Style

HOW Y2K STYLE IS REINVENTING ITSELF IN OUR WARDROBE

By Alexia Lam | May 16, 2022

Screenshot from the movie “Legally Blonde” released in 2001

You've surely noticed that for a few months already, Y2K (or 2000s) fashion is everywhere. Brought back in style by pop culture and Gen Z, the trend is at once mocked and adored. We're here to decode the phenomenon.

THE RENAISSANCE OF A TREND

Style is constantly evolving. The proof: You thought your rhinestone top and hiphugger days were behind you, but that was without taking into account Gen Z's growing interest in this particular 2000s look. The hashtag #y2kfashion on TikTok can attest to the trend's return, counting over 442 million views. In the videos, we see young and adolescent women proudly wearing pieces that remind us of Clueless and Legally Blonde, of the time when Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Destiny's Child were at the top of the charts.

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While many would qualify this style as outdated, many designers are dreaming up collections inspired by it. On the catwalk, we noticed the audacious collection designed by Glenn Martens for Diesel, including, among other pieces, micro bras, miniskirts and jeans in washed and distressed denim. Also seen: the most recent and very sexy line from French designer Ludovic de Saint-Sernin, with knotted tops and cargo trousers. Moschino, in its own style, released a range of patterned t-shirts, colourful trainers, as well as one- and two-piece swimsuits with the famous logo. All ideal items for bringing a little attitude to your wardrobe.

TOWARDS A NEW DEFINITION OF THE STYLE?

Nevertheless, while some may see the return of this trend as an expression of nostalgia, it can also be seen as a re-appropriation of the look by Generation Z. Basically, at the start of the 2000s, most Gen Zers were still quite young. It's thanks to social networks and pop culture, notably the series “Euphoria” and Maddy's iconic wardrobe, composed of short dresses, tight cycling short, healed mules and mini bags that they've been able to discover this “new” look. The look was quickly adopted and is now the subject of much fun and many fashion and beauty tutorials. The icons of Y2K style according to Gen Z? Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo.

And contrary to the trend's origins at the start of the century, which glamorised slim bodies, the 2022 version of the trend is modern, aimed more at inclusivity and body positivity. In this way, bodies that were previously excluded can now enjoy the trend. By owning the look across a diverse range of body types, people are breathing a breath of fresh into Y2K style, allowing us, hopefully, to change and broaden representation. Ultimately, what makes this new incarnation of 2000s style so attractive is not any specific body type, but rather the notion of experimentation with which it plays.