Like It or Not, These Y2K Trends Are Making a Comeback

If there’s one thing I loved, it was my Delia’s graphic long tee and baggy pants (aka, my weekend uniform all year round). The casual celeb version was just slightly fancier—i.e., whatever fringe is happening over on Mandy’s shoulder.

Believe it or not, Delia’s is still around (via Dolls Kill) and you’d better believe graphic tees are an important part of the collection. Shockingly, Ed Hardy tees are also making a comeback, albeit in much cuter form.

SJP, Y2K fashion It girl, shows off that strange combo of “long simple dress plus fancy shoes and casual bag” that was an important part of your life if you went to college in the ’00s. Matching the bag juuust enough to the shoes is the way to make it feel pulled-together instead of haphazard.

From Coach to Marc Jacobs, the “classic” shoulder bag is popping up everywhere. This time, though, it’s a more fun, winking nod to the past, instead of a direct copy of what we used to see.

The little flare on these miniskirts made them sort of like peplum skirts…but without the skirt part. Paris is being very Paris here, but believe it or not this is actually pretty restrained for her vibe (probably because she’s not wearing a crop top at the same time).

Nowadays, the micro skirt trend is usually balanced with an oversized top. You’ll also find slightly longer hemlines (think a tennis skirt vs. a full-on micro mini.

Ciara at the VH1 Save the Music event in 2006 is giving us the perfect example of the vest-as-shirt look (either over a bra top or tee) that was the look in the ’00s. Also, peep the fingerless gloves, people.

Vests have since been around for forever, but the key to emulate this look is to go short, have a lil embellishment (sorry, the chains are extra), and order a size up so you can fit whatever underneath it.

It’s not like the ’90s/’00s “discovered” platforms, per se, it’s just that they basically made every shoe with a huge chunky heel, from flats to the most summery wedges. This includes Jessica Alba’s *sandals but make them super-thick* vibe.

These days, thankfully, our ankles get a little bit of a break (love ya, flatforms) but be on the lookout for huge, colorful heels and ’90s-beloved wooden clogs to be your new everyday shoes.

Ah, yes. The sparkly (and kinda cheap looking?) glitter stapled onto all of our clothes. Trust: there are still a few rhinestones on the floor of your closet. Luckily, J. Lo is showing how to make it look slightly more elevated with a subtle, all-over look instead of punching you in the face with sparkle.

You don’t have to go too far to find rhinestones these days. Bebe is making a big ole comeback if you wanna go ~even more~ subtle and just wear a tee with their classic glittery logo..

All hail Missy, TBH. This pea green sitch should not work, but the studded decoration everywhere (including on a fun bucket hat to make it feel more casual) absolutely does it for me.

Bucket hats have been around for a minute, but you can jazz yours up by sewing some patches or rhinestones on it (sooo ’00s!) or getting a cute daisy version.

These. Were. Everywhere. Eva Longoria wore a pair of these jeans to the ABC primetime previews—and her skinny pink belt helped emphasize just how low they were.

Back in the day, they were designed to show off your abs (which I have never had), but these days low-rise jeans are a bit more comfy. Pro tip: Grab a belt to keep these jeans in place.

I’m all for a monochrome look, and the reason this doesn’t look totally wild on Mariah here is because she goes for different textures and tones. Even though we know knee-high boots well at this point, that very specific stiletto, pointy toe, and tight through the calf look is right out of 2003.

Ignoring the almost-falling-off bomber, a plain slip dress combined with Matrix-worthy brown boots is actually a pretty badass going-out look.

In the early 2000s, lots of celebs made their red carpet looks more casual with a trucker hat. Good old Gwen here is giving us some fun energy, but please let us never revisit the “visible white underwear” look ever again.

The OTT baseball cap brings some structure and balance to an otherwise feminine outfit. You’ll want something not too dissimilar to Gwen’s actually, but pair it with a dress or oversized Oxford.

A barely-there Jessica McClintock sandal was the shoe pick for prom-goers everywhere. Actually, I gotta hand it to Mandy: Modernize the shoe a lil bit, shorten the hemline, and make the curls a smidge less bouncy, and she could totally pull this off today.

A simple strappy sandal has been around forever, but throw on a little embellishment and a square toe and—boom, you’ve modernized it for this decade.

I find the rest of Britney’s outfit to be…um…intriguing (we really loved a flouncy tunic top back then), she’s totally pulling off that hat! And it’s the more feminine version of the trucker hat if that feels like too much.

Today, you probably wouldn’t go with baby pink (or the wild jean/boot sitch), but stick to the classic black—like this one at Revolve—and it’s the perfect accent.

See what I mean about the mini and crop top combo? (It was sooooo popular.) Fergie has a lot happening here—blazer, belt, leg-warmers, and heels feels like several accessories too far—but the black graphic crop top is straight outta 2022.

Now, you’ve got all the choice in the world, including plain crop top tees and racerback strappy versions to wear with…basically any outfit you can think of. Whenever you’d wear a black tee, swap it out with this.

Head-to-toe tonal is never a bad call, but this level of pink would be challenging for anyone but the master here. J. Lo’s taking a super-challenging item of clothing—a slip dress in a light feminine color—and somehow not making it look twee.

If you don’t want to go full frills, opt for a textural twin set to make it feel more edgy and less baby. Or, pick a knit vest so it doesn’t look too similar to the tone and texture of your skin.

The outerwear in the ’90s/’00s had to be just as intense as the rest of your outfit. Voila: Britney Spears rocked this faux fur jacket when she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. More really is more!

And, yes, fauz fur has been getting better and better, but the key here is to go for a totally ridiculous color that looks wild no matter the season. May we suggest this jacket?

Beyoncé hit the 2000s fashion trifecta during her appearance on MTV’s TRL: low-rise cropped cargo pants with an oversized belt. Bonus points for that wallet chain. You could not have a more Y2K outfit, IMO.

You’ll wanna match your belt to the cut of your jeans: I love an oversized belt with my high-waisted denim, as it accentuates my figure. But, since low-rise is coming back (sigh), you can also choose an option with a cool design.

I don’t miss the way it wrinkles immediately when you sit down, but I don’t totally hate Emma’s floor-length number here. The cut might be a bit dated, sure, but the shine and length are both things we brought into the 21st century with our sexy summer dresses.

In 2024, I’d go for something with straps that cross down the back (or even better, a backless option!!).

Did we all seriously think this was a flattering cut? No surprise, Gwen is wearing everything everywhere all at once, but the longer, baggier version of the jogger is an item we’re seeing everywhere.

Maybe skip the pattern, go monochrome, and drop it to floor-length–but keep the bagginess and and pair it with more structured pieces. I own this Amazon pair, and it’s actually the most comfortable thing in the world.

We’ll get to tracksuits in just a sec, but the whole ironic sunglasses at night was a fave of ’90s/’00s stars. Honestly, J. Lo could be headed to the gym, a party, a brunch, or all three.

Even though the thin ’90s sunglasses are still the rage, a big chunky pair just feels really substantial here. Plus, no matter what you think about sunglasses at night, you can’t deny it’s surprising.

The look was to wear your jeans extra long so that they covered most of your shoe, even dragging on the ground a little behind you. The trend was big with teen actresses, as it allowed them to wear mini dresses while still looking family-friendly.

These days, I wouldn’t necessarily say jeans under dresses is the look (although I’ve been proven wrong before)—it’s more about subtle flared black pants or leggings that complement whatever you’ve got over it. This is one of those “needs tweaks before you can wear it IRL” trends.