Cringy or Captivating: Deciphering Early 2000s Nostalgia Fashion
From Abercrombie & Fitch to House of CB and Coach—nostalgia for early 2000s fashion appears to be the newest way retailers are attempting to capture the hearts of Gen Z consumers. Collections inspired by the era of bandage dresses and babydoll tops seem to be popping up at every corner of the mall. While Millennials who actually lived through the style period are cringing, Gen Z is captivated, willing to spend every last coin to duplicate the look. During an era of fast fashion and ever-changing trends, nostalgia allows younger generations to escape the present and reconnect with a time period they can’t help but idolize.
Photo by Emilie Dumas
While just over two decades ago, the early 2000s seems like a far away fairytale from the age we live in today. It was a time where low-rise jeans reigned supreme, pink flip phones snapped shut with attitude and everything from blue eyeshadow to flavored lipgloss shimmered with a frosted sheen. Celebrities were akin to god, thanks to MTV and Perez Hilton, as gossip blogs started to take off for the first time. Paparazzi pictures and red-carpet looks became the bible for the fashion savvy. If Ashley Tisdale wore flared jeans with a pleated skirt and chunky necklace, so did you. Pushing boundaries and maximalism were at the forefront of fashion in the early 2000s—whether that be a lace thong peeking out from your jeans or the word “Juicy” splashed across your ass in rhinestones, nothing was ever too much. Purses had to be sizable, since technology hadn’t quite taken over yet and you needed to bring a digital camera to the bar.
Gen Z typically refers to anyone born between 1997 and 2012, which means many did live through the early 2000s, they were just too young to fully embrace it. Nostalgia for the fashion and social climate of the era comes from the fact that they witnessed it through a child's eyes. To Gen Z silk Victoria Secret pajamas remind them of shopping with their mom and Vera Bradley bags bring back the feeling of seeing cool 5th grade girls waltz through the halls of elementary school. They idolized these looks back then. Today as adults, they have the opportunity to actually wear them. On the other hand, millennials spent their middle and high school years drenched in early 2000s fashion and want to forgo remembering a time of awkward first crushes, painful braces, and hormonal acne.
Within the past five years Gen Z shoppers began to seek out clothing pieces from the early 2000s in thrift stores and online resale sites like Depop or eBay. As attention for the aesthetic went up, so did the prices and number of people bidding on them—buyers began spending hundreds of dollars to get their hands on a single Hollister skirt from 2004, driving the price up with every desperate click. While Gen Z is going into debt in the name of fashion, Millennials are making bank from simply cleaning out their closet.
Within the last few months it seems that retailers have finally caught up to the early 2000s fashion trend. Releasing collections that feature pieces specifically inspired by the era, attempting to tap into the economic boom happening with nostalgia fashion and the resale market. In the summer, House of CB brought back the iconic bandage dress and this fall Abercrombie & Fitch announced a collection filled with throwback designs. Even Lucky Brand did a collaboration with Gen Z favorite Addison Rae, pushing a comeback of their iconic low-rise jeans.
While all of these collaborations sold well and peaked the internet's interest, many shoppers still opt for the original authentic versions. Hunting down original pieces from the 2000s where the sizes were smaller, pockets are specifically constructed for flip phones and the quality is better overall.
I guess what they say is true: Everything really does come back into style.
You never know, in 20 years our grandchildren might be searching high and low for those Artizia leather pants we all bought a few years ago.
Photo by Emilie Dumas