Y2K fashion : Clothing styles that were special during the 2000s

Today, many young girls are drawn to fashion styles from the early 2000s, behaving as if their mothers haven’t have not been there or done that.

Pleated miniskirts, monochrome tracksuits, baggy jeans – all the trends of the decade of 2000s are coming back into fashion again – and you re-realise the cyclic nature of fashion.

When you think of the 2000s, you remember experiences and events like the establishment of globalization around the world, the sudden popularity of the internet, the emergence of Google, Facebook, and other social networking sites, Iraq war – so many things that shook and changed the world.

But fashion was mostly unaffected by all of this and remained a mash-up of the styles of the earlier decades.

Here are the major influencing factors of this decade

Fashion styles of the Previous decades

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The fashion trends of the previous decades 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and the 1990s continued to be influential throughout this period.

The distressed ripped denim jeans of the 1980s, mini skirts of the 1960s, denim on denim trend of the 1970s, animal prints (leopard print) of the 1990s, tracksuits of 1980s, all had a revival at different times in the 2000s

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Technology and Y2K fashion

A type of futuristic fashion emerged influenced by the technological revolution of this decade – Y2K fashion style. This was a fashion aesthetic prevalent in the early part of the decade (till 2003) 

The emergence of Fast fashion 

Fast fashion involves affordable fashion available at a fast pace to the common customers according to the latest trends. It is during this period that fast fashion really caught up. People were fascinated by the availability of the latest fashion in retail stores at a speed never seen before.

Cheap clothes made in third world countries were sold out to eager customers and the unsold lot were discarded without a care according to the changes in fashion trends. 

Ethical fashion

Environmental concerns and the ethical impact of fashion began to touch the consciousness of the customers by the early years of this decade. People began to question how the clothes they are wearing are being made and in what condition. 

Athleisure 

Athleisure is Sportwear that is considered trendy enough to be worn outside the gym. The term ‘athleisure’ was not popular but the concept ( a style that is a mixture of athletic wear and leisurewear), may be considered to have emerged during this period.

Velour Tracksuits and matching tops with or without hoodies – this was the definition of athleisure during this period. Socialite Paris Hilton popularised this trend (called Juicy couture) and can be seen in popular movies like Mean Girls. 

Influencers 

Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Lindsay Lohan, Shakira, Rihanna, Paris Hilton

Clothes in the 2000s

Some of the clothing that was big during this decade are as follows. 

Skirts

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Midi skirts, those skirts which fall below the knee but do not extend beyond the mid calf, were very popular, especially stretch denim skirts. In fact, Denim skirts were a thing during this period. Mini skirts were worn with leggings, sometimes even with jeans.

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Pleated mini skirts (Tennis skirts), and asymmetrical skirts were also popular. Tiered maxi skirt was another favourite trend. 

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Tops

The most frequently seen tops were halter neck tops, ribbed tank tops, tube tops, cowl neck tops, and bandana tops. Midriff-Revealing tops were a craze (Cropped cardigans and tshirts, bralette tops) – and this was combined with low rise jeans. 

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T-shirts with an image or some sort of graphic design on them (Graphic t-shirts) were big during this period. 

Pants

The type of bottom wear that was popular during this period were Skinny jeans, Low-rise jeans, jeans with embellished pockets, wide bottom yoga pants, tracksuits, cargo pants. Denim Capri pants were another favorite style. Trackpants were worn with matching cardigans.

Which fabrics were widely used in the 2000s?

Denim, Cotton, Polyester, Velour, Velvet were commonly used. Faux fur became trendy during this period. Nylon was used to make hosiery, stockings, and tights.

What is Double Denim Y2K style?

When you wear two or more denim clothing together as part of an outfit, you have the double denim trend. Double Denim Y2K style was a distinctive fashion trend of the early 2000s.

Read this article for more details – wikipedia

Related posts : Make a y2k style Butterfly top first popularised in the 2000s by Britney Spears.; Clothing styles popular today; Evolution of Fashion – a history lesson ; Fashion in the 1920s; Fashion in the 1960s; Fashion in the 1950s; 80s Style Inspiration; Fashion in the 1990s

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Author: Sarina Tariq

Hi, I love sewing, fabric, fashion, embroidery, doing easy DIY projects and then writing about them. Hope you have fun learning from sewguide as much as I do. If you find any mistakes here, please point it out in the comments.

2 thoughts on “Y2K fashion : Clothing styles that were special during the 2000s”

  1. Ali

    Love it ! This is Ali of Nobodys Angel first pic posted Im the one with the red top long denim skirt and red shoes with zebra bag 😉

    Reply
    • Sarina

      That is nice; You look fantastic.

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