Deyaneira Badillo

Resurgence of 2000s Fashion

Let’s say you’re scrolling through social media and come across someone wearing animal print shirts, low-rise jeans, frizzy hair, bizarre color combos, and more things that seem straight out of your parent’s closet from the days when MySpace was still popular and music was heard from CD players or MP3 players. You scroll past it and land on another post similar, and another, what is happening? 

As of 2021, the 2000s aesthetic has been making a comeback starting with the rise in the usage of flared jeans and cartoon-inspired shirts. Normally old trends would come back after around 50 years, but the “Y2K” aesthetic came back in only 20 years after “falling off.” This generation of young adults and teenagers have embraced this comeback due to the thought process that the 2000s were “happier and simpler” times. In an article by Carmen Lopez, she states that this resurgence of Y2K fashion is also a way for fashionistas to recover the sense of fun in fashion after the pandemic. This could also contribute to the argument that the generation has retreated to elements of their childhood wardrobes as stability after the chaos the pandemic brought.

Influencers and celebrities have also been helping the spread of this fashion, making “get ready with me” videos and posting pictures on platforms sporting the trendy outfits. Retailers are stocking their clothing shelves to accommodate the thirst for this trend, an example being Walmart, who launched a “nostalgic summer rewind” tour which included in-store activities feeding the retro theme. Despite stores trying to hop on the trend, most users of Y2K fashion thrift their clothes from places like Goodwill or the outlets of such stores. Thrifting is usually more affordable for the average teen, and you also get authentic vintage stuff from the actual time period.

Another type of fashion from the 2000s that is making a comeback is “scene”. It’s a type of aesthetic that is characterized by bright neon colors, cartoon shirts, and accessories, gravity-defying hair, multiple belts, cheetah and striped hair extensions, and broken stockings. This style has seemingly been revived after the reappearance of the knee-high Converse which hit stores on June 28th of this year. Though not a prominent comeback, it’s back nonetheless, and you may find some “scene kids” while scrolling past your social media.

The Fashion Cycle?

It is said that all fashion repeats at least every 50 years. This theory was made by James Laver in his book “Taste and Fashion.” If the trend doesn’t repeat, then it is referenced in modern fashion trends, for example, the designer Jeanne Lanvin referenced 18th-century romantic aesthetic for a dress in the 1920s. Christian Dior also referred to the 1860s for his collection, “New Look”. These two designers used fashion from the 18th century and the 19th century to show the femininity of those times, with Lanvin showing the femininity of the First World War and Dior showing femininity through the sand clock figure used in the past.

Following these two designers, others began to reference extravagant fashion from the 20th century, starting a paradox in fashion. It’s from this that we see the revival of old trends constantly.

The style of clothes isn’t the only thing that reappears every few years, patterns do their turn too. Spots are a good example of a pattern that comes back often, as it appears in one season but in the next, it is rare to find. Stripes are also a pattern that appears often, but it along with spots are considered “classics”, since from when it became a trend it never completely disappeared and continues to be classics to elegance. 

The cyclical nature of fashion is evident not only in the resurgence of clothing styles but also in the re-emergence of patterns. Designers frequently draw inspiration from earlier centuries, creating a paradox where old trends are constantly revived in new and innovative ways. This phenomenon highlights the enduring influence of historical fashion on modern trends and emphasizes the timelessness of certain patterns and designs.

SOURCES
Current Boutique. (n.d.). Why do fashion trends come back? Current Boutique. https://currentboutique.com/blogs/cravingcurrent/why-do-fashion-trends-come-back?srsltid=AfmBOoq6h3YBr5-eiSdhCos3o038xHk-4gPteoyq2QrWGAeIAG1SKJXt 

L’Officiel Baltic. (2021, July 6). Why are fashion trends returning? L’Officiel Baltic. https://www.lofficielbaltic.com/en/fashion/why-are-fashion-trends-returning 

Michigandaily.com. (2021, April 12). Fashion: Forward or backward? The Michigan Daily. https://www.michigandaily.com/statement/fashion-forward-or-backward/ 

University of Fashion. (2021, June 22). Y2K fashion comes roaring back. University of Fashion. https://www.universityoffashion.com/blog/y2k-fashion-comes-roaring-back/ 

Scrappy Apparel. (n.d.). Y2K fashion. Scrappy Apparel. https://scrappyapparel.com/blog/y2k-fashion/#:~:text=Influencers%20and%20celebrities%20sporting%20Y2K,have%20fueled%20this%20trend’s%20popularity. 

Event Marketer. (2021, July 27). Y2K-themed Walmart Summer Rewind tour. Event Marketer. https://www.eventmarketer.com/article/y2k-themed-walmart-summer-rewind-tour/ 

PopSugar. (2021, May 25). Scene queen beauty trend. PopSugar. https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/scene-queen-beauty-trend-49343126 

Highsnobiety. (2021, September 30). Converse knee-high XXHI relaunch. Highsnobiety. https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/converse-knee-high-xxhi-relaunch/