Ever since the pandemic took over the world, teenagers and youngsters have revived old fashion trends. 

As a way to escape worldwide problems such as the pandemic, the famous Year 2K fashion, also known as Y2K, has spread all over the world, making its famous return with the GenZ. Accompanied by the nostalgic comeback of low-rise jeans, small tops, and chunky boots, this trend has greatly influenced the entertainment industry, where teenagers seem to be more attracted to Y2K concepts. 

What is Y2K fashion? 

Y2K fashion is a trend born in the late 90s that made its way up to the late 2010s. This trend is characterized by eye-catching futuristic and utopian vibes and involves varying of clothes in an exceptional way.

This style has been greatly influenced by the world’s fascination with technology, as it was developing at a rapid rate. Inspired by the world’s vision of the future, which consisted of technological advances, fashion runways pulled different styles related to the theme. 

During the 90s, fashion designers adopted sci-fi themes to create futuristic designs for this specific trend. Several people were seen wearing holographic skirts, shiny jackets, oversized hoop earrings, and even metallic boots. 

However, as the year 2000 hit, the Y2K fashion shifted into more military attire with cargo pants, chunky boots, and military-style jackets. It is said that the reason behind this transformation is the people’s fear of a potential apocalypse, one that would have been caused by the rising development of computers (Y2K computer bug).

Today, this style has made a huge comeback.

The rebirth of Y2K, but why?

During the pandemic, the world witnessed a massive shift in fashion trends, going from casual streetwear to the renaissance of the 90s and 2000s streetwear: Y2K. Back in 2022, after the quarantine due to Covid 19, many youngsters and teenagers were seen wearing cargo pants, chunky boots, and functional jackets. The style merges streetwear and Y2K concepts, adding neon camisoles, metallic mini-skirts, and colorful combat boots to people’s shopping lists.

Impacted by industries around the world and used to attract young people, Y2K is a key concept in the K-pop industry. Lately, artists such as Twice, NewJeans, Ive, and Lesserafim have been pulling off Y2K concepts in almost all of their comeback releases. 

However, several journalists have questioned its revival and come up with one common answer: nostalgia. This explains why Y2K fashion made a powerful comeback amongst the people due to the rising political and environmental chaos around the world. Modern life has evolved in the blink of an eye, with a dramatic change in social and emotional strains. This change made the world travel back in time and dive into old fashion trends, a way to escape reality through the lens of nostalgia. Therefore, people were more drawn to objects and events that reminded them of the better and more carefree days after two years of facing global challenges. 

Since we keep going back to the 90s to cope with problems happening today, will the world take a trip back to the 70s by 2030?