Here’s an unpopular opinion: It’s not creativity that drives fashion but the notion of nostalgia that propels trends these days. Baggy cargo pants, spaghetti-strap tops, micro sunglasses, beaded necklaces, flip phones and hair clips are just some of the emblems from the 2000s that many have grown up with, which are now circling back in fashion, not just into our wardrobes but on the runway as well. Blame it on the Gen Z generation (born between 1997 and early 2010s) for reviving (the dreaded) low-rise jeans and miniskirts, making them look chicer—whether it’s Dua Lipa showing off her toned abs in a pair of low-rise jeans with a cropped T-shirt, Kylie Jenner wearing a denim midi dress with rivets and buckles or Hailey Bieber with her Matrix-style micro sunglasses. Instagram accounts like @2000sanxiety and @2000s.era, with over 350,000 and 200,000 followers respectively, document the cultural moment of the 2000s—from paparazzi shots of ‘Bennifer’ (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez) before their split to Kim Kardashian with Paris Hilton before the former became a business mogul. We speak to industry experts to understand, if pitted against each other, who wore the cringe-worthy fashion moments of the noughties better: Millennials and Boomers who lived through it or Gen Zers who revived it?
For spring/summer 2022, Blumarine had a sexy take on Y2K trends. Image: Vogue.com
Kylie Jenner's denim midi dress with rivets and buckles is reminiscence of the 2000s with the added sunglasses and a messy top knot. Image: Instagram.com/kyliejenner
Unlike the Millennials, who witnessed the Internet boom, Gen Z grew up with smartphones and quickly adapted to technology and ever-evolving trends. Sartorially speaking, the 2000s saw the rise of tube tops and velvet, embellished sweatpants made popular by Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez. Growing up amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crises, war, and now the looming onset of an economic recession, looking back at simpler times may induce a nostalgic feeling of security and comfort through these trends. What the Millennials may have thought to be “trashy” and “flashy” at the time is made into the “hottest trend” of the season by the Gen Zers.
Daniel Franklin, a stylist, creative director and Millennial, believes that every generation puts its spin on trends from the past. “For Gen Z, it's about personalisation with a heightened emphasis on sexiness. This generation takes more risks when it comes to interpreting Y2K trends. In the 2000s, many of these trends were restricted to celebrities and MTV music videos. But now, Gen Z has adopted them at a massy level,” he says.
The obsession with celebrity culture of the 2000s also gave rise to unlikely “icons,” thanks to the emergence of the paparazzi, as designer and content creator Nitya Arora points out. “Gen Z has revived Y2K trends because, honestly, it was the last era of fashion icons that this generation can probably relate to. It was because of icons like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears that we have the selfie culture, the tabloids and YouTube vlogs for people to document their lives,” says Arora.
Shanaya, Jahnvi and Khushi Kapoor wear an updated version of the iconic party dress worn by Paris Hilton. Image: Instagram.com/khushi05k
YouTube star Emma Chamberlain shows her love for retro with tinted micro sunglasses and beaded jewellery. Image: Instagram.com/emmachamerlain
Ariana Grande recreated Jennifer Garner's iconic dress from the 2004 romcom '13 Going on 30'. Image: Instagram.com/versace
Paparazzi shot of Lindsay Lohan from the 2000s wearing trends that are now revived by Gen Z. Image: Instagram.com/2000sanxiety
Gen Z is also the generation of risk-takers who aren’t afraid to try out new trends season after season, whether playing with balletcore or Barbiecore. “Gen Zers are better at being adventurous with their clothes. They are also more confident. Earlier, only skinny girls would think of wearing boob tubes or low-rise jeans, but now you see Gen Zers of all shapes and sizes wearing these Y2K trends confidently. Even the men of this generation are open to experimenting with their style by wearing beaded necklaces or pearls that were only seen in teen movies of the 2000s,” says Arora.
Model, fashion influencer and content creator Ikisvon Jamang agrees. “Gen Z takes more risks because they’re open to experimenting with trends. Thanks to social media and online shopping, trends are more accessible now, making it easier for Gen Zers to infuse them in their style,” she says.
While Gen Zers are lauded for their experimental sartorial choices, Jamang believes they don’t do justice to the Y2K style and aesthetic. “No offence to Gen Z, but the Y2K generation wore these trends better; that aesthetic hasn’t been reproduced authentically. When we see pictures from the 2000s, that nostalgia hasn't been replicated. We can add our flare to it, but the OG Y2K will always be iconic,” she adds.
With fashion being cyclical, most trends that come and go are recycled to suit our times. The Lyst Index's list of the top products in the first quarter of 2022 reflected fashion’s current obsession with Y2K culture influenced by TikTok trends. The products include “dad shoes” and “ugly shoes” from New Balance, Balenciaga and Uggs, mini skirts from Miu Miu, and knee-length denim boots from Diesel. The second quarter saw a surge in the search for small shoulder bags, parachute trousers and cargo pants.
While most Millennials and Boomers haven't welcomed the revival of butterfly hair clips and bling, Franklin is happy to see it return in a new avatar. “Having lived through the era, this revival excites me—it feels familiar and yet so fresh,” he says. “I honestly love the low-rise jeans and barely-there tops. But more interestingly, I also love to see these trends being adopted into menswear,” adds Franklin.
Ikisvon Jamang in spaghetti strap bodysuit with low rise jeans. Image: Instagram.com/ikisvon
"THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE SHOPPING, TRENDS ARE MORE ACCESSIBLE NOW, MAKING IT EASIER FOR GEN ZERS TO INFUSE THEM IN THEIR STYLE."Ikisvon Jamang
Nitya Arora in Matrix-style sunglasses that were made popular in early 2000s. Image: Instagram.com/nitya.arora
Jamang also favours the revival of low-rise bottoms and shiny accessories. “I don't particularly care for dresses over denim—it should have never made a comeback,” she says. Arora, whose favourite Y2K trends are small shoulder bags and mini sunglasses, has a love-hate relationship with low-rise jeans. “It’s a bittersweet memory because I remember trying to carry them off with a spaghetti-strap top, which I thought looked good. But then my body changed, and I wasn’t confident enough to carry it off,” she reveals.
It’s safe to say that the phrase “out of fashion” doesn’t imply anything anymore, as most trends come and go with time. With millennials bringing 90s minimalism and grunge back, and Gen Z reviving Y2K fashion, what trends will we see blow up next? “If we are following the fashion wheel, my money would be on a normcore revival, which is athleisure with a strong focus on the basics,” predicts Franklin. Arora places her bet on the revival of DIYs. “I feel it'll be back in a big way. But I also see looser silhouettes like bell bottoms and A-line dresses coming back, with the 60s and 70s vibe,” she says. Jamang, on the other hand, has a different take. “Every trend is already here and done; a new era comes back every year. Mix and match trends from whichever decade resonates with you, and add your modern spin to it.”