The Resurgence of the 2000s Fashion
Understanding why trends recirculate and the implications for society
Written by Francesca Blue, Staff Writer
Balenciaga City Bags, ultra low-rise jeans, Juicy Couture track suits and so much more. 2000s fashion has made a comeback, and it's taking the world by storm. Not only are people joining the trends, but they are also creating new and unique ways to bring them back.
Throwing it back to 2000 to understand what this iconic Y2K fashion looked like would bring to mind Hollywood icons such as Britney Spears, who wore ultra-low-rise True Religion denim or slogan t-shirts. These pieces created a certain essence of experimentation and self-expression that is now returning with great power. These trends were so iconic in the early 2000s that Spears would even wear the looks on red carpets.
The famous twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, also became icons of the early 2000s. They never left the house without a grunge-chic aesthetic. While slouchy bags and huge sunglasses may have been the Olsen twins's attempt to hide from the paps, the look became too iconic and made them even more recognizable.
All of these 2000s icons had a captivating effect on the media during the time, and Sarah Jessica Parker may have been the most compelling of all. Parker was starring in the pop-culture phenomenon, “Sex and the City,” as the lead role of Carrie Bradshaw. She was extremely stylish in the show, with her Manolo Blahniks and a mega collection of rare Fendi Baguettes; she had the closet that every woman in her 20s dreams of. Although it is something from the not-so-distant past, women today admire and strive to be as effortlessly chic as she was, not copying her style but taking inspiration from it. Parker's everyday style, running groceries or doing errands with a showcase of gorgeous accessories and effortlessly fashionable clothes, was just as iconic.
The essence that all of these icons created is now being emulated in 2025 with the resurgence of 2000s fashion. The early naughts were a peak point of self-expression through high-class fashion and powerful ultra-feminism, a theme that is appealing to women today and returning to mainstream media (Jamal, 2023). The 2000s fashion figures popularized the idea of being chic but without trying too hard. It seemed achievable for everyday looks because it was easy to recreate, which is why people today are taking that recreation and making it their own, rocking huge sunglasses, low-rise jeans and Juicy Couture tracksuits with confidence.
In a theory cultivated by James Laver, trends exist on a 20-year cycle, so while the 2020s are taking inspiration from the 2000s, the 2000s were getting inspiration from the 1980s, and so forth (Walshav, 2023). For example, in the 1980s, cheetah print was ultra popular and came back strong in the 2000s. All trends eventually will come back; it's really just a matter of when. But it's not always a copy and paste — rather, it is new takes on past trends. With the uprising of social media and micro-trends, culture, whether fashion or otherwise, can shift so easily. Just last year, people were against the idea of skinny jeans, but now they've started to re-circulate with influencers like Hallie Kate and Alix Earle wearing them. This just goes to show that while trends can be temporary, what's trendy now is the 2000s.
With Y2K fashion hitting social media hard, brands are trying to keep up with the ever-changing cycle of fashion. Miu Miu seems to be doing a particularly good job of not only taking trends and revamping them but also using the allure of their own 2000s heyday by recycling designs and playing on their popularity of past pieces from the era. The brand knows how to appeal to the Gen Z market through social media as well as sponsorships with up-and-coming celebrities. Business Vogue recently noted that, “When Miu Miu experiments with looks from strappy flats (‘balletcore’) to preppy cardigans (‘librarian chic’) to pleated minis (‘corpcore’), consumers parse the looks as trends the brand is evoking and, often, leading” (Schulz, 2024). Their smart marketing capitalizes on both the resurgence of past trends and the power of social media, but most importantly, an understanding of what the consumer wants.
Another brand embracing the Y2K obsession is Jaded London, which appeals to the consumer by offering a more affordable and attainable option. Jaded London has been able to encapsulate the 2000s grunge chic with an extra edge by using leather, low-rise, and fur. Jaded London has dropped many collections with the 2000s essence, and that is a big reason they have received so much traction over the last five years. So much so that celebrities like Bella Hadid, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have been spotted repping the brand.
There are numerous ways to capture the essence of the 2000s, and social media plays a significant role in that. Not only is fashion trending, but the culture is making a comeback as well. The 2000s were a time of fashion, fun and experimentation with what personal style can look like — it was overstated and unapologetic, which is why it's coming back with such force. In a world of AI slop, people crave originality and self-expression, both of which are offered by the loose framework of 2000s fashion, which can be reworked in almost any way to fit the needs of an individual. Trends never fully die, so it's only a matter of time until people decide that what was trending five years ago, like ripped jeans, is a more interesting form of visual expression. At least for now, it looks like Y2K is here to stay.
References
Jamal, F. S. (2024). Fashion and physical beauty as means of empowerment: A feminist study of Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada and Julie Murphy’s If the Shoe Fits.
Walshav. (2023). Is the 20-year fashion cycle still relevant? Medium.
Schulz, M. (2024). Lessons from Miu Miu’s hot streak. Vogue.