. It has also been associated with modernism in the immediate post-war years, encompassing an aesthetic that ranges from tailfins on Cadillacs to ranch houses. Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century For the tail fin of an aircraft see Vertical stabilizer. The tailfin era of Automobile styling encompassed the 1950s Cadillac is a Brand of Luxury vehicles owned by General Motors. Ranch-style houses (also American Ranch, California Ranch, Rambler or Rancher) is an American domestic Architectural style (although Sometimes, it can also suggest an entire outlook on life, for example, social conservatism, home schooling or the embrace of traditional gender roles. Social conservatism is a political or moral ideology that affirms the government's role in encouraging or enforcing traditional values or behaviors in the belief that these are what Homeschooling (also called home education) home learning or homeschool  – is the education of children at home typically by parents or professional A gender role is defined as a set of perceived behavioural norms associated particularly with Males or Females in a given social group or system “Retro” can also be applied to forms of technological obsolescence, for example, manual typewriters, cash registers, bulky hand-held cell phones, or the resurrection of old computer games. A typewriter is a mechanical or Electromechanical device with a set of "keys" that when pressed cause characters to be printed on a medium A cash register is a mechanical or electronic device for calculating and recording sales transactions and an attached Cash drawer for storing Currency. A personal computer Game (also known as a computer game or simply PC game) is a Video game played on a Personal computer, rather But most commonly, “retro” is used to describe objects and attitudes from the recent past that no longer seem “modern. ” It suggests a fundamental shift in the way we relate to the past. Different from more traditional forms of revivalism, “retro” suggests a half ironic, half longing consideration of the recent past. It has been called an “unsentimental nostalgia,” recalling “modern” forms that are no longer current. "Retro" sometimes also refers to the fifties era.

Today it is often used in a positive sense, referring to quirky or attractive products that are no longer available. For example, "Retro fashion" or "Retro Chic" may consist of outdated styles, such as tie-dyed shirts from the 1960s, or poodle skirts from the 1950s. Tie-dye is typically brightly colored patterned Textile or clothing which is made from knit or woven fabric usually Cotton, through a Resist dyeing A love of retro objects (things from the past) is called retrophilia.

Retro often reflects a sensibility aligned with camp. Camp is an ironic attitude, an explicit re-introduction of non-dominant forms.

Retro also can mean a type of music like Hip Hop.

Specific types of retro

Retrogaming

Retrogaming is a pastime which is becoming increasingly popular where individuals play video games on vintage computers or vintage game consoles; although the idea of what constitutes a vintage or retro machine is one open to debate. Retrogaming, also known as classic gaming and old-school gaming, is the Hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Typically most retro gamers are interested in Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and classic Game Boy games and consoles. The Atari 2600 is a Video game console released in October 1977 The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by The is a 16-bit Video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 North America in 1989 and the PAL region in 1990 The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit Video game console that was The is a handheld video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo.

Retro cars

Retro cars are newly designed cars such as the Toyota FJ Cruiser, PT Cruiser, Plymouth Prowler, MINI, Chevrolet HHR, Chevrolet SSR, New Beetle, or 2005-present Ford Mustang that take many of their style cues from (respectively) the Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, Chrysler Airflow, the 1932 Ford, the Austin Mini, Chevrolet Suburban, old Chevrolet pickups, especially the 3100, the VW Beetle, and 1965-70 Ford Mustang without using any of the original technologies. The Toyota FJ Cruiser (FJC is a retro-style Compact SUV produced by Toyota introduced as a concept at the 2003 Chicago Auto Show and in production The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a typically American " Retro "-styled Station wagon or Hatchback built by Chrysler, launched in 2000 as an The Plymouth Prowler is a " Retro "-styled production car built between 1997 and 2002 however no 1998 model was offered Mini (styled as MINI) is a British automotive brand owned by the German BMW Group that has produced a redesign of the traditional Mini The Chevrolet HHR (for Heritage High Roof) is a small Retro -styled compact Station wagon First year sales exceeded 93000 through June 2006 The Chevrolet SSR ( S uper S port R oadster was a retractable hardtop convertible Pickup truck manufactured by Chevrolet between The Volkswagen New Beetle is a small family car introduced by Volkswagen in 1998 drawing heavy inspiration from the design cues of the original Beetle The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon The Toyota FJ40 is the model designation for a Toyota Land Cruiser 40 series made from 1960 until 1984 The Chrysler Airflow was an Automobile produced by the Chrysler Corporation from 1934 to 1937 Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and its successors from 1959 until 2000 The Chevrolet Suburban is a large Sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet. General Motors' first major redesign post-World War II the Advance Design series was billed as a bigger stronger and sleeker design The Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the type 1 and originally called ‘Käfer’ is an Economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon

