And just like that, the butt is back. You may have spotted low-slung True Religion jeans with floss-like thongs peaking above the waistband, or backless maxis dresses sporting a healthy dose of Tom Ford-at-Gucci-era butt cleavage, either way, underwear as outerwear has become this season's biggest trend.

If you were around in the noughties or just a lover of archival fashion, I’m sure that you’re aware that showing off your thong is by no means new—I mean, Sisqó wrote one of the most iconic songs of all time about it. The 2000's were the decade that gave us Britney Spears' bedazzled G-string at the MTV Video Music Awards, Paris Hilton's fluorescent pink undies at the Lloyd Klein AW'01 presentation, and both came only a handful of years after Alexander McQueen introduced the "bumster" trouser that deliberately exposed the wearers crack. The "whale tale" wasn't just a trend; it was a cultural movement.

After falling out of favour amid the rise of quiet luxury, bearing ones backside is back. In an era of personality-driven maximalism, the trend feels tongue-in-cheek (pardon the pun). It's less Kim Kardashian circa 2018, and more a glorious celebration of all things anti-fashion. Style and sex appeal are no longer "polished", and take on a carefree nonchalance—one that feels instinctive rather than overly styled. Unsurprisingly, some of Gen Z's most eclectic dressers have embraced the look in droves, proving that showing your pants can be inherently cool and surprisingly subversive.

But the butt didn't just make a comeback this summer—it had been quietly re-entering the conversation for quite some time. Back in 2024, Susamusa's Meadow skirt became a hit amongst the fashion set. Yes, the polka-dot print tapped neatly into the trends of the time, but it was the skirt's almost-nude-but-not-quite fabrication that made it irresistible.

Simultaneously, the rise in popularity of Addison Rae, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter, musicians who lean into lingerie to tell a story, made underwear as outwear this season’s hottest commodity. With fashion people matching their pants to their outfits and It girls like Bella Hadid and Alex Consani jumping onto the trend, it show sno signs of slowing down this summer. Scroll to shop statement making underwear below.

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When considering the most fashionable films of the '90s and early, it's obvious to cite classics like Clueless, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Legally Blonde and The Devil Wears Prada. Despite being an avid fan of these teen-y dramas, there is one movie—and frankly one Y2K style aesthetic—that I think is often slept on: Blue Crush. I grew up with boys, and not just any boys, horrible, boisterous boys, who would make me watch Godzilla, Jackass and Jurassic Park. When it came to so-called "chick flicks," the one we could all agree on watching on repeat was Blue Crush. Maybe it was Kate Bosworth as the ultimate cool girl in a bikini, maybe it's just because that film is actually so good, either way, I had no difficulty in persuading my brothers to watch it.

And it might just be time for a rewatch, because lately I've noticed the surfing style that was present in fashion in that era is definitely making a comeback. Whilst we've been living in a Y2K comeback era for some time, we've seen the return of 2000s activewear, capri pants and even multiple It bags of that time, surfcore hasn't really happened. Until now. From more obvious and actually quite timeless pieces like flip flops and shell details to more divisive trends like board shorts and the colour aquamarine, this movement is about to be a moment.

It isn't just a stylistic trend, but also a hobby, too. From London Girl's Surf Club to content creator Lindsay Holland's Marnie Rays surf retreat in Cornwall, I've noticed a cohort of influencers, editors and multi-hyphenate cool girls frequenting the waves lately. Maybe it's time to pick it up as a hobby? Or you could just watch the film and buy the clothes?

6 Y2K Surfer Fashion Trends Back In Summer 2026

1. Board Shorts

Style Notes: Board shorts are back, baby! Whether you’re a surfer or just a bystander, whether you want to go knee-length or micro, printed or plain, this shorts trend is about to be huge. I’ve spotted a few sporty styles on Free People, panelled with piping in contrasting colours, as well as others with classic hibiscus print. If you got rid of your Roxy pair that you had when you were 12, don’t worry! The Quicksilver brand have collaborated with Miaou for the ultimate surfer girl-coded collection, board shorts included.

2. Hibiscus Prints

Style Notes: Whilst spring and summer collections often bring floral prints, we’ve seen less maximalist florals on the runways in recent years, thanks to a long period ruled by minimalism and quiet luxury. But no more! Dries van Noten presented hibiscus prints for its spring/summer 2026 collection, in beautifully gaudy hues like chartreuse, orange and purple. With the rise of the “yen Z” aesthetic—a TikTok trend that celebrates the wellness movement of the early 2000s (think yoga, harem pants as well as bamboo and orchid motifs)—it was only a matter of time we started to see the return of the hibiscus flower, an integral floral print of the noughties era.

3. Aquamarine

Style Notes: Aqua has to have been one the strongest colour trends of 2026. Everywhere I look I see shades of turquoise, Tiffany Blue and teal (and let's not forget, Transformative Teal was WGSN's colour of the year). I hate to state the obvious but what is more on the nose when it comes to beachy motifs, than the literal colour of the sea? This relatively gaudy and frankly once quite divisive shade is undeniably synonymous with the Y2K era. Just think, cerulean has practically been put on the spectrum because of The Devil Wears Prada, which came out in 2006, and the brighter shades of turquoise are so mermaid-coded, and were popularised in other films of the era, like Mermaids (2003) and Aquamarine (2006).

4. Shells

Style Notes: In case you missed it, shells are everywhere in 2026. From necklaces and earrings to adorned on sandals, bikinis as well as the use of mother of pearl on belts, buttons and handbags, this boho-infused summer detail is really doing the rounds. Whilst shells aren't only associated with the surfer girl, they are—in all forms—synonymous with the beach girl vibe and a must in order to nail this style.

5. Tankinis

Style Notes: Did surfer girls in the Y2K era wear bikinis and swimsuits? You bet. But did they pioneer the tankini movement also? Oh yes! Low rise boxer short bottoms are also really on the rise too, and I have to put this down to this wave of interest in the California beach babe aesthetic prominent in this era. Featured heavily in swimwear collections from the coolest brands, like Damson Madder and the aforementioned Roxy x Miaou collaboration, the return of the tank isn't happening, it's happened and is here.

6. Flip Flops

Style Notes: It seems obvious to call this out, because really flip-flops are a timeless beachwear staple every year. But wearing them outside of beach and pool settings is a trend that's occured in recent years. Especially the classic rubber styles from Havaianas and the like. We've often put this down to Copenhagen street style, who have championed wearing basic flip flops with cotton trousers, skirts and capri pants for some years, but for the surfer girl, this is nothing new at all.

Though decades have passed since the turn of the millennium, fashion has come full circle and is once again relishing in the chintzy and lurid sensibility prominent in the first few years of the 21st century. As we speed towards another raucous summer—not quite as bratty as in previous years, but one hedonistic nonetheless—every sign indicates that the defining aesthetic will be one rooted in the 2000s. Indeed, Y2K fashion is back on the agenda.

Instead of bedazzled Motorola Razr flip phones, Isabel Marant Beckett wedge trainers and Gwen Stefani’s debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby to soundtrack our cruises in Regina George-inspired convertibles, we now have prebiotic sodas, reissues of the Balenciaga City bag and the hypnotic melodies of Slayyyter's punk-meets-club record Worst Girl in America.

Despite the passage of time, many things have remained the same since they first debuted in the early 2000s—rhinestone velour will always hold a place in our hearts, micro mini skirts will never date, and lace-trim camisoles will always complement a pair of ultra-low rise denim. Speaking to Amy Bannerman, eBay UK's style director, she explains that Y2K fashion perpetually resonates for how “unapologetically excessive it all was”.

“From sequins in the daytime to slogan tees and massive sunglasses, these were all strange layering choices that somehow worked—it was glamorous but chaotic!” she adds. “People romanticise that freedom now because fashion has become so polished and algorithmic. It feels almost mythological because it existed in a time when we had more creativity and freedom, before everyone curated themselves online.”

This sense of uninhibited dressing is permeating across all corners of the sartorial landscape, especially in the joy of dressing up discerned across the spring/summer 2026 runways, further cementing the fact that fashion’s getting a little noughtie once more. As for what we can expect this summer, the Y2K revival will run the full gamut, expressing every subculture and micro movement that reared its head the first time around.

“The early 2000s were filled with 'more is more' metallics, tiny tops, trucker hats, velour tracksuits and diamanté everything,” Bannerman notes. “By the late 2000s, things became darker, moodier, grimier and more rock-and-roll. “Think: skinny jeans, oversized leather jackets, American Apparel disco pants, Alexander McQueen skull scarves, heavy eyeliner and huge amounts of layering.”

This, both iterations of the aesthetic will emerge, with Bannerman adding that it’s this “glossy-cum-trashiness to [Y2K fashion] that people are being drawn back to after fashion’s obsession with minimalism and the quiet luxury aesthetic.”

Below, we chart the rise of the defining Y2K fashion trends returning this summer. From the subcultures being revived to the brands doing them best, it’s time to take a dip into the archive. As Madonna said, time goes by so slowly…

6 Y2K Trends Staging a Comeback for Summer 2026

1. Bel Air Brat

Style Notes: With their tiny dogs and chunky flip-flops, the lifestyles of Los Angeles’ rich and famous in the 2000s laid the foundation for what the Y2K fashion would come to immortalise. This was a time when infamy could segue into a bona fide celebrity status, so getting snapped by a paparazzi whilst shopping on Robertson Boulevard was paramount.

Socialites like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie ruled the set of Bel Air brats with a fist made of Juicy Couture velour and grasping an Urth Caffe mocha lattes. These days, you’ll catch the next generation of this cohort, including Real Housewives of Beverly Hills scion turned supermodel, Amelia Grey, grabbing a takeaway iced matcha from Community Goods in low-slung Adanola sweats or capri track pants. So, wear something that would make you feel like an extra in The Hills or Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring and delight in all its bubblegum pink, bimbo-turned-businesswoman-esque glory.

