You can finally live out those childhood dreams of dressing like Britney Spears, Lizzie McGuire and Destiny’s Child. According to the 20-year rule, fashion trends come back in style every 20 years. Lucky for us, 2021 is the new 2001. Here are the five trends from the early 2000s that are back and better.
Last year was a chaotic combination of the pandemic, civil unrest and environmental concerns. A change of scenery is long overdue. The world was much different in the 2000s as prerecession attitudes were about excess and showing your wealth with your clothing.
Whenever a society is prospering, the art that comes out during that time reflects that. The 2000s was the first decade most of us knew, home to our childhood memories and nostalgia. Dressing in our old ways will reinvigorate us to once again become those bright-eyed kids waiting to conquer the world. What a better time for that than spring?
- Low-Rise Wide Pants
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Time to pack away your high waist skinny jeans for the next couple of years. In contrast to previous years’ high, restricting waistlines, the low rise communicates the opposite vibe. The effortless look that ruled the early 2000s simply exudes cool.
Celebrities loved pushing the limit of the low rise on red carpets, giving the pants a complex reputation today. Some say the low rise is hard to rock but complementing the pants with a cute baby tee is the perfect formula. Examples can be seen on runways such as Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2001 and Fendi Spring 2021.
- Corsets
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The modern corset’s predecessor laid in underwear trends—everything from the 2015 waist trainer craze to sculpting bodysuits like SKIMS. Last year, corset belts and tops slowly began to fill up Pinterest feeds and Forever 21 racks. Full-fledged corsets are trending now, best worn alone as a statement or over a sheer long sleeve top for extra Y2K vibes. The trend was seen on runways such as Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2000 and Spring 2021, along with Moschino Spring 2021.
- Micro Mini
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The low waistline popular in pants continues to run its course with skirts. Miniskirts have been popular for years, but the additional decrease in the fabric reduces the skirt to a dramatically short length. Look to “Mean Girls” for inspiration on how to style this trend. (I think we all remember the Plastics’ iconic mall outfits). My favorites examples of this trend were this look from Versace Spring 2003 and this look from Miu Miu Spring 2021.
- Tracksuits
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No Y2K squad or singing group was complete without matching tracksuits. The most iconic staple of the 2000s is here to stay. This trend is just as comfy as your favorite pair of quarantine sweatpants but with a fashionable twist on athleisure. The trend was seen slightly earlier than others in 2018 on runways such as iconic label Juicy Couture and Valentino, so it may have a shorter lifespan than the other trends.
- Fun Prints
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Whimsical, funky 2000s inspired prints are everywhere, from Instagram filters to clothing. Spring is the perfect time to play with colorful stripes, watercolor, florals and checkered print; all be predicted to be trending by Who What Wear. On the runways, collections such as Spring 2000 Matthew Williamson and Spring 2021 Christopher John Rogers included the trend.