As a person who is online a bit too much, I'm constantly hearing people's opinions on things. Seriously, you'd be surprised how many people have a thinkpiece on something, including me. My point is I'm hearing other people's opinions nearly every day; the good takes, the bad takes, and the takes that are kind of in the middle. It's not healthy, but my job revolves around me being online. Anyway, I saw a video of someone talking about how they don't understand why our generation romanticizes early 2000's trends and fashion. They also went on to say a lot of people romanticize the authenticity of that era, when we could use that authenticity to create our own trends. Don't get me wrong, I understand the sentiment. Additionally, that wasn't the first or last person to have that opinion online. Multiple people share the same stance, saying they weren't a fan of the Y2K trends, people are obsessed with the 2000's, and saying people were too focused on the past. Although most of the people I've seen have brought up some good points, I also see a bit of judgment come through the sentiment. Some people online were saying that no one has their own style, and a lot of people are not original. However, I noticed when it comes to people who ARE original with their style and fashion, they'll get heavily critiqued online or judged, which is what I wanted to talk about today. It seems that a lot of people crave originality and creativity, but the second someone brings that to the table, they are criticized for being themselves. I think if we were less judgmental and more focused on ourselves, we wouldn't be so focused on what other people were doing. Today, I wanted to talk about fashion trends as a whole and why people are obsessed with different eras, rather than focusing on the current one (2020's).
Before we start, let's not pretend the 2020's has no fashion at all. Since the 2020's started, we've seen multiple trends: the clean girl aesthetic, the indie aesthetic (where everyone dressed in these vibrant colors), the e-kid trend (often referred to as e-girl or e-boy), and the recent Brat summer trend with Charli xcx. We've definitely had memorable trends, and I'm sure more will be created in the future. So to pretend that the early 2000's is all Generation Z thinks about is a bit close-minded, and it also dismisses the trends that have come from this era. I can give you guys credit for one thing, though, there have been trends that were directly inspired by the 1990's - 2000's, one of them being the Office Siren trend. Looking back at it, the Office Siren trend was just how a lot of women dressed in office workplaces at the time; the pencil skirts, the button-ups, the rectangular glasses. In a weird way, fiction was also tied into this trend since there were known people who dressed that way, more specifically, Supernanny. From 2004 to 2008, Supernanny was a British TV show about a woman named Jo Frost, and she focused on helping kids with mostly dysfunctional family dynamics. It's a good watch…if you're into watching children act like fucking demons. That's not the point, though. If you saw how Jo Frost dressed during those episodes - the pencil skirts, the stripe patterns, the rectangular glasses - you could see her fashion represented the era she was from. That kind of authenticity is exactly what attracts people to early 2000’s styles and trends. During those times, there were distinct looks, but everyone still dressed differently. I think people are still doing that, but this time, there is more judgment involved.
Because of the internet, we have access to people's lives more than we'd like to admit. You can scroll online, find a random person whose content you like, and watch them for as long as you want. You could also find someone that you do not like, and scroll through their content as much as you want. Regardless if you like someone or not, you can watch them and have access to them. Unfortunately, I believe the rise of judgment is a direct result of giving people access to those things. Because people can look at your ideas, style, and thoughts on a consistent basis, some confuse that access with full ownership...I hope I'm making sense. I feel some people think that because they have access and the privilege to look at something, they are now entitled to that thing. Let me get to the point; this is how I feel when it comes to people's fashion and styles. I feel a lot of people are not expressing themselves the way they truly want to, because of how much judgment people get online. One of the first examples that comes to mind is Aliyah's Interlude, and her style that she named 'Aliyahcore.'
For those who don't know, Aliyah is one of the most popular fashion influencers on TikTok, mostly having a maximalist style. Her style is extremely recognizable, too, having a lot of earmuffs, fishnets, platform boots, and really pretty belts. Although my style isn't similar to hers, I still admire it. You can also tell that her style is inspired by general alternative and Harajuku fashion, and...you guessed it, people FLAME her for it too. There are people on the internet who genuinely hate Aliyah's style. I've heard people say she encouraged posers to be alternative, others have said Aliyahcore is "not a thing," some have said Aliyah does "too much" with her style, and lastly, I heard it's not original. In my opinion, I don't think anyone has a valid reason to dislike her. Not once has she claimed to invent the style (alternative or Harajuku fashion); she just gave her sense of style a name and happened to go viral. I don't know why that alone bothered so many people, but my point still stands. Any time someone goes outside of the box in terms of fashion and style, that person is often ostracized by the same people who crave authenticity and say "everybody is the same."
Now I could blame the sentiment on a lot of things. I could say you guys are way too focused on what people wear, especially black women. A lot of you don't like it when black people don't fit your idea of blackness; I could say that, too. Hell, I could even say you guys just don’t like fun, but no, I won't say that. You know what this is? It is a CHRONICALLY ONLINE ISSUE. TURN YOUR FUCKING PHONE OFF. GO OUTSIDE. GO INTERACT WITH REAL PEOPLE...my bad for yelling. Seriously, a lot of people need to realize that what you see online is never the same thing you will see in real life. If you actually take the time to go outside and see other people, you would see different styles, people wearing different bags, everyone has a different phone, and everyone has a different hairstyle. People are so unique and so different outside and inside the internet. The reason you think everyone looks the same and thinks the same things is because that's the kind of content you surround yourself with. Okay, what I'm trying to say is if you see a lot of content of people wearing streetwear, talking about streetwear, and buying streetwear-related things, obviously, you're going to think everybody likes streetwear, even though that's false. This goes back to my point where I was saying this entire sentiment can come across as small-minded. Unfortunately, it shows that you don't look outside of yourselves.