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2. Secretarial Sleaze

Style Notes: Gisele Bündchen, with her bespeckled frames and body-conscious business casual attire, in the memorable, albeit short-lived, cameo in The Devil Wears Prada, has come to encapsulate the rise in corporate dressing that predicated much of the 2000s. These are ensembles bound to have you written up for violating your office’s dress code—much like Bridget Jones and her off-sick skirt—though the mix of structured tailoring with sensual undertones is undoubtedly a Y2K archetype.

Today, you need only look at the sheer amount of skin-tight pinstripe shirts, Bayonetta glasses and sleek pencil skirts circulating for proof that this trend has transcended workplace settings. Calvin Klein-era Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, eat your heart out.

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3. Track Star

Style Notes: An obsession with archival silhouettes doesn’t end with Galliano-era J’adore Dior tank tops and Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton Speedy bags. At least, that’s what the style set is proving this summer, showing up to take the Tracey Anderson Method or a Reformer Pilates class in activewear nearly 30 years old. “Early 2000s sportswear was never just about functionality, it was about identity,” argues Bannerman before adding, “those old Adidas, Puma and Nike pieces had really bold colourways, interesting silhouettes and a kind of optimism to them.”

For those germaphobes amongst us who are uncomfortable with the idea of working out in something someone had profusely previously sweated in it, may we first direct your attention to the concept of a dry cleaner, and also alert you to the fact that many brands are currently banking on this trend. Mia Zotos, the founder and creative director of Mode Mischief, which fuses theatrical nostalgia with playful charm and contemporary silhouettes, is one such designer, offering her own iteration on the style.

“Modern activewear can feel very uniform, whereas 2000s activewear often felt like an outfit,” explains Zotos. “It was sporty, but still styled. There were playful necklines, unique shapes, flares, tight shorts, colour blocking, prints and design details that felt functional but still intentional, whilst still allowing for more self-expression. I think people are drawn to that because it feels nostalgic, but also more individual.”

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4. Aquamarine-Core

Style Notes: From the scintillating sequins that floated down Chanel’s Cruise 2027 runway in Biarritz to the Lisa Frank-inspired colour palettes of Zara Larsson’s on-stage wardrobe and the viral remix of Addison Rae’s single “Aquamarine” with Arca, fashion has gained its sea legs this summer and diving headfirst into the mermaidcore revival. Like a song is to a siren, this trend beacons anyone besotted with crystallised accents, pearlescent details and vibrant colours, including magenta, chartreuse, turquoise and coral.

Of course, for anyone who grew up in the 2000s, they’d know that the mermaids at the centre of Australian teen soap drama H2O: Just Add Water are the original pioneers of the trend. But as the weather warms and the season drags on, who wouldn’t take up the call to relive these childhood memories by frolicking around in the sands of Ibiza or the shorelines of Sifnos? Channel your inner Ariel by wearing tank tops decorated with buttons—see: gizmos and trinkets—that could’ve sunk to the seafloor or make like Matthieu Blazy by opting for glimmering embellishments that catch the light.

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5. Prep School

Style Notes: Blame it on Bennito Skinner’s critically-acclaimed and ludicrously-hilarious college-set series Overcompensating or the fact that Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf will perennially be a source of inspiration, but prep school aesthetics appear to show no signs of slowing down. There is, of course, Emerald Fennel’s nightmarishly posh Saltburn to also hold accountable for this trend, but it would be remiss to ignore the glaring influence of school uniform dressing on summer wardrobes.

Rugby shirts! Bermuda shorts! Boat shoes! These are all staples you’d find in an Eton graduate’s wardrobe, let alone some of the most inspired dressers of our time. But it's this exact subversion of buttoned-up archetypes that makes it so compelling. Make like Nicholas Hoult’s Tony Stonem in Skins and pop the collar of your polo, teaming it with a pair of low-rise jean shorts and the most scuffed-up pair of loafers you own. Wired headphones are compulsory.

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6. Basement Gig Grunge

Style Notes: A subculture that can be summarised by the sonic offerings of The Strokes, Interpol and Arctic Monkeys, indie sleaze is sordid grunge encapsulated. Almost like you’re looking through life with eyeliner-smudged lenses, this aesthetic is one of basement dance floors, sticky record shops and the nascent days of thrifting. As Bannerman puts it: “It felt like we were all living in Camden”. The aesthetic has become somewhat mythologised in recent years, especially as Gen Z romanticises the past and pines to recreate its most memorable attributes. (See: Glastonbury 2007.)

Recently, Olivia Rodrigo put this to the test during her surprise set at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, showing up for the gig in a pair of American Apparel disco shorts, lace-up combat boots, fishnet stockings and a black-and-white striped top. Elsewhere, Jenna Ortega channelled her inner Kate Moss when attending Johnathan Anderson’s debut collection presentation for Dior in a sleeveless Napoleon jacket and frayed denim mini skirt. This cohort is also taking cues from Mary-Kate Olsen’s intentionally distressed Hermès Birkin and Cory Kennedy’s Cobra Snake party photos.

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Meet the Experts

Call it a clap back to the "clean girl" era, but whimsical, maximalist Y2K beauty is so back. From Ashley Olsen's soft-grunge eyes to Halle Berry's iconic pixie to the great concealer-lip renaissance of 2025 (all hail MAC!), early 2000s looks have clearly returned to the spotlight, and they're showing no signs of slowing down. "It was such a confident, expressive time in beauty. It wasn’t about perfection—it was about mood," celebrity makeup artist Kelly Zhang tells me about the resurgence. "Glossy lips, icy eyes, body glow… Everything was meant to catch the light and feel a little playful." It also perfectly captures the retro-futuristic theme we're seeing right now in beauty; think swoon-worthy, ethereal looks (an icy lid, a shimmery lip) paired with cyber-punk elements (read: chrome—and lots of it).

That said, there's a razor-thin line between channeling your inner Y2K icon and just looking, well, dated. "The key is restraint. One bold element at a time. That’s what makes it feel modern and wearable, not costume," Zhang adds. Below, discover eight looks to choose from, inspired by only the best 2000s legends, along with expert tips on chic, 2026 upgrades.

Thin, Graphic Brows

It's official: Pencil-thin brows are making their triumphant return. Think of the Y2K arches sported by Pamela Anderson, Kate Moss, and Devon Aoki pictured above. At that time, "brows were thin, deliberately shaped, and graphic—very much a design choice of the era," notes Zhang.

Note, that doesn't mean you must succumb to the over-plucking craze of the early aughts. Put down the tweezers! Just keep the face framers you already have as polished and clean as you can, says Zhang. To create the illusion of a slimmer brow, she recommends softening the lower edge with neat, visible hair strokes, as opposed to amping up their fluffiness. Or you could eschew the detailed pencil entirely. "The brows don’t necessarily have to be skinny, but don’t fill them in," adds NYC-based makeup artist Lila Childs (who has her fair share of Y2K makeup tutorials on TikTok!). "Just a clear brow gel will do."

Satin Skin

"For skin, aim for soft matte," shares Zhang. "Even, natural, not overly glowy." Skin back then looked hydrated, but not dewy in the way we crave "glass skin" today. Childs agrees: "Keep the skin minimal and at a satin finish. (We don’t want to be super dewy.) It’s more accurate of the time!" she adds. Still, the goal is soft satin, not full-on matte, so use a setting powder only where you accrue the most oil. You still want to maintain a fresh, even look.

Spider Lashes

Early 2000s mascara could go one of two ways: barely there or gloriously spidery. I'd say today's trends are leaning toward the latter! To achieve the bold, separated look, Zhang recommends applying generous coats of mascara—and don't be afraid to let them clump a little. "Defined, spiky lashes are part of the look. Don’t try to make them perfect," she notes.

That said, you'll want to make those clumps look somewhat intentional; think clean spikes rather than messy globs. This is also perhaps not the time or place for bold blush or a statement lip. "When lashes are the focus, I keep the rest of the face very clean so it doesn’t feel overwhelming," Zhang adds.

Frosted Blue Lids

How could we forget a frosty lid? While you can opt for any icy hue you fancy (silver, lilac, pale gold, et al.), you can never go wrong with baby-blue orbs. "For eyes, it was all about icy and reflective finishes," Zhang confirms. "Sometimes colorful, sometimes monochromatic, but always noticeable." A shade of blue—periwinkle, sapphire, what have you—will always nail that ethereal yet futuristic look quintessential of the early aughts.

Icy Eyes

That doesn't mean you absolutely must stick to sky blue. Icy pigments of all kinds—silver, lilac, or frosty pink, like Paris Hilton's here—scream Y2K angel. "A shimmery smokyish eye with a little color feels key with 2000s makeup," adds Childs. "Any of those eye shadow palettes you’ve been holding onto for the last seven years—it’s their time to shine!"

To update the look for 2026, apply your shadow of choice as a soft wash instead of a thick layer, explains Zhang. (Think fairy dust.) "I’ll press it onto the lid with a finger and skip heavy liner or dramatic contouring. It feels lighter, more wearable, and still gives that early 2000s shine without looking dated."

Visible Lip Liner

"Lips defined the decade," notes Zhang. We'll get to glitter pouts in just a moment, but a high-contrast lip, purposefully unblended, was also all the rage. "Lip liner was visible and intentional, not blended away," Zhang adds. Bonus points if you topped it with generous swipe of clear gloss.

Shimmery Lips

Let it be known: The glitter lip is back and better than ever. "It really seals the deal with the look," Childs notes. "The Charlotte Tilbury lip gloss in Blondie and the MAC lipstick in Fabby are perfect for this look. For deeper complexions, my go-to is the Rouge Coco Baume Shine in Honey Bliss—very Jessica Alba core." Frosted glosses are your friends. Just be sure to keep the edges of your lips slightly defined, says Zhang. "If I’m doing a glossy or slightly frosted lip, I keep the skin really sheer and natural—healthy, even, and lived-in. No heavy base," she adds. "The gloss should feel fresh, not nostalgic in a literal way."

