THE Y2K TAKEOVER

The era is back on the runways, on the streets, and in your wardrobes. Why and how have the ’00s returned? We find out

- Sanika Achrekar

Do you ever wish to go back in time to experience a certain style era? Experience the suede of the '70s, try the brown palette of the '80s – time travel to these fashionable times. Cue the comeback of Y2K.

As a kid growing up in the early 'Oos, I used to envy the popular trends worn by people at that time. Be it a Juicy Couture velvet tracksuit set or an embellished halter top, they were properly put together, and never skipped any detail. Most of my generation felt like we're missing out, but fast forward to 2022, and we don't have to anymore.

Imagine this. The year is 2003. Social media has not yet taken over our lives yet, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are scorching our TV screens on The Simple Life, wearing matching velvet tracksuits. Those were truly the simpler times. In general, Y2K fashion gets a bad rap, thanks to its overdoing nature and gaudiness, such as low waist baggy jeans or wearing huge belts with everything. But it's important to remember that it was fun, which is what getting dressed should feel like. Over the past year, thanks to TikTok and the marketing of nostalgia, the return of Y2K fashion trends, the futuristic and tech-loving fashion from the late '90s and early 2000s, is back for a second round. It is a distinctive style that is a blend of pop culture and tech advancements from the millennium, and the nostalgic influences present today. If you have been waiting for the return of metallic clothing, vintage jerseys, chunky rings, pearl necklaces and the one and only bubblegum pink, you are in for a ride.