Retro Fashion

Retro fashion is a clothing style which consists in wearing clothes commonly used in the past. Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather This way of clothing often includes garments and accessories that are characteristic of those times and many people use them in an exaggerated way and in combination with current clothing. Examples are: leather handbags from the 50's, "bell jeans", big sunglasses, funky jackets (commonly Adidas Classics) and shoes, small neckties, sport equipment, etc. Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process In American English, a purse is a small Bag, also called a handbag or a pocketbook. Jeans are Trousers made from Denim. Mainly designed for work, they became popular among Teenagers starting in the 1950s. Sunglasses or sun glasses are a visual aid variously termed Spectacles or Glasses, which feature lenses that are coloured or darkened to prevent strong Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul A jacket is a type of sleeved hip - or Waist -length garment for the upper body WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal The necktie (or tie) is a long piece of cloth worn around the neck resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat

Retro Erotica

Retro erotica is usually photography in the style of pinups or pornography typically dating from the 1970s or earlier. Erotica (from the Greek Eros —"desire" or "curiosa" works of art including literature, photography film sculpture Photography (fә'tɒgrәfi or fә'tɑːgrәfi (from Greek φωτο and γραφία is the process and Art of recording pictures by means of capturing Pinups is an album by Human Drama. A tribute to various artists including Joy Division, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Pink Floyd Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer It ranges from hardcore to non-nude pinup style photography, often featuring lingerie such as girdles, bullet bras and garter belts and hose with hairstyles, makeup and props fashioned after those periods. Lingerie is a term for fashionable and alluring women's Undergarments It derives from the French word linge, "washables" — as in faire le linge This article is about the item of clothing In the Scots language, girdle refers to a cooking griddle. A broadband remote access server (BRAS or BBRAS routes traffic to and from the Digital subscriber line access multiplexers (DSLAM on an Internet service provider 's Garters are articles of Clothing: narrow bands of fabric fastened about the leg used to keep Stockings up Some aficionados distinguish retro (modern photography in an older style) from vintage (actual period photos or film) while others conflate the two as either retro or vintage. There are a number of web sites dedicated to both types.

Retro Sport

A specific and clear example of this trend is the way in which the sport garments from the 70's and 80's are used nowadays. Soccer jackets, jerseys and t-shirts with former logos of the soccer associations are very popular; their designs commonly remember the old days by using lines in the sides and combinations of colours characteristic of those times. An specific case is the 1970 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico. The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup was held in Mexico, from May 31 to June 21. Its logo and font type is used in a variety of retro sport garments. Brands such as Adidas, Puma and Nike have their own divisions specialized in retro products. WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal Nike Inc ('naɪki ( is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. Some soccer, baseball and basketball clubs also have re-edited their former garments to rise their sales.

Retro Music

Retro, during the 1980s, referred to a new genre of music, particularly dance music, popular in the U. S. at the time and originally termed New Wave music which was in part an outgrowth of the Punk rock genre of the late 1970s and early '80s and Psychedelic genre of the late 1960s and 70's. New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s Modern psychedelia For "psychedelics" see Psychedelic drug. Many of the songs and albums termed retro at the time came about during great advancement in the development of generating music electronically (that is, with computers and electronic equipment - or Electronic music - rather than with either traditional or electromechanical instruments) and the popularization of this type of music in the mainstream. Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Ideas as to how broad and inclusive the Retro category of music is vary; nonetheless, not all music - not even all dance music - from the decades of the 1980s were considered Retro music. Now, in fact, retro music is only that of which came out of the retro era. The retro era today is considered the time frame between 1966, the Beatles' release of "Rain" and "Tomorrow Never Knows," and 1977, when California became the final state to outlaw LSD. This psychedelic style of music is still widely listened to today.

Retro Metal

In the mid-2000s, a rise in popularity of hard rock music combining classic rock elements with psychedelia, heavy metal and modern hard rock came to prominence among Generation Y and others, with such bands as Wolfmother, The Sword, Jet and Buckcherry becoming very successful using methods of past bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Beatles and Pink Floyd. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock Classic rock was originally conceived as a Radio station programming format which evolved from the Album oriented rock (AOR format in the early-1980s Psychedelic music is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles genres and scenes that may include Psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, Psychedelic Generation Y, sometimes referred to as " Millennials " or " Echo Boomers " is a cohort of individuals born in possible starting years The Sword is an American Heavy metal band that formed in Austin, Texas in 2003 Jet is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia, whose debut album Get Born, released in 2003 has so far sold over one million copies Buckcherry is a Grammy -nominated Los Angeles California Hard rock band formed in 1995. Led Zeppelin were Black Sabbath are an "The Experience" redirects here For other uses of this term see Experience (disambiguation. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Pink Floyd are While the strength of the "movement" has been argued by some music critics on both sides, "retro" or "heritage metal" has become a common term for trendy hard rock. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ French definition of rétro

External links

Dictionary

retro

-adjective

  1. of, or relating to the past, past times, or the way things were
  2. affecting things past; retroactive, ex post facto

-noun

  1. something, such as a fashion, from the past; a retro trend
  2. a retrorocket
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