Body Glitter

Finally, we have a healthy (bordering on excessive) dusting of body shimmer. "Makeup wasn’t confined to the face; it was about glow and movement under flash photography," Zhang shares. "Use a balm or oil as the finishing touch on your collarbones, shoulders, legs, or anywhere you're showing skin. You really can't overdo it!

An oversized coffee cup, rolled-up yoga mat and sunglasses big enough to swallow the majority of your face might sound like the latest edition of the typical Pilates uniform. However, spend enough time in a workout class or on social media with those born in the 21st century, and you’ll soon come to realise that the biggest athleisure movement isn’t about matching sets, trending leggings, covetable emotional support water bottles or even a chic pair of ankle weights.

Instead, the latest trend is to emulate Madonna’s gym outfits during her Confessions on a Dance Floor era, when she would run across London in three-stripe tracksuits and three-quarter length Ed Hardy shirts. Indeed, 2000s activewear is trending again in 2026.

What Is the 2000s Activewear Trend?

For those who don’t remember living through the noughties, the increase of strappy tank tops, slouchy low-rise flares, square-toe flip-flops and skin-tight spandex rendered in high-octane colours that are suddenly taking over your gym classes and social media feeds might seem like a novel trend on the rise. Yet, for those on the front lines when these styles were initially popular, you’ll realise just how rose-tinted the glasses that Gen Z must be wearing to revive Y2K sportswear.

After all, this was a time before taking HIIT classes in dark rooms illuminated by fluorescent lights, cycling the French countryside from the comfort of your living room on your at-home Peloton or even knowing who Tracey Anderson was, let alone committing to her method. But on an aesthetic level, there’s something quite cool about the way people would dress to exercise during this decade.

Whilst still focusing on performance, there was less pressure placed on how you were styled and more attention directed towards how much gain you were making. As fashion writer Liana Satenstein so aptly pointed out on her Substack, this was a period where a simple grey t-shirt was regarded as an essential way to show off how much sweat you were producing, and by direct correlation, how fit you actually were. So, why is 2026 the right moment for 2000s activewear to be staging a comeback? More so, why are the noughties being mined for inspiration, especially when you consider the iconic aerobic gear worn by Jane Fonda in the ‘80s or off-duty bike shorts and baggy slogan sweater combination sported by Princess Diana in the ‘90s?

Why is 2000s Activewear Trending in 2026?

Mainly, it comes down to two factors—the influence of those who wore it then and those who are wearing it now. Helming this comeback are tastemakers like Isabella O’Day, the Los Angeles-based founder of archival-workoutwear brand Rummage Stretch, and Natalia Potts, the New York-based owner of vintage boutique Funny Pretty Nice.

With endorsements like these, it’s no longer considered unfashionable to wear old Lululemon capri leggings or a Nike tennis dress worn by Maria Sharapova during a US Open tournament. Nostalgia is certainly part of this renaissance, but there’s also an element of this trend that’s about disrupting the norm and encouraging a more personal approach to dressing for your Reformer class. Nothing truly does this better than the 2000s, especially when you consider just how vast the range of Y2K sportswear trends were prominent back then.

From Victoria Beckham’s chintzy collection of England’s national football team merchandise to Serena Williams’ sequin-adored, pleated denim Nike mini skirt and Paris Hilton’s robust array of velour tracksuits, this trend proves that there are far more options available than just a simple matching polyester set. Today, there are already so many celebrities who are following suit and ditching the slick-back bun for something slightly lurid. Better still, leading sportswear brands like Adanola are also banking on this trend with pieces that fuse this aesthetic with modern innovation and performance-enhancing fabrics. Of course, there are also plenty of pre-loved pieces from brands like Adidas, Puma and Bebe Sport on the secondhand market to shop too, just once you know what you’re looking for.

So, whether you’re marathon planning, looking to elevate your hot girl walks or just want to inject a sense of lightness into your Barre ensembles, the biggest 2000s activewear trends of 2026 are sure to deliver a high-intensity finish. All you need now is to grab your wired headphones, blast the likes of Charli XCX, Addison Rae or Zara Larson and remember that movement is a privilege, so you better do it in style.

The 5 Biggest 2000s Activewear Trends Making a Comeback in 2026

1. Spaghetti Strap Tanks

Style Notes: Before there were sports bras worn as shirts, the early 2000s had singlets and camisoles with bands as thin as a piece of linguine. Yes, the humble spaghetti strap tank top is a beacon of Y2K sportswear. With a minimalistic design that carried over from the ‘90s, the ‘00s iterations feel slightly more risqué as they were styled to show off your undergarments that peak out from beneath. Think of it as sitting at the intersection of Le Marais and Malibu style as a piece that’s effortless, unfussy, but still slightly seductive.

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2. Vintage Sportswear Logos

Style Notes: A signature of 2000s activewear, blown-up and over-zealous vintage sportswear logos were all the rage. From Nike’s trademark swoosh blasters across your chest to Adidas’s famed three-stripe motif that runs down the side of your leg, when it comes to embracing the trend in 2026, always know that the bigger, the better.

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3. Baggy Three-Quarter-Length Pants

Style Notes: Whilst the idea of wearing a pair of cropped cargo pants that sit just below your knee might send shivers down your spine, you only have to look at how prominent this shape was at the time to understand why it’s been given another go in the spotlight. Plus, given the fact that capri leggings are as common as a white t-shirt, why not expand your three-quarter length pant collection with a style as beloved, albeit divisive, as this?

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4. Flared Leggings

Style Notes: To flare or not to flare, that is the question. However, if you were asking anyone who adheres to the biggest 2000s activewear trends, then you’ll know their answer will always be the former. With a casual, floor-grazing elegance and slouchy appeal, flare leggings are a silhouette that’s equally comfortable and chic, especially when paired with flip-flops and baseball caps.

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5. Multi-Layered Tops

Style Notes: Before the 2010s ushered in a wave of stark minimalism with designs from Phoebe Philo, the Olsen Twins and Toteme, it was quite in style to dress in excess. Now, the 2000s activewear aesthetic is straddling both aesthetics, with austerity and maximalism emerging through the multi-layered top trend. Piling up pieces upon pieces, the result might have you looking like you raided your wardrobe, but ensure you piece it together through a considered lens for a take that’s more refined.

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Growing up as a zillennial, I was lucky enough to experience the last of what the '90s had to offer with all the goodness of the 2000s. This meant that while I was too young to participate in the biggest trends my big cousins followed after seeing them worn at the VMAs by Destiny's Child or Britney Spears, I spent the bulk of my childhood taking mental notes for how I wanted to "adult." At the time, my plans for the future consisted of low-rise jeans, my own phone line, and a decked-out MySpace page (the majority of which disappeared by the time I hit middle school).

Until I can hop on a time machine and travel back to the time of butterfly clips and chunky highlights, I get to revisit the decade's biggest beauty moments through film. One of my favorite faces to see in them, albeit not as much as I'd like, belongs to model, retired actress, and Y2K icon Devon Aoki. Below, I'm taking a closer look at her iconic approach to beauty and how, unlike so many of the era's most recognizable looks, millennials and Gen Zers continue to cosign it.

The Devon Aoki Effect

Enter celebrity makeup artist and Wet n Wild brand ambassador Lilly Keys. Keys, who has worked with some of the decade's most influential names from Charli XCX and Jenna Ortega to Tate McRae and Sophie Thatcher, is particularly in awe of Aoki's impact on beauty. She discovered the model through her love for Kate Moss's makeup and what she refers to as the "whole undone supermodel energy." It was Aoki's unique face and the way her makeup was done in the 2000s that stood out to Keys as having the ideal balance of structure and softness.

"Her skin always looked fresh and real, brows were left feathered, and the cheeks were everything," begins Keys. "[Aoki] skipped heavy contour and sharp liner, instead letting that vertical flush of blush define her face." While Aoki has since taken a step back from full-time acting, she remains a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry. In fact, she recently fronted ACNE Studios' spring/summer 2023 campaign and was featured in the Tommy Hilfiger fall 2023 campaign with her sibling, Steve Aoki, a DJ and record producer. At the moment, however, it's her impact on some of the beauty industry's nostalgic beauty trends currently taking over TikTok and Pinterest that inspires me the most.

Aoki's Signature "Lived-In Glamour" Look

Nostalgia-fueled makeup trends aren't anything new, but when they're tied to practical makeup tricks that help elevate particular face shapes, I can't help but screenshot them for reference later. As much as I love having full cheeks and low cheekbones, there have definitely been times when I've wanted to play down their appearance. Then, I see TikTok edits of Aoki haunting my FYP, and I'm reminded of just how much I loved seeing her on my screen growing up for the very same reason.

Keys too adores Aoki's effortlessly lived-in look, which the model became known for throughout the 2000s and beyond. "It wasn’t polished in the obvious way; it was romantic and a little rebellious," she explains. "That’s exactly why it still works today when everyone is chasing that skin-forward, nostalgic look that feels like it’s melted in rather than being painted on. Devon was way ahead of her time with that approach."

She also tells us that the reason Aoki's makeup has remained timeless is that it was never about transforming her natural features, but rather about embracing them. "It was intuitive, undone, and centered on one feature that anchored the whole face. For Devon, it was that blush, and that is exactly what makes it still so inspiring today," adds Keys. Not only did the model know how to wear a flushed face to perfection, but she knew a thing or two about pulling off a playful smoky eye and pouty lip.

Iconic Blush Placement

While I can't prove that vertical blush placement was made for faces like mine in mind, I can say with certainty that my makeup never looked half as good as it does when I take a few extra seconds to change where I rest the brush or Beautyblender on my face. Vertical blush has been called many things (the "boyfriend blush" trend championed the same placement), but Aoki's memorable makeup looks have proven just as influential in 2025 as they were in 2005. So, what gives?

