Although a reusable water bottle might seem like a mundane everyday necessity, VSCO girls will tell you the opposite. The Gen Z subculture of teenage girls named for a photo filtering app is identified by nineties-era hair scrunchies, puka shell choker necklaces and Hydro Flask water bottles. With environmentally friendly water bottles becoming a status symbol of today’s youth, we decided to deep-dive into the last few decades of reusable bottle trends.
1989- Coleman
Pizza Hut made this one-gallon portable keg popular with its refillable “Relief Pitcher,” which allowed customers to get unlimited Pepsi refills.
1990s- Sports Bottle
These guzzlers with crunchy plastic straws and clean edges didn’t come from a specific brand, but they were everywhere. You probably got one on vacation in Orlando or at a Chiefs game.
1999- Nalgene
Originally popular with backpackers and climbers, the wide-mouthed Nalgene bottles became trendy in the mid-nineties, especially when covered in bumper stickers.
2011- Bobble
This bottle with a built-in filter came in a rainbow of colors and was arguably the first reusable bottle viewed as fashionable — it was sold at stores like Urban Outfitters and American Apparel.
2012- Camelbak
The Eddy bottle has similar lines to the Hydro Flask, but it comes with the bite valve mouthpiece you find attached to the company’s backpack bladders.
2013- Tervis
There’s a Tervis tumbler for everyone. Knitted patches of sports teams, inspirational quotes and patterns live in the clear double walls of each container.
2016- S’well
Elevated prices for a reusable water bottle made some roll their eyes, but that didn’t stop the S’well trend from happening. The company has collaborated with high-end brands like Lilly Pulitzer and Swarovski.
2017- Yeti
The cooler company’s popular line of insulated cups is heavy-duty and insulated to hold hot and cold drinks.
Now- Hydro Flask
Recognized by the company’s energetic doodle logo, the uber-popular canteens were originally marketed at outdoorsy people but have recently become popular with those who prefer to live a life through a filter (VSCO girls).
