The infamous style of the Y2K era

Goodbye 2024, and Welcome Back 2004

By: Gracie Watkins

The infamous style of the Y2K era, both beloved and hated for its low-rise jeans, logo-covered everything, and flashy handbags has overthrown the reign of the 90s. Overt tackiness is totally back in style, including the Ed Hardy tank top that I am currently looking at in my closet.

Why are the 2000s Coming Back?

As a millennial or member of Gen-Z who lived through the early 2000s, you may be asking: why is this style returning?

As our society continues to emerge from the fashion reset of the post-pandemic era, it appears as if we’re craving all-out ostentatious. Traumatic times are typically followed by more conservative, practical fashion choices, but sometimes it is quite the opposite. Take the roaring twenties, for example, as they celebrated the end of the First World War with flapper dresses, pixie haircuts, and feather accessories. Or, the post 9/11 style that saw everything from cheetah print halter tops to rhinestone, well, everything. Carrie Bradshaw and Paris Hilton led the forefront in the art of over accessorizing. It seems as if there is this transformed sense of individuality with more people than ever needing this sense of happiness and lightness.

The resurgence could also be seen as a way of embracing the technological advancements that we see today. The 2000s were a transformation in of itself from the chunky and slow computers and rotary phones of the 90s to mobile phones and online chatting. Teenage girls bedazzled flip phones and started chat rooms with their friends: the first signs of a chronically online society. In the 2020s, we are met with Facetime, TikTok and other social media sites. The Y2K style embraced the digital age as the world knew it back then and now, shows yet another acceptance of a more modern example.

A Trend of Today

Nostalgic reboots typically follow a 20-year trend cycle. Our mothers have saved everything in their closet for this very moment. Baguette bags and low-rise jeans are being dusted off and handed down to further generations. Hashtags of “Y2Kaesthetic” and “VintageY2K” have amassed over 8.7 billion views on Tiktok with videos ranging from thrift-store hauls, sorority recruitment, to any old outfit with low-rise jeans. This reimagined Y2K style is dominating every storefront and runway that we see today.

The resurrected aesthetic has also been stripped of the fatphobia and gender specific roles that those who were alive in the early 2000s will remember. A quick flashback to tabloids and magazines, such as People, reveals the endless scrutiny of female stars for weight gain and the celebration of impossible fad diets. At this time, fashion was only made for one womanly body type: thin. In contrast, in 2024, models and influencers proudly wear these styles in every gender and body type. They celebrate the style, not a specific “look”.

Defining Styles of Today

The Y2K aesthetic is a not-so subtle visual language, with bold key elements. Here are a few of those elements to add to your closet:

Metallic, Glossy, and Sparkly Fabrics

Bold and Saturated Colors