Y2K fashion is back. Here’s how to sport the trend

Carrie Bradshaw strutting around with a Fendi Baguette in Sex and the City (1998-2004), Britney Spears’ uniform-inspired outfit in the popular music video ‘…Baby One More Time’ (1998), and coming-of-age teen drama shows and movies such as Clueless (1995) and Mean Girls (2004) had two things in common: they defined the Y2K aesthetic, and all of them paint a distinct memory of the of the late ’90s and early 2000s. Even though the era was synonymous with Von Dutch trucker hats, XXL buckles on belts, and platform footwear — it also gave us some of the biggest pop culture moments that influenced the style of millennials. 

Fast forward to GenZers today who have latched on to the Y2K trend and are treating it like their own. With over 16 million views under the hashtag #2000saesthetic on TikTok it is clear that the younglings are loving the throwback aesthetic. 

Nineties nostalgia

One cannot help but wonder what led to the resurgence of this fashion era, especially among GenZers whose understanding of the iconic sitcom characters and musicians does not stretch beyond a few nostalgic reels.

The answer lies in the fact that fashion inherently is cyclical in nature. What was once popular often resurfaces in a reinvented form. Nostalgia has always played a significant role in fashion, and we have often looked back at previous decades for inspiration. After all, there is comfort in familiarity.

In the same vein, when it comes to the resurgence of the Y2K, given the current recessionary trends, they felt a need to revisit simpler times where the influence of digital media was minimal. Dotted with a bold colour palette and unconventional silhouettes and accessories, the era signified vibrancy. “The free-spirited nature of 2000s style gave us style icons like the Olsen twins, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton,” says fashion stylist Surbhi Shukla. “It’s a reminder of a simpler time where we were all mostly dressing for ourselves and the outfits were representative of personal style and not heavily curated looks for everyone else’s viewing pleasure,” she adds.

E-commerce fashion trend forecaster Shivanee Dutt points out, “The Y2K trend allows Gen-Z to express themselves in a fresh way, while being inspired from the past.”

Inching towards Inclusivity?

But the Y2K resurgence does not come without a few, necessary edits. The trend, once guided by glossies and sitcoms that encouraged humour and sass fuelled with fatphobia has now been reclaimed by the respective groups. For a trend that lays emphasis on asserting one’s own individuality and promotes self-expression, inclusivity has become an important part of the conversation. “The return of the early 2000s trends is upsetting for me. As a child who was struggling with an eating disorder at the time, the era which was dominated by micro mini skirts, and hot pants reminds me of the era where I couldn’t fit into any of these clothes,” weighs in body positive content creator Neelaskshi Singh who is popularly known as Plum to Pretty on Instagram. 

The content creator believes one does not need to follow the trend to the T but one could imbibe parts of it and make it their own. “I’ve been able to wear a lot of corsets with parachute cargoes and pants. So, I can have a good mix of loose and fitted clothing which can be styled together.”  

Back to the future

When it comes to reinterpreting style from the era, designers are leaving behind cringe-worthy styles and are veering towards more elevated silhouettes. Take designer Kanika Goyal for instance. “I draw inspiration from iconic pop culture moments and personalities from music and fashion during that era,” she shares. “For example, I might reference the bold and vibrant fashion choices of pop stars like Britney Spears or the futuristic aesthetics of movies like The Matrix. By incorporating elements such as denim cuts, mini skirts, metallic fabrics, and futuristic accessories, I create a modern interpretation of Y2K fashion that resonates with my brand’s aesthetic,” explains Kanika.

Whether this is your first time with the trend or you are someone giving it a go the second time around, here are five key micro trends that are iconic to Y2K aesthetic and worth experimenting with.

Moodbusting colour palette: Tired of normcore and loungewear aesthetic, Y2K styles come in vibrant hues. Sport ensembles in neon and vibrant shades ranging from lime green and hot pink to electric blue and sunny yellow.

For fashion stylist Divyak D’souza, neon is his favourite trend. He believes it is perennial, and one can spot it at an obscure rave party in Goa or on an enthusiastic influencer from New Delhi. What has changed for him though is, “At this moment, if I had to style neon, I wouldn’t be coy or cautious about it. Gone are the days when we would give safe styling tips like, oh, use neon sparingly in injections of colour of a sock or a little purse or a watch.  The way to do neon now is to go big or go home,  like do a head-to-toe fuchsia pink, or even colour blocking. One can incorporate even blues and yellows in neon hues that you colourblock as separates.”

For reference, Divyak points out Valentino’s popular head to toe pink last season and couturier Gaurav Gupta’s head to toe looks in zingy neon lime greens and electric blues at the recently concluded Couture Week.

Midriff-baring movement: Tops cropped and paired with low-rise baggy bottoms and mini skirts that start only under the hip bone seen at the Miu Miu Spring/Summer 22 runway show marked the return of the torso-baring trend from the early 2000s.

“It’s very easy to make a statement with midriff baring clothing. I like to wear low-rise jeans or a low-rise maxi skirt. Case in point, Diesel’s Autumn/Winter 2022 collection featured the “belt skirt” which showed us how one can style a mini low waist skirt. I like pairing my low-rise bottoms with a top that can range from baggy to fitted style,” adds model Subiksha Shivkumar.

Chunky platform shoes: Say hello to platform shoes with chunky soles and bold designs. Taking us down memory lane is footwear designer Jeetinder Sandhu. Vivienne Westwood was one of the early adopters of the mega platform and made this one of her trademark shoes. “The Spice Girls embodied the ‘90s and the platforms which are still a style inspiration today,” says Jeetinder.

Taking inspiration from these icons from the era, Jeeinder in partnership with clothing brand Aroka launched a collection that featured chunky platform designs that are an ode to Y2K style. While reviving the trend the designer made sure that the shoes are not only fashionable but also comfortable. The shoeslook chunky but in reality are lightweight and allow the wearer to use them everyday.

Butterfly hair clips and tops: Butterfly-everything was the go to style in the Y2K era. So, amp up your style with playful back baring butterfly-shaped tops, and accessorise with clips of similar shapes.  

”There are so many ways to incorporate butterfly hair clips to your everyday hairdo. Add them to your open hair all over to get a cascading butterfly look. On your occasional unwashed hair routine days wear them with a braid, a fishtail braid if you want to amp up your look further or even on a lazy girl bun,” says hair and make-up artist Pratiksha Nair.  

According to her, Hillary Duff as Lizzie Mcguire aced the Y2K trend. “I remember glittery butterfly clips being all the rage because of her character on the show. I owned a whole box of it,” she adds.

Baguette bags: Out with the totes and the ludicrously capacious bags and in with baguettes, hot out of the Y2K trend-oven. Carry no more than just your essentials in these small, soft handbags, with short handle-straps.

While the original baguette bag was designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi for her famed namesake Italian brand in 1997, the design evolved during the late Noughties because of its appearance in Sex and the City (1998-2004). As Fendi’s Baguette celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022, high-street brands such as H&M and Zara as well as independent labels launched their own iterations of the design, with shapes resembling a loaf of bread or even a croissant.