This article was originally published in Shondaland.

Whether throwing it back to the 1930s or following suit with the ’60s, embracing the fashion, food, and lifestyle of past decades is more than just playing dress-up for some.

From evocative scents to decades-old songs, reminiscing can reintroduce us to inner worlds of wonder. In our Shondaland series The Magic of Nostalgia we’re diving into a multitude of joy-sparking practices that involve looking back. Prepare to be transported.


Everyone loves a good ’70s-themed party, a television show that transports them back to Victorian times, or finding the perfect vintage accessory to complement their home. But for some people, fleeting moments of nostalgia aren’t enough. As the present becomes, well, increasingly untenable, there exists a growing subset of people who are taking their love of the past much further in order to not only find ways to celebrate it in their everyday lives, but also to hearken back to simpler times not overrun with technology, social media, and the 24-hour news cycle.