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What is our obsession with Y2K fashion?
Credit: SKIMS
JUICY COUTURE FANS, OUR TIME HAS again COME…
What is our obsession with Y2K fashion?
OW-rise jeans,
Lhalter-neck tops, plenty of beaded jewellery and some coloured-lens sunglasses are the perfect recipe for a 00s throwback outfit.
Also known as Y2K (or year 2000) fashion, the nostalgic resurgence of our favourite cringeworthy trends has been a welcome return for some, but a very questionable one for others.
In fact, according to Stylight, there has been a 65% increase in searches for Y2K since the beginning of 2021.
Gen-Z are continuing to dictate the fashion trends for the year, and their discovery of skorts (skirt and shorts in one) has led to a 62% increase since
May.
Other huge wins for the trend include a 200% increase in searches for low-rise baggy jeans, a 70% increase in searches for crochet crop tops, and controversially, a 72% increase in searches for
Crocs – a surprising new love for the forbidden fruit of the early 2000s.
“As soon as one popular person wears something it has a domino effect,” admits fashion influencer,
Gosia Joanna (@gxsia). “I personally love Y2K fashion as it reminds me of my childhood! I think it’s making a comeback because of the younger Gen-Z who never experienced that era but are much more sustainability-focused, shopping at charity shops which are filled with these items.”
Of course, influencer culture could be partly responsible for the trend, given that our favourite Instagrammers dominate what we wear and how we look. Gone are the days of browsing in stores when we have online boutiques and instant shop buttons at our fingertips. Even new and worldleading fashion brands are now turning their attention away from the 2021 trends in favour of bringing back old classics. With fast fashion still a huge environmental and ethical issue, we’d recommend heading down to your local vintage stores and charity shops where you can find some real gems – that are often one-off pieces. Similarly, online outlets such as Depop are bustling with young sellers specialising in Y2K clothing, which is great if you’re looking for something more specific. Previous style icons such as Victoria Beckham, Cameron Diaz and Paris Hilton serve as just some of the inspiration behind these looks. Diamantes are aplenty and loud, obnoxious colours are actively encouraged in the name of standing out. Once made a mockery of in the press, you’ll find the likes of flowing bohemian skirts and tank tops as part of the official 2021 uniform. So why are we all falling for the trend? And why now of all times? Given that we’ve spent the best part of two years indoors, it seems as though people are turning to nostalgia and childhood memories for comfort. Not to mention, we’ve had plenty of
Monki, £18 time to marathon our favourite chick flicks, which were some of the first to champion these looks.
“Wearing masks over “Obviously throughout the pandemic, our mouths…we had to it has been an anxiety-filled time, where we had no control and were forced to try to find some control, place masks over our face and subjected and the one thing you can to all of these Draconian rules” says Dr. Dawnn Karen, leading Fashion control is your fashion” Psychologist. “We had to try to find some control elsewhere. And the one thing you can control is your fashion. Going back to the 2000s is like a turn of the century. There was a newness and vibrancy that we could all definitely use during this time.” Thankfully, the diet culture of that time hasn’t made a comeback, so for now, we can enjoy the clothes that still Juicy Couture at Zalando £34.99 make us gasp and think “did we really wear that?” while living our best lives. Go ahead and start stocking up on velour tracksuits and raid the back of your closet for your finest Tammy Girl fit, because if this year’s anything to go by, this nostalgic era is far from over.