"Devon’s blush placement, in particular, really stands out to me. It wasn’t the boyfriend blush that TikTok made famous with color across the nose and the apples [of the cheeks]," explains Keys. She tells us that Devon's blush was more vertical, starting at the apples and blending up throughout the cheekbone and toward the temple, which provided a lifted and elongated look without looking forced. "To re-create it, I'd use a cream blush like Wet n Wild MegaGlo Vitamin E Makeup Sticks, or a liquid blush like the Wet n Wild MegaGlow Lip & Cheek Color, and work it upward in soft layers, blending until it feels like part of the skin," she shares.

According to Keys, vertical blush works so well on heart-shaped and round faces because it draws the eye upwards and helps balance the fullness of the cheeks without boxing anything in. "The trick is to keep it sheer and buildable, letting the blush do the work of structure instead of relying on heavy contour," she says. "If I want a playful effect, I'll sometimes add a whisper of color across the bridge of the nose to tie it in together."

Now that you've had a taste of what makes this model look as screenshot-worthy as it is, keep scrolling to learn what else you can do to replicate Aoki's many iconic makeup looks, with expert guidance from Keys, product recommendations, and tips for flawless product application.

Dewy Complexion

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Natural Flush

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Berry-Stained Lips

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Metallic Lids

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Fluffy Brows

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Dewy Finish

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Miu Miu's last few collections, namely its S/S 2024 one, put preppy style back on the map for the fashion crowd as soon as they saw it come down the runway. Ever since then, academia seems to continue to be an inspiration for the brand. The S/S 2025 runway show included the running theme of pleated skirts, tailored pants, and zip-up polo shirts, and as we know, designers (especially Miuccia Prada) are the trendsetters. And now, the preppy collegiate aesthetic trend that was so popular in the early 2000s has hit the mainstream once again.

Celebrities are ready to embrace this aesthetic trend, as just this week, both Iris Law and Rachel Brosnahan were spotted wearing preppy Miu Miu–coded looks. Law was spotted in Paris wearing a navy polka-dot polo dress paired with satin pink Miu Miu ballet flats. Meanwhile, Brosnahan was in NYC wearing a head-to-toe preppy Miu Miu look: a polo shirt tucked into a plaid pleated skirt. The socks and pointed toe slingbacks (a signature Miu Miu styling trick) are my favorite touch.

It’s no coincidence that both women were recently spotted wearing the trend on the same day in two completely different parts of the world. I, for one, am happy to see preppy style make a comeback. If you are too, keep scrolling to shop pieces that'll add some preppiness to your wardrobe.

On Iris Law: Miu Miu Satin Ballet Flats ($1020)

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On Rachel Brosnahan: Miu Miu Polo Shirt ($1150), Pleated Check Miniskirt ($1990), Arcadie Leather Bag ($3100), Logo-Knit Silk Socks ($550), and Pointed Toe Slingback Sandals ($1290)

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The S/S 2025 Miu Miu Preppy Look

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At this point, you might be tired of hearing about the endless return of 2000s fashion, but like it or not, the era is clearly hanging around. From low-rise jeans to denim-on-denim in full Britney-and-Justin glory, tube tops to butterfly motifs, Y2K trends remain at the forefront of fashion. It’s not just the clothes that have fashion fans feeling nostalgic, either; the influence of the 2000s is noticeably dominating the biggest 2025 sandal trends, too. From caged jelly sandals to chunky platforms, this summer’s footwear lineup feels unapologetically noughties-coded, and I’m kind of obsessed.

'00s Sandals Are Back, and Fashion Is Loving It

When I think of iconic '00s sandals, my mind instantly serves up images of the people who wore them best at the time: Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, to name a few. Whether it's Britney's chunky flip-flops or Paris's endless rotation of heeled, strappy sandals, these silhouettes are once again influencing stylish women everywhere, especially those on my feed.

Even once cringeworthy styles are being reappraised through a nostalgic lens. According to Who What Wear UK's SEO writer Ava Gilchrist, "Noughties sandals can be borderline ghastly when you think back to them—the idea of wrapping the straps of Gladiator styles around my calf like some sort of deli meat makes me shudder—but there are some exceptions. Namely, the feathered Jimmy Choo heels worn by Carrie Bradshaw, or the Giuseppe Zanotti encrusted crab heels. But, if there is one style I’d have to single out as a favourite, it would be the little platform wedges worn everywhere, from the pool to prom."

Today, designers are reinventing iconic early-2000s sandal silhouettes with a modern twist. See Coperni’s foam-wedge Platform Thong Sandals (£350), Givenchy’s rubber Marshmallow Wedge Sandals (£475) and the almost sold-out Paris Georgia Dune Wedges (£580), which Gilchrist owns, much to the envy of her colleagues. But it's not just platforms that have seen a revival; jellies have undergone a high-fashion transformation too. The Row’s Pre-Fall 2024 show featured redesigned netted versions, and Chloé and COS also incorporated jelly sandals into their spring/summer 2025 collections.

All this runway attention means one thing: fashion people can’t get enough of '00s sandal trends. From Kendall Jenner stepping out in Dries Van Noten platform thong sandals to Jennifer Lawrence pairing peachy jelly shoes with white overalls, these once-nostalgic shoes are proving that they are once again a style staple.

Need more convincing that noughties sandals are officially back? Everyone’s favourite fashion icon, Carrie Bradshaw, is being immortalised once again, this time by none other than Jimmy Choo. The brand is set to re-release two of its most iconic strappy sandals: the Archive Leo 100 Leopard-Print Sandals (£675), worn with a fitted pink tank and that unforgettable white tutu in Sex in the City's opening credits, and its "72318" Lilac Suede Sandal with Feather Embellishment (£775) from season three, made famous by Carrie’s iconic line, “I lost my Choo!” And honestly? If it’s good enough for Carrie, it’s good enough for me.

Now that I've proven the relevance of these '00s sandals in 2025, let's take a closer look at the specific trends I'm seeing come through. Scroll on to see how the A-list wore these styles the first time around, then continue to shop my edit of the best modern-day pairs to buy now.

7 '00s Sandal Trends That Are Having a Moment in 2025

1. Platform Flip-Flops

Style Notes: If there's one sandal that embodies '00s cool, it's the platform flip-flop. Once towering at nearly five inches, these chunky sandals were a bold fashion statement in the noughties. Even Gwyneth Paltrow, whose style has forever been considered sophisticated, wore a pair on the red carpet, of all places. Today, they’ve been reimagined with a focus on comfort and modern, playful design. The updated versions include inflated soles, exaggerated footbeds and thicker, sculptural straps. In simple terms: the bigger, the better, with brands from Coach to Zara embracing the silhouette’s maximalist appeal.

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2. Strappy Sandals

Style Notes: A true '00s style that never really went out of fashion, the strappy sandal continues to feel relevant 25 years on. Its simplicity means it's remained a wardrobe staple year after year, bridging seasonal trends and personal style shifts. Whether minimal and delicate or bold and architectural, there's a version for everyone. When in doubt, channel Jennifer Aniston by pairing them with a sleek black dress for a polished finish. A fashion no-brainer, these are as reliable as they are chic.

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3. Jelly Sandals

Style Notes: Once relegated exclusively to childhood wardrobes, my favourite sandal trend to re-emerge is undoubtedly the jelly sandal. They used to be clunky and thick-strapped (see comedian Sarah Silverman's 2023 red carpet look), but today’s iterations blend nostalgic charm with elevated silhouettes. Designers have taken the playful trend and transformed it into something sleek, elegant and fashion-forward. Ancient Greek Sandals uses coloured jelly textures in flip-flop form to create subtle visual interest, whilst Chloé breathes new life into the style with kitten heels that feel more Paris runway than playground. Take it as proof that fashion can reinvent even the most unlikely classics.

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4. Gladiator Sandals

Style Notes: When recalling '00s fashion memories, our social media editor Megan Storey fondly recalls the gladiator sandal. "I really did love them back in the day," she says. For others, myself included, the memory is a little less rosy. Those towering, thigh-high versions with endless laces and unforgiving straps and zips were more likely to cut off circulation than deliver a chic moment. They were more of a punishment than footwear. But in 2025, the gladiator sandal has had an overhaul. No longer the over-the-knee cages of the early 2000s, modern iterations have been pared back to something far more wearable and refined. Designers like Manolo Blahnik and Dior have introduced elegant takes that preserve the strappy essence of the original but with sleeker, more wearable silhouettes.

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5. Thong Sandals

Style Notes: Having made a strong return to the fashion scene in recent years, the flat thong sandal is no longer seen as a '00s hazard, but rather, a chic and considered footwear choice. Popularised in the early 2000s by celebrities like Natalie Portman, Nicole Richie and Kim Kardashian (pictured above), these sandals were styled with jeans and slip dresses, and often made appearances on the red carpet in rebelliously casual looks. Today, designers such as The Row, Toteme and Jil Sander have embraced the silhouette, elevating it to a luxury minimalist essential. Crafted in refined materials like leather and suede, this once-basic sandal has found a sleek and sophisticated new identity.

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6. Toe-Ring Sandals

Style Notes: If you told me a few months ago that I couldn’t walk the streets of London without spotting toe-ring sandals everywhere, I wouldn’t have believed you. Once associated with an Eat Pray Love-adjacent aesthetic, this 2000s silhouette has been refined and reworked with thinner straps and more delicate details. Defined by a ring that loops around the big toe, updated versions strike the perfect balance between comfort and quiet luxury. In her Spice World era, Victoria Beckham was a big fan of the style, and now, the rest of us are catching on.

