If you search “2000s fashion” or “Y2K fashion” on TikTok, you’ll drum up thousands of videos, some of which mock divisive trends from the time (ahem, pencil-thin eyebrows) while others offer how-to videos for younger people trying to re-create the looks. Early 2000s and Y2K fashion was synonymous with many things — velour tracksuits, trucker hats, Ugg boots and low-rise jeans, to a name a few. Or, think back to the 2000s fashion of Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Gwen Stefani, Destiny’s Child and the Olsen twins.
It’s not an era that people usually associate with great fashion , but it’s decidedly back. Many folks say Gen Z is driving the return of these ’90s and early 2000s trends, but others think there could be something deeper at play. Research says that people cling to nostalgia during times of strife — folks are even more likely to watch nostalgia-inducing movies and shows when they’re feeling low (which could explain why you turn to your comfort shows on a hard day).
This year (and the past few years, for that matter) have certainly been full of some pretty low lows such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a loneliness epidemic throughout the country. So it makes sense that the aughts (the years from 2000 to 2009) and Y2K (the late 1990s) fashion trends, potentially from a time when you were less stressed about the world, are back in the zeitgeist, too. Though it’s easy to look back and shudder at the thought of certain late-’90s and early-2000s trend.
