From low-rise jeans to juicy couture sweatsuits, Y2K fashion is coming back in style. Although fashion is evolving, many teenagers have decided to take it back in time to one of the most iconic fashion eras – the early 2000s. From TikTok to TV Shows, kids are becoming familiar with these “throwback” fashion trends and want to bring them back into style.
After being apart from others for so long, there was a noticeable fashion change in the halls of WJ at the start of this year. Junior Gigi Relacion has adopted some of the Y2K fashion trends into her own closet, as she likes to wear flare pants, low-rise jeans, and baby tees. “I designed my personal style through Pinterest and noticed Y2K content becoming popular. I wasn’t sure where it came from, but I was excited to try it out. I think kids at WJ enjoy dressing with “Y2K” trends because it spices up casual clothing. For example, instead of wearing leggings, many students now choose to wear flare leggings, making an evident change in WJ’s fashion culture,” Relacion said.
During COVID, many teens found joy in watching television, and the show’s from the early 2000s have also risen in popularity. TV shows like Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, and the O.C. were all created in the early 2000s, but have raised in popularity due to them being easily accessible on streaming platforms. While watching these shows, many people noticed the fashion in the shows and grew to like it.
Junior Ann Arons also discovered she enjoyed this fashion comeback after becoming more familiar with shows for the early 2000s era. “When watching One Tree Hill this past summer I would just admire the outfits of characters like Brooke and Peyton. Once I started seeing more people dress like them and saw the style grow in popularity on TikTok, I decided to give it a try. My low-rise jeans are my absolute favorite pants to wear,” Arons said.
With Y2K becoming popular, many companies have created more opportunities for these clothes to shine. Kim Kardashian has collaborated with Paris Hilton (an early 2000’s fashion icon) to create the company Skims, which features new types of Y2K fashion with more of a modern twist. For example, Skims has taken the infamous Juicy Couture sweatsuits of the early 2000s and created many sweatsuit options that inspire the looks of this fashion era. Fashion is constantly evolving, as no style can completely come back into the style without having some changes or advancements made to it.
Junior Julia Ratner loves to showcase her Y2K style at school, and feels that it has helped WJ create a more welcoming community that embraces however people choose to dress. “ I love wearing early 2000’s outfits to school, and I think more people showing their true fashion sense creates a more welcoming community at WJ. I think that this Y2K comeback will evolve into more than just a throwback as it is inspiring many companies to add more modern touches to an already iconic era of fashion, elevating fashion culture even further,” Ratner said.