For Y2K fashion at its finest, look no further than the mini skirts, velour tracksuits and baguette bags sported by Regina George in the movie “Mean Girls” or Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde.”
These iconic early 2000 films are windows back into the Y2K aesthetic, a candy-colored, playful logomania-led style that reigned from the late 90s to the mid-2000s. Two decades after its birth, the Y2K style trend — in all its bedazzled glory — is making a comeback.
What Is Y2K Fashion?
Born in an era of extravagance and pop culture worship, Y2K — or year 2000 — fashion is loud and over-the-top. Led by style icons like Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, the trend is characterized by baby doll tees, cardigans, front-tie shirts, low-rise pants, wide-leg denim, and hot pink everything.
Now that we’ve answered the burning question, “what is Y2K fashion?”, let’s discuss its decline and triumphant modern-day return. Y2K fashion was essentially dispelled in the early 2010s when the industry embraced a more minimalist aesthetic in a pushback against consumer culture and excessive advertising. But around 2020 or so, the Y2K trend began to resurface as millennials started revisiting the nostalgic styles of their youth and younger generations began looking for opportunities to repurpose vintage pieces from the era.
Happily, the nostalgia-driven comeback has a few modern updates, ditching the fixation on skinniness and consumerism while embracing inclusivity, individuality and more sustainable manufacturing practices. The movement is getting a fresh spin from celebs like Rico Nasty, Saweetie and BTS, and on shows like “Euphoria.”
Iconic Y2K Clothing Stores + Brands
The return of 2000s fashion has brought back some familiar faces — as well as plenty of new Y2K-inspired players. Here are the Y2K clothing stores leading the 2022 revival:
1. Juicy Couture
If there is one outfit that epitomized Y2K style, it was Juicy Couture’s velour tracksuit. Originally championed by celebs like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, these cozy-but-sexy Y2K outfits are reemerging on Gen Zers who weren’t old enough to remember its heyday.
Following a decline in sales after the 2008 recession, Juicy Couture — now owned by Authentic Brands Group — is getting a second life through collaborations with brands like Ganni and on vintage sites like DePop and Poshmark. The brand has tapped into the heritage of the beloved velour tracksuit, recreating the two-piece ensemble with a sustainable twist. This time around, the timeless Y2K outfits are made from certified organic and pre-consumer recycled cotton and polyester.
2. True Religion
In the early 2000s, True Religion was arguably one of the hippest denim brands around. Fergie even immortalized the Y2K jeans in the Black Eyed Peas song, “My Humps”: “Whether I ain’t askin’/ They say they love mah ass in/ Seven jeans/ True religion.”
As rapidly as True Religion rose to fame, however, it fell. In 2013, the brand was purchased by TowerBrook Capital. By 2017, the brand had filed for bankruptcy. But in 2020, True Religion made an impressive bounceback, largely thanks to a collaboration with streetwear brand Supreme.
True Religion’s new Y2K jeans line features recognizable features like contrast stitching, horseshoe pockets and logos, but with Supreme updates like pink mineral washes and camo prints. In addition to Supreme, True Religion partnered with a number of smaller names — like designer Madeline Kraemer and choreographer Kida the Great. The brand has also drafted supermodel Bella Hadid as the face of the brand and debuted a collaboration with UK football team Manchester United.
Like Juicy Couture, True Religion is trying to minimize its environmental impact, drafting criteria for factory partners in Mexico, China, Vietnam and India to ensure fair labor and sustainable practices.
3. Ed Hardy
Ed Hardy, a brand known for its trucker hats and graphic tees, is another one of the Y2K clothing stores enjoying a 2022 revival. Drawing old and new fans alike, the fashion label is emblazoning new products with the original tattoo-inspired artwork from the late Don Ed Hardy.
Urban Outfitters was one of the first stores to restock the nostalgic brand. Influencers followed suit, with the likes of Bella Hadid, Addison Rae and Niki DeMar sporting new and vintage Ed Hardy threads.
4. Naked Wolfe
Launched in 2017, Naked Wolfe isn’t an original Y2K clothing store — but their highly sought-after platform shoes have a distinctly Y2K Bratz Doll vibe. Their stacked flatform shoes, boots and sneakers have been spotted on stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Granda and Bella Hadid.
The bad news is that these A-list-approved Y2K shoes are pretty expensive. The good news is there are also plenty of Naked Wolfe dupes that are still reasonably priced and unreasonably cool. We’ve included both original styles and dupes of the Y2K shoes below.
5. Von Dutch
Von Dutch trucker hats were on all the cool kids in the early 2000s but disappeared circa 2003. Fast-forward to 2022, and the Y2K headgear is back. Trucker hats have been sighted all over TikTok and on stars like — you guessed it — Bella Hadid, as well as Rihanna and Gwen Stefani.
Capitalizing on the resurgence, Von Dutch has reissued many of its Y2K original styles. In addition to its emblematic trucker hats, the brand is offering its signature bowling bags and tees.
The post Y2K Fashion Brands To Take You Back in Time appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
