Comeback of the 2000s: Regression or Reflection?

By: Maeve Moynihan, Staff Writer Edited by: Rezi Ubogu

Fashion trends vary across many different themes, times, and even years, and 2025 has recently rebranded itself as the 2000s with the comeback of Y2K (year 2000) fashion. From the increased use of mesh and sequins in outfits to the resurgence of low-rise jeans, 2000s fashion is not only inspiring recent trends but also consuming them. As Depop vintage sellers become more popular, and the “Y2K” theme is morphing into a basic staple, the question here is whether we are regressing backward in fashion trends, or reflecting on nostalgic fashion through modeling the past.

Every year, fashion trends revolve around a different style, the “it” pieces that create the finished looks. The fashion world is always using inspiration from within itself, deciding what is even considered trendy or stylish. Many times, trends from a couple of years or even decades ago will be reintroduced to modern-day shopping carts. From party themes to clothing categories, Y2K is more than just a trend. The comeback of low-rise jeans started the epidemic, quickly paired with ballet flats and kitten heels, and sewn together with 2000s belt brands. “Bohemian” style was also born, combining vintage style with new, designer items. The fashion voice of the 2000s spoke with creativity and fun, inspiring “freeness” with styling.

Major Y2K fashion hotspots are on secondhand apps like Poshmark and Depop, where users can sell their used or unwanted clothing to other interested consumers. In particular, Depop has grabbed the attention of younger generations, especially Gen Z. It serves as a way for them to model their own style off previous generations for reasonable prices, expressing Gen Z’s nostalgia for millennial fashion. These apps serve more than just as sources of consumerism with clothing, but also as ongoing closet sales showcasing both past and current trends. As sellers continue growing out of their clothes and younger style, past fashion becomes “new,” contributing to the rise and popularity of Y2K’s return. 

Looking at it from a college perspective, added accessories or “bling” have gained a huge following in school style, bringing back staples like belts, straps, sparkles, and layering. Nostalgia can play a big role in expression, seeing as generations today are basing their sense of style on the fashion exposure they consumed when they were young, bringing back those clothing comforts and turning them into current staples. In a way, it's a form of flattery to the preceding centuries and ideas, integrating past lookbooks into the current one. Katie Finnegan, a sophomore design major at Syracuse University, believes that when done correctly, “mixing different generations softly is the best way to do it.”   

However, the resurgence of the 2000s raises questions about fashion’s cycles. Is the fashion world running out of new ideas? How can any progress be made when looks are repeating themselves rather than creating new ones? The return of Y2K fashion, as fun as it may seem, also has its drawbacks. Fashion trends tend to follow a 20-year cycle, explaining why Y2K has made such a successful comeback. Re-using trends to the point of extinction and regression is a game the fashion world plays with bringing back these trends, which Katie Finnegan harps on, arguing, “I think it is iconic, but at times can be taken too far, to where trends die or become ugly.” So, when is it time for the cycle to hit the racks?       

With fashion trends and past looks being mirrored in today's closets, it serves as an opportunity for reflection to integrate not just preceding trends, but a sense of lifestyle, ultimately integrating a sense of growth along with it. Mirroring the past is not so much about copying past fashion, but producing an enhanced, reflected version. Y2K fashion, integrated with fashion today, pairs the fun, creative 2000s atmosphere with the minimalist, clean aesthetic that has taken over current generations’ mood boards. Noticing these drawbacks is crucial because it leaves room for the cycle to grow from those mistakes, leaving room for that hint of nostalgia that fashion icons are looking for. Combining the past with the present acts as a timeline, showcasing a multitude of styles. 

With 2025 coming to a close and 2026’s closet starting to open, fashion trends are due to change alongside it. Whether that means the Y2K chapter is ending, or its influence will grow even stronger, current fashion trends will continue to pick at past looks to curate future catalogs. The clothes that you are wearing right now will one day be considered “vintage” as the cycle continues, leaving fashion consumers constantly connected and intertwined, their styles influencing the next big trends.

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