Nowadays, brands like Reformation are offering elegant leather iterations, whilst Zara has leaned into the trend with accessible, on-point designs. It’s not just the street style set who are into them; according to trend forecasting platform Trendalytics, global searches for "toe-ring sandals" have surged by 149% year on year. Personally, I knew the style had real staying power the moment I saw Jennifer Lawrence stepping out in a pair of St. Agni toe-loop sandals.

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7. Wedge Mule Sandals

Style Notes: A trend I can fully get behind? The platform wedge mule. From the 1970s to the early 2000s, this bold silhouette graced the feet of icons like Cher, the Spice Girls and Britney Spears, transforming a simple peep-toe platform into a symbol of fun. Fast forward to today, and designers like Stella McCartney and Alaïa are reimagining the platform mule with a modern sculptural edge, and our video editor, Natasha Wilson, is all in. "I just bought these chunky, slightly platform mules from M&S that I haven’t stopped wearing," she says. "The brown suede is super on-trend, and they’ve been elevating all my outfits." Her go-to styling trick? "I’ve been using them to dress up simple jeans and a white top—they do all the work for me."

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It’s not every day you get to walk into the Sephora building on 5th Avenue in NYC before it opens—security unlocking the doors, employees greeting you by name. It’s definitely not normal to get a one-on-one breakdown of one of the most prominent store locations in the U.S., then head upstairs into the secret glam-meets-content space, where makeup master David Razzano—a storied editorial makeup artist and Sephora Beauty Director—is ready to school you in makeup 101.

No, my breath hitched in my throat as I walked into the room, outfitted in subtle Sephora stripes, with a full glam station, studio lighting, and a set chair—all so I could learn how to do my makeup right after all these years of teaching myself, poring over articles, learning from YouTubers, and scrolling through TikTok. I felt like the little girl visiting New York for the first time, screaming inside me, as the now NYC resident-turned-beauty-editor put on her beauty school cap. It was time to learn how to do things the right way (and by way of an early aughts makeup look, at that).

The objective? Create a John Galliano for Dior 2000s runway–inspired look, while absorbing makeup tips from this editorial look that I could apply to my everyday life. Keep scrolling for the tips and exact products that Razzano recommended, changing my entire makeup strategy for the better. (PS, I saved the most life-altering tip for last.)

1. Prime With Liquid Eye Shadow

According to Razzano, blending several sheer layers of eye shadow is the key to great eye makeup. But first, you have to lay down a good base.

“These are the best products for smoky eyes because you never, ever get fallout,” explains Razzano as he blends the Danessa Myricks Colorfix product in varying shades of light and dark across my lids. Just make sure to focus on one thing at a time, says the makeup artist, as liquid eye shadows can dry very quickly (especially these Colorfix picks) and be set that way for hours.

Razzano’s implements the “undergarment” technique, where he compares cream eye shadow and powder to cotton and sheer fabrics. “Think of this as if I am putting on a tube top and a panty underneath a sheer dress. Everything that you put under the dress affects the result of the outfit,” he explains. The artist places liquid eye shadow where he knows he wants to build intensity, like the coverage of an undergarment, and dusts powder eye shadow on top of the bare skin and dry shadow to add that “sheer” effect, which blends everything seamlessly. “It’s going to give a water-color, airbrushed look,” he explains.

Razzano's Recommendations

2. Avoid the TikTok How-To Videos

You can learn a lot of great makeup advice on TikTok. Razzano doesn’t deny that. But what you shouldn’t copy and paste is the way the person with a heart-shaped face on TikTok shows you how to contour your cheekbones when you have a round face. “The biggest thing I think people do wrong is follow trends that are set by a particular style of bone structure,” says Razzano. He references the cat eye: It can look too bold on some eye shapes and confuse your facial balance. “You have to know your bone structure and what works best for you," he explains.

I noticed Razzano learning my bone structure in minutes, thanks to years of honed expertise, placing deep shadow where the pockets of my eye socket could stand it, and adding highlights where the sun naturally hits the high points of my brow bone. This technique can be applied to both face and skin: mimicking the way light hits your skin for an everyday look, and bending or exaggerating that placement with larger or intentionally “off” placement for something more editorial.

3. Halve Your Mascara

Yes, the no-mascara trend is hotter than ever, but Razzano says if you still want to use it, you need to stop applying the wand straight from the tube to your lashes. “The only time I will use a wand full of mascara is when I intentionally want giant, spidery, clumpy lashes,” he explains.

You see, it’s easy for product to get clumped into the bristles of your mascara wand—no matter how great the product itself may be—depending on how long you’ve owned it and how you store it (upright, tossed into a bin, etc.). To fight back against disproportionate clumping, Razzano urges you to wipe off most of the product along the inside of the tube to make sure the bristles are primed for precise, flake-free, thin mascara strokes from the roots to the tips. (Plus, this makes it easier to build upon if you decide you want more volume.)

Razzano's Recommendations

4. Stop Trying to Look "Perfect"

What Razzano has noticed among makeup artists and fledgling TikTok MUAs today is that everyone is aiming for perfection in their work, which plays in stark opposition to human design. “Human faces are not perfectly even,” Razzano says. “The moment you start making one side have to match perfectly to the other side, you start seeing the other things that are uneven, which are always uneven.”

Remember 2016 block brows? A shining example. In the pursuit of perfectly symmetrical brows, Razzano says that people would notice the other inequities of their facial shapes—whether it be a curved nose or uneven cheekbones—because of the new symmetry they’re forcing onto their brows (sisters, not twins, remember?). “Once you go down that route, you start seeing imperfection as a bad thing rather than a good thing,” he muses. “It’s like looking into a magnifying mirror and looking at all of the things that nobody else sees—and literally nobody else sees them.”

5. Blush Marriage

Depending on the look, Razzano agrees with what several other makeup artists have said about blush placement: if it looks natural, it should blend into your eye makeup. Think of sweeping the product into the eye shadow to create a blend so seamless that you can’t tell where your blush ends and shadow begins.

“You also need to think about what you want your blush to do for you,” says Razzano. “Sometimes you want blush to add a pop of color, sometimes you want it to sculpt, and each of those things is going to be applied differently.”

If you suffer from blush blindness (accidentally applying too much), Razzano recommends lightly applying powder foundation over the area to diffuse the color. “You can even intentionally apply blush a little heavy and then go over it with a powder foundation, so you’re underpainting,” he says. Razzano explains that the oils within your skin will eventually melt the blush into your complexion, making it look like a natural flush.

Editor Recommendations

6. Only Use Primer If You Need It

If a beauty director at a mega retailer is telling you you don’t need a product that’s been pushed on you by the internet, you know it’s the real deal. “Many years ago, everyone said you had to use a primer, but you don’t need one unless you have a necessary use for it,” he explains. Need your makeup to stay on for a long day? Sure. Do you need your makeup to cover your pores? Maybe. If not, skip this one.

Editor Recommendations

7. Skip the Lip Oil

Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by a lip oil and lip liner combo that vanishes 20 minutes later. Guess what? We all have our hands raised.

“Oil breaks everything down,” Razzano explains. The average beauty lover might appreciate the comforting hydration that their favorite lip oil imparts, but they might not realize that it’s the very thing cannibalizing their color. “Any oil can basically be used as a makeup remover—even the most waterproof product will come off with basic canola cooking oil,” he explains.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you should toss your favorite oil formulas. In fact, they’re great to wear alone as a conditioning treatment. But if you really can’t part with your oil-infused combo (after all, they are so shiny), Razzano recommends using a lip stain before applying your oil to gain a bit more longevity.

The solution? Stick to lip gloss. “A classic gloss will hold the product longer underneath the lipstick, the lip liner, all of it.”

Razzano's Recommendations

About the Expert

David Razzano is a professional makeup artist and one of the beauty directors for mega-retailer Sephora. In addition to his work at Sephora, Razzano’s work can often be found decorating the pages of editorials, having worked on shoots featuring Christine Quinn, Rina Sawayama, Ice Spice, and more for Paper Magazine, Elle, Rolling Stone, and more.

As any New Yorker knows, the kind of style you spot in the street is highly dependent on which neighborhood you find yourself in. Lower Manhattan is unquestionably home to the trendsetting crowd, and whenever I find myself taking a stroll through the blocks just south of Houston Street, I'm instantly reminded of which trends, brands, and items are most popular among Gen Z and millennials at the moment. Right now, there's a single handbag style I'm spotting on the arms of the best dressed in the borough: slouchy and oversize bags that look (and in some cases, are) straight out of the early 2000s.

On Bella Hadid: Balenciaga Le City Medium Bag ($2900)

While the designer bags of 2025 are a particularly strong bunch—what with the arrival of the Bottega Veneta Ciao Ciao, Balenciaga Rodeo, and Khaite Cate—they're all still being crushed by the carryall that's made a roaring resurgence from the early aughts. The era has loomed large recently as fashion's most influential decade and nowhere have we seen that more obviously than when it comes to the handbags that celebs and the fashion set alike are reaching for, but especially the Balenciaga Le City Bag.

On Kaia Gerber: Balenciaga Le City Medium Bag ($2900); Dôen cardigan; Leset pants; Repetto flats

First released in 2001 as the Motorcycle Bag, the City Bag was Hollywood's hottest outfit companion throughout the 2000s with everyone from Mischa Barton to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to Nicole Richie sporting theirs nonstop. Balenciaga recently debuted its updated take on the iconic City Bag, dubbing it Le City, and celebs like Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, and Tate McRae have all been spotted carrying theirs over the last several weeks. The bags are taking off across Instagram and TikTok as the fashion set revisits this nostalgic favorite.

On Tate McRae: Balenciaga Le City Large Bag ($3250)

McRae, whose third album, So Close to What, was just released, stepped out in New York this week in a casual winter combo of trousers, chunky sneakers, and a wool coat, adding a Balenciaga Le City Bag in smoke to complete the muted look.

