NEW YORK, June 20 — They are between 20 and 30 years old. They grew up in the 2000s, but have relatively few memories of that time. And yet, Get Zers seem obsessed with updating the aesthetics of that Y2K decade. Being cool in the early 2020s is all about embracing the fashion and pop culture of that much idealised era.

Since the pandemic, Generation Z (people born between 1995 and 2010) has nurtured a fascination for a specific decade, the 2000s. On TikTok, the "Y2K” hashtag has racked up some five billion views and counting. On Instagram, numerous accounts specialise in the subject. Among the most followed are boshbabexoxo (153,000 followers), velvetcoke (1.7 million followers), 2000beachbunny (254,000 followers). The resurgence of the 2000s is mixing with current pop culture, and the decade’s aesthetic is permeating everything from fashion and music to television, and especially TV series.

Y2K recycling

From low-rise pants and baggy pants to crop tops, wedges, ultra-colourful prints and tube tops, these signature pieces of the Y2K aesthetic are no longer so rare in Gen Z wardrobes. Worn at the time by Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton and Jennifer Lopez — icons who are still adored today — these garments are enjoying a new lease on life thanks to this nostalgic and eco-conscious generation. In fact, this phenomenon is largely aided by the rise of second-hand, thrift store and vintage shopping. In the United States, members of Gen Z bought around 1.4 billion items of second-hand clothing in 2022, an increase of 40 per cent in one year, according to the latest report from ThredUp. Two in five items in their closets are second-hand. And more than eight in ten Gen Z Americans (83 per cent) have bought, or are open to the idea of buying, a garment that has already previously been owned by someone else.

This return to the past has revived cult brands from the 2000s, such as Von Dutch, Juicy Couture, Miss Sixty and Ed Hardy. It has also brought back a craving for rhinestones and sequins, butterflies and ultra-bright colours, two-tone hair, spiky buns, butterfly haircuts, Afro beaded braids and French braids. Gen Zers opt for the glamour, exuberance and audacity of this decade — a festive style that their era seems to lack — all with the help of today’s influencers and stars, such as singers Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo, plus Bella Hadid or Hailey Bieber.

A comforting effect

Far from simply copying the Y2K look, Gen Zers are nostalgically immersed in the music, technology and television of those years, in their own way. This generation is (re)discovering much of the era’s leading entertainment offer. Take last year’s Rom-Com Core trend, which involved dressing up like the heroines of the romantic comedies of the 2000s. This fuelled the sudden popularity of movies such as 13 Going On 30, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Mean Girls. These movies have become timeless pop culture references for Generation Z, and are regularly cited in content posted on social networks. Gen Zers are also fond of quoting the reality TV show The Simple Life, starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, which paved the way for the reign of the Kardashian family. They have fun taking lines from the show and turning them into social media memes. Plus, they have rediscovered sitcoms from the Disney stable, such as Lizzie McGuire, That’s so Raven or Hannah Montana, starring Miley Cyrus, which many consider to be the golden age of the youth entertainment channel, not to mention the multiple revivals or reboots of shows from those years (Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, Charmed, etc.).

Speaking to the Canadian website, La Presse, Emmanuelle Fantin, a professor and researcher at Sorbonne Université in Paris, says that research shows that watching a childhood TV show can have a calming effect, and make us feel better. To explain Gen Z’s fascination with the 2000s, many specialists cite the "nowstalgia” effect. These young people idealise a past they barely knew. This effect is not unique to this generation, but a society in crisis generally gives rise to an even greater sense of nostalgia. And in this respect, Gen Zs feel that they are living out their youth against a backdrop of health, economic and environmental crises. For them, the 2000s seem to be synonymous with exuberance, parties and optimism, far removed from the anxiety and gloom of the 2020s. But if they idealise this view of the past, they are — knowingly or unknowingly — taking only the best from that decade. After all, the 2000s were also the decade of the 9/11 attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global financial crisis and the Tsunami in South-east Asia. — ETX Studio