BY Nav Gill
Last Updated
Dec 7, 2022
Pretty much everyone knows that fashion is cyclical, and if you hold onto something long enough, it will eventually come back into style. Usually, these cycles can take tens of years, but Y2K fashion has become a mainstream trend once again, just two short decades after its first appearance.
Most prominent across social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Y2K fashion has been widely embraced by Gen-Z, a generation that were too young to have fully embraced the midriff-baring, butt-skimming ensembles favored at the time. Now, as young adults growing nostalgic for a simpler time, they’re reaching for all the cropped tees, baggy pants, and kitsch accessories their bank accounts can handle.
The era was known for excess, with fashion at the time largely driven by pop culture and ultra-consumerism. Think designer monograms and bedazzled logos on everything, with a daily wardrobe full of pieces that exist in the sartorial limbo of streetwear-meets-glamour. It almost feels like a natural place for us to return to, given the convergence of logomania-led fashion, the crossover between streetwear and luxury, the scarily self-involved nature of social media, and the nostalgia for a simpler time.
Here, we dive headfirst into the Y2K fashion trend to detail everything you need to know about what it is, how it came to be and, more importantly, how you can incorporate it into your closet as a grown adult—without looking like you’re having a mid-life crisis.
More Trends to Try
What Is Y2K Fashion?
While trends in recent years have had a focus on pared-back, minimalist style, Y2K fashion is all about making a statement, and making it louder than anyone else. Technically, Y2K covers the late ’90s and early-to-mid '00s, so for millennials, it captures the energy (and shopping habits) of your childhood and early teens.
This era was undeniably defined by women who ruled pop culture at the time. Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliot, and Paris Hilton are just a few names that spring to mind alongside screen legends Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and Regina George of Mean Girls. As such, it’s their closets that act as the gateway to the best Y2K looks. We’re talking hot pink everything, bedazzled logos, teeny-tiny bags, denim on denim, and yes, Juicy Couture.
Complete Your Noughties ’Fit
Modern-day icons putting a fresh spin on the nostalgia-driven movement include the likes of Rico Nasty, Bella Hadid, Saweetie, and literally every character on Euphoria—check out their social media feeds for your cheat sheet on how to style the looks in a more up-to-date way.
Where to Buy Y2K Fashion
If you’re looking to shop for original pieces from the era, platforms like Depop and Etsy are a treasure chest of inexpensive, authentic clothes and accessories from the last decade. If you’re the patient type, you may want to try your luck on eBay or at thrift stores IRL—you never know what gems you might unearth. Alternatively, for coveted designer emblems of the era, like an original Dior Saddle Bag or Fendi Baguette, resale platforms like Vestiaire Collective or Grailed may be your best bet.
Of course, plenty of high-end designers have put their own contemporary spin on some of the core pieces of Y2K style. Check out the likes of Mytheresa, SSENSE, Browns, and more luxury e-tailers for a curated fix of the coolest designer brands of the moment.
How to Wear Y2K Fashion: Wide-Leg Denim Jeans
When it comes to denim, the early '00s may perhaps be best known for bootcut and low-rise jeans. Or, the ever-polarizing Canadian tuxedo, as made immortal by Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in 2001. Another denim trend that made a statement in the era was ultra-wide-leg jeans. The grungy, skater-inspired silhouette was often given a feminine twist when paired with cropped tank tops, fitted babydoll T-shirts or slinky, ribbed button-ups.
The modern-day take on wide-leg denim may be slightly less extreme, but it still makes a statement. For everyday wear, we’re looking to Frame's Le Palazzo jeans in black or Jean Paul Gaultier's low-slung pair in dark denim. Each of these has a fresh, modern feel and can be styled up or down, depending on the occasion.
How to Wear Y2K Fashion: Ribbed Cardigans
Bedazzled logo T-shirts may have reigned supreme when it comes to casual ’00s looks, but the elevated top option came in the form of soft, ribbed button-ups and cardigans. Worn with the top and bottom buttons undone, the clingy ribbed cardi was frequently paired with baggy denim, mini skirts, or styled over a silk slip dress.
This look still embodies the perfect approach to off-duty style. Pair a cropped cardigan with a matching bralette beneath à la Katie Holmes in KHAITE. Finish the outfit with some dark denim jeans and heeled boots and you have the perfect balance of subtle Y2K fashion references, in an ensemble that’s A-lister-approved.
How to Wear Y2K Fashion: Mini Skirts
Following a big moment in the ’90s (thank you, Alicia Silverstone), mini skirts returned in the '00s as the perfect form-fitting counterpart to cropped tees. Vibrant colors are key here, as is texture, so look out for bright hues that will bring a flash of nostalgia to your outfit, while keeping it elevated by opting for luxe fabrics like leather and wool. To tackle this trend in the colder months, team your mini skirt with a tonal turtleneck and some knee-high boots for a relaxed but elevated look.
How to Wear Y2K Fashion: Matching Sets
It’s impossible to think of Y2K fashion without your imagination immediately conjuring images of velour Juicy Couture track sets, as worn proudly by the undeniable screen queens of the early aughts—Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.If an OG bedazzled Juicy Couture set doesn’t quite fit your aesthetic anymore, you can tap the co-ord trend through a camp collared shirt and skirt set—or a Canadian tux situation.
How to Wear Y2K Fashion: Kitsch Accessories
Playful accessories formed a major part of any respectable ’00s outfit, so naturally, you owe it to your 2023 closet to stock up on nostalgia-inducing pieces that wouldn’t look out of place on The Simple Life.
Whether you’re going all-out ’00s or simply want to inject the smallest hint of noughties fun into an otherwise minimal outfit, these are the kinds of accessories you need on your radar. We love Stella McCartney's bubblegum pink sunnies teamed with Bea Bongiasca's iconic tendril ring. For bracelets that harken back to your youth without foregoing luxury altogether, look to Jia Jia. Or if you want our top tip on the best way to accessorize your Y2K fashion flex (we know you do), pair Emi Jay's claw clip with a Casablanca scrunchie to stake your claim at being the next noughties it-girl.
