It’s Official: We Need The Early 2000s Back ASAP

It’s hard not to be drawn to the glamour of the 2000s. Growing up, the fabulous life of fashion and parties felt like our promised adulthood. Popular animated shows like Winx Club and Monster High drew heavily from the fashion trends of the time, whilst Disney Channel shows established the prime teen experience. Although decades ago, the nostalgia of the 2000s remains prominent today, thanks to the digital age, expanding and immortalizing the Y2K essence. 

What do you think of when you’re reminded of the 2000s? Personally, the era was defined by fashion. Instead of the fast fashion and microtrends we see today, the market was in high demand for brightly coloured velour tracksuits and truly low-rise jeans. 

Iconic brands like Juicy Couture and Hollister were dominant, and on the other end of the spectrum, high-end labels were releasing their most coveted collections yet. Clothes were crafted from purer blends, and styles were chic and expressive. Today, these same pieces (often thrifted) are resold as “curated and vintage” for as high as 300% of their original price. In response, brands are rolling out “heritage collections” – modern renditions of the 2000s favourites, but it seems that the difference is still too stark. Brands aren’t quite hitting the same fitted cut and material blend that we love. 

Fuelling a golden age of fashion, celebrity culture was at its all-time high. Hotel heiress Paris Hilton was among the first to bring the idea of being an influencer into the mainstream market, a realm previously kept in the underground corners of the internet (e.g. MySpace). Million-dollar lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret invested heavily in its Angels, models like Adriana Lima garnered global attention for their flirtatious charm and sex appeal. Hollywood actresses like Jessica Alba and Megan Fox were every boy’s crush. These ‘it-girls’ remain revered today through TikTok edits and Pinterest boards. 

In conjunction, music held an edge. Perhaps most notable were hits emerging from African American artists, where energetic tracks found their way to stereos, radio stations, and clubs. It’s rare to find a 2000s Spotify playlist without artists like Ne-Yo, Timbaland and Pharrell. 

What’s more, the films released were pure cinematic brilliance. Many acclaimed films were released in the 2000s, ranging from swoon-worthy romcoms to action-packed thrillers. 

There’s just something about movies from the 2000s. Full of cheek and warmth, they’ve become the ultimate comfort films for everyone. Compared to films today, the vivid colour grading effects and impeccable wardrobe choices seem to be lost in a world of minimalism. We now see scripts and direction that try too hard to appeal to the younger generation, losing the charm and play we saw in the 2000s. 

But not all hope is lost. Hollywood is reviving’ the good old days’ with sequels and remakes of a few Y2K classics like The Devil Wears Prada. 

But then again, will they ever hit like the originals do? Will we ever truly revive the 2000s? It’s hard to say. 

One thing’s for certain: we crave a simpler time, where everything appears more vibrant, distinct, and visually pleasing. At the heart of it all was human creativity and warmth— something we can imitate, but never quite recreate. 

• 2000s
• 2000s aesthetic
• early 2000s