On Rachel Sennott: Chloé Paddington Bag

Photographed at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Sennott perfectly matched her tan jacket and skirt to her vintage Paddington, which was sourced by Last Platinum Vintage.

New Yorkers tend to wear theirs with other It pieces like Puma sneakers, statement coats, and track pants and are always accessorizing the bags with personalized touches in the form of bag charms and stickers.

Although celebs in L.A. and fashion people in New York are who we spot carrying the bags the most, the European trendsetting bunch are also very fond of the City Bag.

When a fashion person picks up the early aughts carryall, they're more than likely wearing it with other calling cards of the decade, like skinny jeans.

Shop the Balenciaga Le City Bag

More 2000s Designer Bags That Are Very Now

This story was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Welcome to the Gen Z Mood, where I—Who What Wear UK's 26-year-old social media editor—keep you updated with my mood of the month and the most exciting things I’ve spotted on the scroll. I'm always looking for new and thrifty ways to shop trends, and I'm taking you with me.

When Coco Chanel famously advised, “Before leaving the house, you should look in the mirror and remove one item,” she clearly didn’t see 2025 coming (or Kylie Jenner’s latest accessory-adorned head-to-toe Chanel look for that matter). Over the last year, we’ve seen a full-on accessory renaissance, a rebellion against the pared back, minimalist quiet luxury appetite as of late perhaps, or just another trip down memory lane (remember when any Sienna Miller look wasn’t complete without a belt, a chunky necklace, a bag and a hat?)

But this time, it isn’t just celebrities opting into this more is more attitude. From kitsch tights and serious ties to bedazzled shoes and bonnets, 2025 looks to be the year the fashion set’s passion for adding a little something extra to an outfit reaches fever pitch. Even our bags now have bags—see the Who What Wear team's new favourite bag charm below for evidence.

This embracement for accessorising or, in some cases, over-accessorising isn’t exclusive to one fashion-loving generation. It’s attracting shopping of every demographic; for every nostalgia-loving millennial reaching to the back of their wardrobes to dust off that '00s boho Chloé belt, there’s a thrifty 23-year-old curating their Vinted likes via pinpoint specific search terms. Taking a look at the app's search bar, ‘00s sunglasses’, ‘Y2K baguette bag’, ‘knitted bonnet’, ‘bag charms’ are just a few with tonnes of search volume behind them, supplying accessory-curious Gen Zs like me, a wealth of affordable purchases at their fingertips.

The lure in accessorising, and why I’m making the case that it’ll reach new heights in 2025, lies in its accessibility as a trend. The idea of accessorising a look in order to elevate it, works very well for a money-conscious generation, along with style seekers tiring of the micro-trend cycles and desperately trying to curate a more personal personal style.

Collectively we’re bringing a wink and a nod back to getting dressed via an accessory of our choice. Throwing on an accent hat, (a La Chappell Roan’s hennin at the Grammys) or a pair of chic framed glasses (see Doechii’s recent street-style wardrobe) is just a bit of fun. And to me, there’s nothing more fun than walking around Anya-Hindmarch-style with a mini can of Diet Coke attached to my bag—aside from the £295.00 price tag, of course, but a girl can dream! Read on for more fun, Y2K-inspired accessory trends I have pinned to my mood board for the year ahead.

Framed Glasses

Opting for a chic pair of framed glasses seems to be the fashion set's favourite way to elevate a simple outfit right now. Look to the feeds of celebs like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber and you'll notice several spectacle-clad chic 'fits. And, the best news is, you no longer need a prescription from the optician to try this one out, a surge in the popularity of blue light technology means you can style up as many chic glasses styles as you like, all the while protecting your eyes from those pesky screens! My favourite point of reference? Giselle Bündchen's character in The Devil Wears Prada, need I say more?

Hats (of All Descriptions!)

From big fluffy bucket hats (think that pink Pamela Anderson look in the '90s) to berets and every kind of bonnet (crochet being my personal favourite) the eclectic line up of hats I've spotted out and about recently might mean 2025 might be the year they brush off their rep as novelty thrills and become the new accessory you simply won't be able to leave the house without. It's been a while since we've embraced such a range of headgear, but right now nothing feels off limits–we even spotted Kendall Jenner in a Kiera-Knightley-esque baker boy this week. Here are a few of my favourites for spring.

Bangles and Cuffs

Now this one feels straight out of the '00s cool-girl playbook. For most of us, the sound of bangles clanking on everything from your belt buckle to the tube handles takes us back to when flip phones were a tech break-through and Joss Stone was number one. But 2025's iteration of this trend looks chicer than ever with bold mixed-metal designs and contemporary tonal plastic iterations fast becoming the easiest way to make a simple outfit look more expensive. These are a few I think we're going to see a lot more of over the coming seasons.

Skinny Scarves

Made famous in the early oughts by party girls like Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan, back then the skinny scarf felt like a crucial piece of the indie sleaze uniform. The latest version of this trend might be cooler still. We've seen loads of longer, knitted skinny scarves debuted by the coolest city dwellers this year, often paired with a matching cardigan or jumper to give ultimate cosy chic. The best part of this trend? it's so easy to shop second-hand, see below.

Bag Charms

It's no news flash that bag charms have taken the fashion world by storm this year, but as more people grow to love the idea of personalising their already most personal possession, a flurry of new styles and iterations from designers have kept this nostalgic trend feeling fresh. There are already trainer charms, glasses charms and phone charms, so who's to say the bag charm trend won't extend into more niches this season? These are the cute additions I'll be decorating all my belongings with until further notice.

Coloured Tights

If you were a child of the late '90s like me, the term 'fashion tights' might conjure up a disdain for all things glittery, low crotched and nylon. But lucky for us, when certain trends come back around they come out fighting. This season we've seen a plethora of chic coloured tights outfits from fashion's finest. Whether it's a bold print off set with a monochromatic look, or a pop of colour that seems to tie everything together, adding a statement pair of tights has become this season's accessory of choice–and I for one am all for it.

Ties

If you've had Bella Hadid's Saint Laurent oversized suit and tie catwalk look tattooed to the inside of your brain since last autumn, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say ties are the coolest way to accessorise your wardrobe in 2025. From my Instagram feed to the streets of London I've seen so many fashion people having fun and playing around with this trend–with every new look comes fresh styling inspo (right now, I'm loving a western-style bolo tie paired with an oversized white shirt). Whether you're into an Avril Lavigne-inspired low-slung casual tie and tank top situation or want the full suited and booted impact, shopping this trend has never been easier and the thrift shops are full of vintage styles too!

If there’s one thing true about fashion, it’s that no trend ever truly disappears—it just takes a strategic hiatus before making its triumphant return. Case in point: bubble-hem dresses. Once a staple of early 2000s red carpets (and, let’s be honest, some iconic prom looks), the voluminous silhouette is back with a vengeance, and this time, it comes with high-fashion credibility to match.

Designers have been hinting at the bubble hem’s comeback for seasons, subtly incorporating rounded hemlines into their collections. But now it’s official: The trend has fully infiltrated both the runways and the street style scene. Brands like Khaite and Simone Rocha have reimagined the silhouette with modern, structured takes, proving that the bubble hem can be sleek, sculptural, and effortlessly cool. Meanwhile, contemporary labels like Miaou and Stone Cold Fox are making it wearable for the everyday fashion crowd with fresh interpretations that feel very polished.

The key to styling bubble hems in 2025? Balance. The exaggerated volume speaks for itself, so keep the rest of your look streamlined. Think a dramatic bubble mini with knee-high boots or a midi version paired with sleek pointed-toe heels and minimal accessories. And if the idea of full-volume drama feels like too much, dip a toe into the trend with a subtler ballooned effect—designers are offering everything from soft bubble hems to structured, cocoon-like shapes.

Whether you love it or loathe it, there’s no denying that the bubble-hem renaissance is in full swing. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that when a nostalgic trend returns, it sticks around for a while. So if you haven’t already embraced the trend, it might be time.

See how fashion insiders are styling the "dated" dress trend, and shop our favorite picks at the end.

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Miley Cyrus isn’t just an early 2000s music icon—she’s an early 2000s fashion icon, too. Case in point? The "Flowers" singer strutted the 2025 Grammys red carpet in a pair of peak Y2K footwear: metallic wedges. Cyrus, dressed by her longtime stylist Bradley Kenneth, wore a leather halter gown, courtesy of Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, paired with the controversial wedges. Cyrus' choice of footwear, Saint Laurent’s Salomé wedges, completed the full head-to-toe maison look, with additional sparkle coming from jewels by Tiffany & Co.

Shop Miley's Wedges

Cyrus has come a long way from her Hannah Montana days (even though her starlet-inspired chunky highlights may beg to differ!). The artist, who won her singular award tonight (Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "II Most Wanted" alongside Beyoncé), clearly paid homage to her breakout role on the Disney Channel series. Don’t forget where you came from, folks!

You can keep up with the rest of our Grammys red carpet coverage on our 2025 live blog.

In a twist sending ripples through the fashion world, skinny jeans, once a ubiquitous staple in every millennial’s wardrobe, are now making a bold return.

After years of increasingly voluminous, oversized denim dominating the landscape, the pendulum is swinging back towards a more streamlined silhouette, proving that fashion really is cyclical. The denim equivalent of Marmite, this divisive jeans silhouette was sparking heated debate on TikTok in 2021, with Gen Z split between embracing and "cancelling" skinny jeans. Now, in 2025, we’re rediscovering and reinventing the look, with the resurgence influenced by the autumn/winter 2024 runway collections from designers like McQueen, Celine, Diesel and Miu Miu.

