More than 20 years after the Y2K panic, a cornerstone of the era has arisen once more. Bright, bold colors, low-rise flares, tracksuits and chunky sneakers fill the shelves of popular clothing stores once again. Despite aligning more closely with early 2000s style than its late ’90s predecessor, the “Y2K” aesthetic has made a resurgence in many teen wardrobes.

“As Gen Z gets older, we’re reverting back to nostalgia,” sophomore Natalie Warhmdahl said. “There’s a certain nostalgia in Y2K because a lot of Gen Z kids grew up in the early 2000s. Revisiting the old styles from when we were little, it feels like it’s comforting in a way and it’s cool to draw inspiration from those things.”

Nostalgia content on social media has inspired younger generations to connect with the past. With nearly 60 billion views and three million posts, the TikTok hashtag “Y2K” features influencers flaunting retro outfits and vintage store finds. Many posts romanticize their parents’ fashion in the 2000s, portraying older clothing designs as timeless rather than old-fashioned.

“People are really desperate to reconnect with some sort of history and meaning behind what they choose to wear,” senior Avayna Glass said. “One thing that is good about social media is that Gen Z is really connected to what their parents grew up with. Social media had a really big part in normalizing being comfortable with the fact that it’s okay to reconnect with your past because a lot of kids are really desperate to get as far from their parents as possible.”

Y2K and early 2000s styles offer an alternative to modern apparel, with their signature tight, form-fitting silhouettes, sharply contrasting with today’s looser fitting cuts. For those who do not resonate with mainstream styles, this throwback aesthetic provides a unique path for expression.

Junior Sophie Pellet echoes the idea of how Y2K fashion better aligns with her self-expression.

“Baggy clothing is the thing now, but I’m not really into that,” Sophie said. “A person like me might be more inclined to look at different eras of clothing styles that might suit their personal preferences better. Personal preferences, nostalgia and old celebrities like Britney Spears play a role too.”

Especially in reaction to the rapid takeover of fast fashion brands, many have turned towards second-hand stores to reduce their environmental impact. The majority of clothes that end up on thrift store racks are from previous generations like the late ‘90s and early 2000s. With the newfound emphasis on increasing sustainability, newer generations have more exposure to Y2K fashion, discovering aspects of the style that speak to them.

The resurgence of Y2K fashion extends beyond aesthetics––it reflects a change in how people approach clothing consumption. Theater teacher Brandi Griffith who grew up in the 2000s witnessed firsthand the decline and revival of Y2K fashion. 

“It started off as this shift towards thrift culture, and that’s where these styles emerged again; then, companies picked up on that and reproduced those styles, so it became part of mainstream fashion,” Griffith said. “Thrift culture is great. I think we should all be reusing clothes and not just relying on fast fashion.”

Avayna, who often shops at thrift stores, noticed how the prevalence of Y2K clothing in second-hand stores impacted her style. Beyond the garments’ designs, Avayna prefers their durability in comparison to many modern brands.

“At any point before the 2010s, fast fashion wasn’t really a thing,” Avayna said. “It was all about designer brands and having your staple closet that you could rely on for years. Because of how fast fashion is getting, you can’t have that same thing, so a lot of people who like teenagers and people who care about fashion’s longevity pull from what used to be.”

While the younger generation draws inspiration from the past, they too leave their own unique footprints in fashion history. Rather than a direct revival, today’s rendition of Y2K style is a curated, modern take on the aesthetic that reflects something entirely new. Rather than relying on mass-produced apparel, many turn towards second-hand shopping to give life to old pieces, keeping the trend cycle moving forward in an eco-friendly fashion.

“I’m sure that in 2035 there’s going to be a new trend where people dress like 2024,” Sophie said. “Trends are always going to happen, especially now with social media and micro trends. We’re definitely going to have new resurrections of specific styles.”