The difference between older eras of fashion and the current era is access. You can easily go to a thrift store or go on Depop, and find a clothing piece from the early 2000's. Some people like it, choose to buy it, and put it on. It's really no big deal. Some people scroll on apps like TikTok or Pinterest, see a style that they like, and try replicating it in their own way. That's honestly not an issue. You cannot tell me every person has the exact same Pinterest fashion board. Some people have more whimsical styles, some people are into streetwear and baggy clothes (me), some people like cute and tight-fitting clothes, some people are into flowy skirts and like a more earthy aesthetic. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Also, trends are completely normal. A style can be popular for a few months to a few years, and people can move on from it. They're allowed to, that's fine. There are people online who ask things like "Can we normalize [insert a piece of clothing that was popular before this year]?" Or "Can we bring [insert an older trend] back?" I know most of the time, people are asking this as a joke, but I'm sure others are genuine. My thing is we shouldn't have to ask people for approval when it comes to something we want to do, especially if we're talking about self-expression.
Also, not to be that person, but a lot of modern fashion trends kind of suck? Of course, there are good stores that sell appealing clothes, I'm just referring to popular brands. If you've ever been to a mall and gone into a store like H&M, American Eagle, or ZARA, have you ever noticed that the clothes are a bit bland? Not to mention expensive. Actually, a lot of people, myself included, can't even afford to buy brand new clothes from stores like that, and even if I did have the money, I still wouldn't shop there. The popular stores don't reflect what a lot of people want in terms of fashion. So, when it comes to the 2020's not having a distinct style, one of the things we can blame is the stores themselves. Another thing we can blame it on? It all comes back to judgment. Remember when I said I'm online a lot, and I see others' opinions on a regular basis? That's the case when you're on any app. People on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube all give their opinions on every topic you can think of. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if there is judgment of any kind, it can often discourage people from doing the things a content creator is commenting on. A lot of people do not realize how much influence the internet actually has. Picking on people or even bullying them for having a style or expressing themselves differently, ALWAYS does more harm than good. Also, what someone else is wearing should not affect you. Literally, as long as you’re not wearing something with hate speech and hate symbols on it, you’re fine. Literally, do whatever. I say that because, whether you express yourself the way you want to or not, there are going to be people talking about you and how you express yourself, but in no way should you let that discourage you from experimenting. I know I was talking shit about the popular stores, but if the popular stores have clothes that you’re into, then go ahead and get them, it’s okay! If you have an outfit you thought about wearing, go ahead and put it on. I’m so serious. Regardless of the choices you make and how you dress, there will always be someone waiting to comment on it. Unfortunately, that is life, and unfortunately, some people are just that miserable. The least you could do is not be miserable like them and express yourself the way that you want to. The world will continue to spin, and we will all be okay.
For those who genuinely, for whatever reason, have a problem with people liking the Y2K and early 2000’s aesthetics, just leave people alone. I don’t mean that in a rude way, I mean let people like what they like. Also, let’s not forget that people have always been inspired by each other and by older generations. I did a bit of research; did you guys know that 1990’s fashion was mostly inspired by what people were wearing in the 70’s? Yeah, apparently, people loved the crop tops, bell-bottoms, and the platform shoes so much that they decided to bring them back in the 90’s. Anyway, here’s another fun fact for you! The fashion in the early 2000’s was inspired by two generations: the 1990’s and the 1970’s. For a long time, newer generations have always taken inspiration from older ones, and there is nothing wrong with us doing the same. I know people say Gen Z has “washed down” the Y2K aesthetic, but I think that’s the point. Styles are not supposed to be the same for every single generation; also, again, not every single person is into that style anyway. In a very weird way, saying “no one is original” puts us in a box. Now, I do agree that some people do not favor originality, but you guys are directing this statement to the wrong people. If anything, a lot of these companies and people in Hollywood do not favor originality. Unlike the older generations, the 2020’s does have a lack of original media. How many movies have been sequels or remakes of well-known franchises? How many of these clothing companies take the time to design something unique and original? How many video games has Nintendo randomly remade instead of taking the time to make an original game? Exactly. Okay, there was no need for the Nintendo slander, my fault. I’m still salty about the Switch 2. My point is, when it comes to the media and what is currently around us, the 2020’s are not much to be proud of…and we’re in 2026. We’re over halfway through the decade. When it came to the people in the 1980’s to the early 2000’s, they were celebrating what was around them. They were proud to express themselves, and better yet, there weren’t any random people on social media tearing them down every time they put on an outfit. There were magazines and weird TV show hosts, but that’s not the point. We might have to do an entirely different essay about the media in the 2000’s. I am drifting so far away from the point, and I apologize. I believe that if we uplift the people who are actively trying to be different and have a unique style, then we will see a rise of people coming out and expressing themselves. Clothes are not the only thing that shows who you are; a lot of people should focus on personality too…that means not bullying people. This can also apply to the media we’re consuming. When artists or creatives put out new, good, and original projects, let’s support those as well.
Don’t get me wrong, because of what is going on around us and because of how people act online, I understand why a lot of people crave uniqueness and authenticity. We live in a society that praises specific looks, so when people come out and don’t fit into that mold, it’s a good thing, but it also results in them being judged for it. If you care so much about authenticity, then let people be authentic. Let people experiment and find out what they like. Let people hop from trend to trend. Let people research older fashion trends, and let people try them on. Unless someone is wearing something offensive, their clothes should not bother you in the slightest. Lastly, to my unique and weird people, as long as you like what you have on, nothing else matters, dude. I think this whole discussion just proves we need to go outside and make friends or something, I don’t know. Anyway, that’s all for today, and thanks for listening to me ramble about fashion. I appreciate you guys so much!
- CD ★