Are you wearing the trend, or is the trend wearing you? While trends strip fashion of originality, small additions to basic items can represent our unique charm. Y2K, a style popular during the late 1990s and early 2000s, refers to fashion from the “Year 2000.” It recently gained traction on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, where influencers promoted it for its nostalgia.
In the streets of Dongseongro, I noticed that most pedestrians wore the same combination of clothes—wide jeans, chunky sneakers and graphic shirts. This made everyone in the crowd look the same, as if in a uniform.
Y2K’s uniform look comes from its fixation on specific items: baggy jeans, baguette bags, and baby tees, which lack variety within themselves.
While people often feel pressured to fit in, trends and individuality do not always stand on the opposite sides of the fashion spectrum. Outfits that consist of different designer clothes or brands provide a simple way to do so, since each brand usually has its own particular charm. For example, brands such as Miss Sixty and Tommy Hilfiger both produce Y2K-style clothing, but they harbor completely different undertones—Miss Sixty emphasizes femininity and elegance, while Tommy Hilfiger gives off a sportier vibe.
Unique accessories can also add flair—ringstones, jewelry, sunglasses and headwear can turn a common style into an extraordinary one. Some Y2K-like examples include butterfly clips and shiny metallic materials, which allow creative expression while keeping up with the trend.
To customize clothing items further, some utilize different types of paint, such as tie-dye and graffiti, to alter the clothes without any extra items. While oversized T-shirts dictated chic fashion in the early 2020s, many sported different graphics, which gave them a chance to represent their own individuality.
On a simpler note, we can also don our own color combos. Fabric with unique texture, bold colors, and emphasis on neon shades boosts originality within the rigid boundaries of Y2K.
The revival of Y2K generally restricts the main purpose of fashion—to provide a way for people to express themselves through different clothes or accessories. But stretch the boundaries of the style, and you can stay unique and on-trend at the same time.
