The 2000s are back in style. Commonly known as the ‘twenty-year rule’ in the fashion industry, it is said that trends cycle back every 20 years. Readers may remember 90s fashion being in vogue these past few years, as baggy pants, chunky sneakers, and puffy hair ties known as ‘scrunchies’ made a comeback. Now, with new generation looking for something to go viral on social media, Y2K fashion is in vogue again.

▲ Olivia Rodrigo Wears Low-Rise Trousers and Brightly-Colored Accessories for a Y2K Look (Photo from Olivia Rodrigo Instagram / Fandom Wiki)

   The term ‘Y2K’ is an abbreviation for the ‘Year 2000’ as the letter K stands for kilo, a unit of 1,000. Y2K fashion means clothing trends popular from the 2000s and is identified by exposed waistlines and vibrant colors. One example is low-rise trousers, or a type of pants that sits on the hips. This style was first created with the launch of fashion designer Alexander McQueen’s controversial but iconic ‘bumster’ trousers (pants that reveal the buttock cleavage) in 1993 and developed fully into a much more mature form in the 2000s. Its comeback in 2021 was stifled by the stubbornness of high-waisted pant lovers, but high fashion brands have since brought it back onto the runway for the spring/summer 2022 collection. Another example is brightly-colored accessories such as plastic hair clips, necklaces, and resin rings. These DIY-like items were considered ‘tacky’ after their initial fad in the early 2000s, but celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo are bringing them back in music videos and paparazzi photos.

   Y2K fashion has already been popular on social media. The hashtag ‘#Y2Kfashion’ on Instagram and TikTok has more than 1.1 million posts and 700.4 million views, respectively. Markets are also seeing the trend rise as its related sales are increasing. According to the popular clothing shopping app ‘Zigzag’, the number of transactions for Y2K fashion-related products climbed more than 18 times during January and February of this year as compared to the same time last year. The search volume also surged 61 times (6043%) over the same period.

▲ Heat-reactive clothes gained popularity through TikTok. (Photo from TikTok)

   With fashion trends circulating, many people are quick to assume that it is only for commercial reasons. However, Y2K fashion holds special meaning within different generations. First, the resurgence of Y2K begins with Generation Z, those born from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. They have grown with the development of the Internet and social media, both of which had a massive impact on the fashion industry. Generation Z, who are naturally curious about things from the past that they indirectly experience in the social media world, reinterprets fashion trends to upload photos on social media contributing to the trend revival. These uploads also generate interest in ‘new things.’ One example is heat-reactive clothes that were sold in large quantities through a fad on TikTok. These clothes, popular in the early 90s, grabbed the eye of the new generation and now have more than 900,000 views with the hashtag ‘#heatreactive.’ The perspective of accepting past trends as new, not old, continues to re-populate fashion.

   Second, Millennials, those born from the early 1980s to the early 1990s, continue to bring fashion back. Unlike Generation Z, Millennials have a strong sense of nostalgia. Those who experienced the Y2K era have now become designers and re-created clothes that were popular at the time. For example, iron-rimmed glasses, commonly identified with school days in the past, are now used as a unique fashion item. Moreover, the mindset of challenging fashion ideas that have not been tried in the past can cause a resurgence of fashion. In addition, modern society, which respects diversity according to one’s clothing preference and body type, also affects the re-proliferation of fashion.

   To understand the revival of fashion trends from an expert’s point of view, the Dankook Herald (DKH) interviewed designer Kim Ji-hyun, current women's clothing brand designer and fashion academy instructor. “The resurgence of fashion results from limitations of design ideas,” she said when asked about the ‘twenty-year rule.’ In other words, due to fashion's long history of several thousand years, almost all designs have already been made, and nothing is truly original. There are similarities between ancient Roman tunics and skirts of modern times. She added that a design that is considered ‘novel’ only comes out as a combination of imitation or as a footnote of the original design. Retro marketing - like the resurgence of 90s or Y2K fashion trends - is bound to happen again and as there have already been countless times when retro fashion made a comeback in the fashion industry. Kim was quick to point out that "Y2K fashion does not bring the fashion of the past back as it is, but rather the design that has been brought in with its color and personality aligns with the current trends of Millennials and Generation Z.”

   The re-proliferation of fashion is not just a repetitive flow of time, but a phenomenon driven by several psychological factors and the spread of modern technology. If we live in accordance with trends, the flow of fashion will never stop. Therefore, clothes in style now or even items considered ordinary can resurface again someday in the future, just as this Y2K fashion has done. Perhaps it is a blessing to get to interpret things from the past while evolving with the help of the revival of old fashion.