Skinny Jeans Through the Ages

The Golden Age of Skinny Jeans

The skinny jeans' DNA is rooted in rebellion, tracing back to the beatnik era of the 1950s, where it became synonymous with bad-boy culture and rock 'n' roll, immortalised by icons like James Dean, Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley. Whilst jeans weren’t mainstream for women in the '50s, fashion-forward actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn pioneered the slim-fit, high-waisted trouser look. In the 1960s, the style entered its first golden age, embraced by Mod girls and rockers, before disappearing in the 1970s to make way for flared jeans. The skinny jean resurfaced with punk culture in the 1980s, deliberately distressed and torn.

Skinny Jeans in the Y2K Era

The 2000s ushered in a new era with the rise of indie sleaze, a gritty aesthetic championed by Pete Doherty, The Strokes and Kings of Leon, all embodying a carefree, anti-establishment attitude. The mainstream adoption of skinny jeans in the mid-00s was led, of course, by Kate Moss. Her signature look saw the jeans paired with ballet flats, knee-high boots and blazers, and was endlessly documented and widely emulated. The trend gained momentum when fellow style icons like Sienna Miller embraced a boho look along with the Olsen twins, cementing skinny jeans as a wardrobe essential.

Celebrities Wearing Skinny Jeans

Style Notes: Gigi Hadid proves how sleek black skinny jeans can look as part of a full monochrome outfit. I love how she opted for leather boots and a matching bag to add some texture to the look.

Style Notes: Miller stays true to her boho-inspired style by pairing her classic blue skinnies with a Nordic-patterned jumper, red leather tote and minimalist flats.

Style Notes: Lila Moss shows us how to dress up our skinnies for a night out. A simple sheer tank and sleek black pumps can easily take your skinny jeans for a night on the town, and I love the addition of the skinny belt.

Skinny Jeans on the Runway

Skinny Jeans in the Modern Day

For the past decade, the allure of skinny jeans has waned, and the COVID-19 pandemic only intensified our love affair with looser, more comfortable fits. However, 2025 marks the triumphant return of this iconic silhouette, now reimagined for a new generation. In the past six months, Google Trends has shown a significant spike in searches for skinny jeans, highlighting their resurgence.

Influencers in Skinny Jeans

Style Notes: Black skinny jeans can easily replace your tailored trousers for the office. Just look at Aïda Badji's pairing of black skinnies with a tweed jacket and ballet flats.

Style Notes: The easiest way to dress up classic blue jeans? Add a pair of kitten heels like Anouk Yve.

Style Notes: Skinny jeans pair well with so many different shoe styles, from loafers to sky-high heels. However, my favourite combo by far is skinnies with knee-high boots—an instantly elegant outfit.

Style Notes: Tonal outfits will forever be chic, and I love how Hannah Lewis has gone head-to-toe black and added a chocolate-brown suede blazer as a point of interest.

Style Notes: When summer comes around, opt for a light-blue wash that will wear seamlessly with your classic white tank tops. Add some interest by pairing them with another Y2K-inspired style: cowboy boots.

The 2025 Guide to Styling Skinny Jeans

My own journey with skinny jeans began with a super-stretch pair from Paige Denim, discovered at the Ron Herman store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Low-waisted, worn with ankle boots and a leather jacket, this look became my go-to. Today's approach to skinny jeans requires a fresh perspective. When selecting your perfect pair, focus on darker washes and strategic fading around the thighs to create a flattering silhouette. Opt for blacks, greys and dark, single-rinse denim. 2025's skinny jeans incorporate stretch-back technology, offering support and structure, whilst thoughtful pocket placement ensures the perfect fit. Look for the latest fabric innovations, like Coreva, a plant-based, compostable stretch denim from the Candiani Denim mill.

Styling has evolved significantly. Replace ankle boots with knee-high or over-the-knee styles, balance proportions with boxy blazers and add a contemporary twist with Western-style or riding boots. For those still hesitant, a bootcut pair of jeans that’s slim through the thigh with a subtle flare offers a good alternative.

As a denim expert, I’ve tried on so many pairs of skinny jeans. Keep scrolling to discover my carefully curated edit of the season’s best.

Shop the Best Skinny Jeans

Back in the iconic early aughts, body glitter was *that* girl—and Urban Decay's Marshmallow Sparkling Lickable Body Powder was the queen bee. It was edible (questionably so, now that I think about it), deliciously retro (that leopard puff!), and the absolute marker of cool. After all, Regina George famously dusted it across her clavicle while getting ready for the Spring Fling. (True story, watch the OG scene!)

Urban Decay may have sunsetted the body powder back in 2013, but all the cool girls I know still smell like marshmallows—and Ellis Brooklyn's new Fragrance Mist is seconds away from becoming the HBIC. Below, discover the 2025 version of arguably the most cult-classic beauty staple of all time.

As its name suggests, Marshmallows is heavy on the sugary notes, not unlike the sticky-sweet body powders of decades past. It's a gooey, gourmand scent, for sure—the most dessert-like in Ellis Brooklyn's entire portfolio, I'd argue—but there's a toasty quality that gives it a little more edge than your standard vanilla fragrance. "It's such a bouncy and fun ingredient, but also, in fragrance, it's very lovely to work with," Ellis Brooklyn founder Bee Shapiro exclusively tells Who What Wear. "There's a spun-sugar quality and also a natural milkiness that's very much a cousin to vanilla in that way."

Shapiro has had Marshmallows on the brain since incorporating the note in the brand's Sweet Eau de Parfum. "Gourmand notes were not as popular back when we launched Sweet in early 2020," she recounts. Now? The fragrance market is practically erupting with new ways to smell like hours spent in a pastry shop, so it was high time for marshmallow to have its own moment.

Yet unlike the saccharine body sprays (or powders) you might have bathed in back in the day, Marshmallows has a salty, slightly spicy kick—thanks to caramel accord, lemon, amber woods, and milky musks—that keeps it feeling elevated. Think beachside s'mores as opposed to Fluffernutters. "I am not necessarily someone who always reaches for a gourmand fragrance," Shapiro admits. "So when I design gourmand fragrances with perfumers, I always key on pairing the dessert-like notes with something sophisticated. I'm after that balance of yumminess but also beauty."

I'd say Marshmallows perfectly toes that line. The lemon, although nearly undetectable in the blend, gives it a solid brightness, while milky musks provide a cozy yet polished dry-down. Musks also have a grounding effect in fragrance, which is what helps Marshmallows play nice with countless perfume combinations. "It layers very well with Peaches perfume body mist, which gives the peach scent this yummy, cozy vibe," says Shapiro. "I also like Marshmallows with Sweet Eau de Parfum—we're just amplifying the existing marshmallow note in Sweet here—and also Vanilla Milk and Apple Love. For the latter two, Marshmallows perfume body mist adds a delicately sweet kick."

And because it's a body mist, which means it contains a less-concentrated amount of fragrance oil, you can spritz it on with abandon without the fear of smelling overly sweet. Instantly, I'm reminded of those dark, early mornings I'd douse my limbs in body spray so I could saunter into sixth-grade homeroom with a cloud of spun sugar in my wake—you know, like all the cool girls did.

More Ellis Brooklyn Scents I Love

It's rare (but not unheard of) for beauty editors to keep coming back to a specific makeup product for years on end. As a beauty editor myself, I know it's the highest compliment we could give. To think that we keep repurchasing one item when we test hundreds per year and have access to the best in the business is pretty special.

One of those products is the Urban Decay Original Naked Eyeshadow Palette. Another one of those products is the Urban Decay Moondust Eye Shadow in the shade Space Cowboy. (Can I pause here to give Urban Decay a shout-out for creating such iconic products?)

The latter launched in 2013, but lately, it's been making the rounds on social media as Gen Z rediscovers its universally flattering hue and otherwordly sparkle. Personally, I couldn't be happier about this development. I've been wearing it for 12 years, and I don't think I'll ever stop. It warms my heart to see it get the love it deserves. Ahead, learn why this eye shadow deserves a spot in your makeup bag!

The Eye Shadow

How It Looks IRL

Look #1: Sheer & Subtle

I always use my finger to apply it to my eyelids. I find that it picks up more color and sparkle than a brush. Once it's on, I either sheer it out by blending it with my finger or build it up by packing on more for a dramatic look. This is the former. I used light pressure to apply it, blended it out across my entire eyelid, and then added a swipe of mascara. As you can see, the effect is subtle, yet elevated. Instead of big flecks of glitter, you only see a soft, sophisticated shine.

Look #2: Bold & Dramatic

Here's what it looks like when I use heavier pressure and don't blend it out as much on my eyelids. The sparkle is much more defined and looks ethereal, thanks to a wet-look finish. If you want to make it even more impactful, apply it over another eye shadow. Trust me—you won't believe how stunning it looks, especially in low light. Yeah, for me, it's a makeup bag must-have.

The Rest of the Space Cowboy Collection

Shop 5 Similar Shimmery Eye Shadows

When it comes to my style (both beauty and fashion), I've always been inspired by the movies, music, and pop culture that was big around the time of my teenage years and early adulthood. Sure, my frontal lobe was still forming, but the '90s and early 2000s were a gold mine for beauty and fashion inspiration. Hello, 1999's Jawbreaker? There were the dark, vampy lips that defined Drew Barrymore's '90s look and Aaliyah's mesmerizing metallic eye shadow in the music video for "Try Again." At the time, I knew they were cool, but I didn't have the foresight that I'd be trying to re-create them 20 years later. As I step into 2025 wearing my very '90s platform sandals, it's the perfect time to channel that same energy and pay these iconic looks homage while also giving them a fresh, modern twist.

Even if we refer to this makeup as '90s and Y2K inspired, a lot of it is completely timeless to me. Maybe it's just the nostalgia factor or my refusal to move on, but they perfectly capture the mood and culture of their eras. Take, for example, Gwen Stefani's bold red lips and sharp, ultra-thin brows. Yes, she may be more commercial and mainstream these days (she even released a country-inspired album), but at the time, she helped define a generation of beauty rebels who gave the finger to traditional beauty standards. Even though blue eye shadow ebbs and flows in the realm of beauty trends, I consider Christina Ricci's frosty blue eye shadow in Buffalo '66 something I can replicate whenever I want to channel a retro, moody vibe. Bottom line: These looks weren't just about aesthetics—they were about badass attitude, self-expression, and unapologetic individuality.

If you want to join me in re-creating legendary beauty moments from the '90s and 2000s (Cruel Intentions! Josie and the Pussycats!) in 2025, keep reading for all the inspo you need, plus the makeup products that will get you there.

1. Drew Barrymore's "'90s Bad Girl" Style

Barrymore's style in the '90s was nothing short of legendary. With her ultra-thin brows (yes, I lovingly blame her for my skinny-brow trauma); tousled, bleach-blonde hair; penchant for body glitter; and, most importantly, vampy lipstick, she embodied effortless red carpet cool. Deep, moody lip colors were on-trend at the time, but on her, they felt rebellious and chic, perfectly capturing the angst-ridden aesthetic of the decade's grunge and riot grrrl icons. She did hang out with Courtney Love back in those days, after all.

MAC Lip Liner in Spice ($25) was her go-to back then, but even though it's still around, people have pointed out that today's version is much warmer than the OG. A new alternative that comes very close to the original Spice is Mob Beauty's Smooth Precision Waterproof Lip Liner in M1990 ($22). However, I say it's time to elevate Barrymore's allover lip liner look and go for a plush dark lipstick, like Charlotte Tilbury's K.i.s.s.i.n.g Satin Shine Lipstick in Night Crimson. Oh, and to get that body glitter look that she loved to wear, go for a shimmering body oil, like Sol Body's Body Glitter Glow Oil in Moonstone ($10), so you can nourish your skin and glow at the same time. Now, all you need is a slip dress and baby clips, and you're good to go.

2. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine (2004)

Kate Winslet's Clementine in Eternal Sunshine is a heroine for anyone who doesn't believe in hair color loyalty. While her parade of ever-changing hair colors stole the show, don't skip on her makeup. Her flushed cheeks, pinky-brown lips, and subtle black eyeliner complemented her effortless-meets-ethereal look. That quirky, romantic vibe her hair and makeup give off is truly unique. Special shout-out to Peter Owen, who did the wigs, and Kyra Panchenko, the makeup artist!

Thanks to Clem, I'm seriously considering making the leap to orange hair in 2025, but in the meantime, I'll pay homage in other ways. First on the list is finding a subtle but pretty blush. Stila's Convertible Color Lip & Cheek Cream Blush in Peony ($25) is a good choice. Second? I'm getting an equally low-key but lovely lip product, like Prada Beauty's Moisturizing Lip Balm in Noisette ($50). Also, I want bright-orange eye shadow to satisfy my orange-hair craving. I'm going for it, and About-Face's Matte Fluid Eye Paint in Spectre ($16) is perfect.

3. Aaliyah in the "Try Again" Music Video (2000)

The early 2000s were all about the future—there were lots of metallic shades in makeup and clothing at the time. Aaliyah's silver, smoky eye shadow in the music video for "Try Again" is the epitome of futuristic glamour. Paired with her flawless skin, glossy lips, and sleek outfits, her shimmering silver lids, courtesy of her makeup artist Eric Ferrell, created a look that felt both ahead of its time and perfectly of-the-moment.

I've recently discovered my holy-grail silver eyeliner: Em Cosmetics' Silver Lining Eyeliner ($26). It's creamy, making it easy to apply, and it gives off the pop of sparkle I've been looking for my whole life. If I want to do a "subtle" tribute to Aaliyah, I'll wear this solo. For a full look, Huda Beauty's Icy Nude Eyeshadow Palette ($69) has every shade I need.

4. Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions (1999)

Kathryn (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) in Cruel Intentions is the ultimate mean girl because she makes her moves in silence. Her makeup was all about subtle seduction, which tracks since she literally seduced everyone around her. Think perfectly sculpted brows, smoldering neutral eyes, and a brownish-berry lipstick that radiated power and poise. Makeup artist Brad Wilder was responsible for the look, which was sophisticated yet approachable—even if the character was intimidating—making it perfect for everyday wear.

When I look at Kathryn's makeup, I see a polished version of the eye look I tried to do in junior high and high school when I wasn't a baby goth. Before I discovered winged eyeliner, it was all about brown eye shadow and matching eyeliner. Nars's Quad Eyeshadow in Koh Rong ($52) is a grown-up version of the single-pot shadows my friends and I shoplifted back then. A creamy eye pencil, like Monica Blunder Beauty's Eye Deal Liner Pencil ($28), is a nice upgrade from the stiff eye pencils we had to use with a lighter to melt them so they went on easier.

5. Christina Ricci in Buffalo '66 (1998)

Ricci's baby-blue eye shadow in Buffalo '66 is a look that lives in my brain. Paired with her head-to-toe pastel outfit, the angelic makeup was the cherry on top of this… unconventional love story. What makes this look really stand out is its boldness. Blue eye shadow is not something that a lot of people want to pull off, but it can be strikingly chic. You just have to find out how to make it work for you. Go bold or go subtle; blue eye shadow is surprisingly versatile in that way IMHO.

Gucci Westman was the key makeup artist for the film, and she went on to launch Westman Atelier, her luxury makeup brand, in 2018. Unfortunately, there isn't a blue eye shadow in the lineup, but you can pick up Westman Atelier's Eye Want You Mascara ($45) for a fluffy lash look after re-creating Ricci's dreamy blue eye shadow with ColourPop's On Cloud Blue Baby Blue Powder Palette ($6).

6. All the Women From Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

The makeup in Josie and the Pussycats was pure Y2K fun. The satirical musical comedy was way ahead of its time, but it's also a good film to watch when you want to shake things up in your makeup routine and/or embrace your inner pop star. We had everything everywhere all at once—glitter, rhinestones, bright colors, neutrals, frosty lids, and glossy lips from makeup supervisor Rosalina Da Silva and leopard print, bell-bottoms, crop tops, and even stripper heels from costume designer Leesa Evans.

Skip the neutrals and go big and bold with sparkly gems and glitter wherever you can put them. In one scene, Parker Posey has on rhinestone-studded lashes, and About-Face's Volume Up Faux Embellished Lashes in Mirrorball ($12) are a cool, pearly take on this maximalist lash look. Paint your lids with Stila's Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow ($25), then decorate your face with Bakeup Beauty's Beauty Playbox ($24) for a magical gem-filled look.

7. Gwen Stefani in the '90s

This is cheating since it's a look I'm always wearing, but I have to put it on my list: '90s Gwen Stefani! I'll never forget the first time I heard No Doubt's "Just a Girl" while I was at the movies watching Clueless, which I was also seeing for the first time. Clearly, it was such a big moment in my life. Soon after, Stefani was all over MTV and inspiring girls everywhere to put on red lipstick for the first time. Her look during this era was all about contrasts: bold red lips, sharp brows, a cat eye, and an edgy attitude. It was punk rock– yet pinup-inspired makeup that blended retro glam with a rebellious twist. Obviously, I'm still obsessed with it decades later.

Stefani's Gxve Beauty has its own classic red lipstick—Original Me Clean High-Performance Matte Lipstick ($13)—so it makes sense to channel her through her own product. Stefani's makeup artist at the time, Gregory Arlt, has said she wore a lot of MAC's classic reds, including Russian Red ($25), which now has an upgraded formula that's more comfortable and lasts longer. A real modern twist! Stefani's bold lips and winged eyeliner are seen as dramatic for some, but the simplicity of the overall look keeps it wearable. At the same time, it's a combination that makes you feel confident and powerful—not simple at all. There's a reason why I adopted it as my own signature look.

From the moment I begin sensing a slight chill in the air and spot the magical reappearance of twinkle lights adding sparkle and shine to the world around me, I know it is finally time for my annual rewatch of my favorite holiday movie: Nancy Meyers' 2006 masterpiece The Holiday. The story follows two seemingly opposite women Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) and Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) who, to escape their similarly drama-filled lives, agree to switch homes for two weeks over the holiday season on opposite sides of the world after finding each other online. Of course, in true rom-com nature, both of our protagonists end up getting much more than they originally bargained for.

While I'll never be able to dive into the world of The Holiday and reenact it scene for scene, I love discovering new fragrances that are reminiscent of my favorite moments in movie history. This time around, I've identified 16 different scents I believe the leading ladies of this holiday classic would wear, plus a few picks that remind me of the movie's magic-filled locations. Keep scrolling to see which fragrances have officially made the list.

1. Donna Karan Cashmere and Tunisian Neroli Eau de Parfum

2. La Perla Luminous Eau de Parfum

3. Le Labo Rose 31 Eau de Parfum

4. Maison Margiela Replica Lazy Sunday Morning Eau de Parfum

5. Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche Eau de Toilette

6. Merit Retrospect L’Extrait de Parfum

7. Aerin Amber Musk Eau de Parfum

8. Byredo Rose of No Man's Land Eau de Parfum

1. Maison Margiela Replica Coffee Break Eau de Parfum

2. Jo Malone London Peony and Blush Suede Eau de Parfum

3. Prada Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum

4. Chloé Chloé Eau de Parfum Naturelle

5. By Rose Jane Leila Lou Perfume

6. Burberry Her Eau de Toilette

7. Antica Farmacista Cozy You Eau de Parfum

8. The Maker Dream Eau de Parfum

When Y2K fashion made its triumphant return a few years ago, I had my reservations, but like most other people, I softened over time to a few of the era's trends. Case in point: clear PVC shoes. Brands like Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Amina Muaddi, and Magda Butrym brought wedge versions into the 2020s, breathing new life and interest into the long-outdated footwear style. As trends do, though, Y2K peaked and fell, and by now, most trends from the time have lost favor.

As for clear shoes, I was ready to ditch my pairs forever. In fact, up until a few hours ago, they were in a donation bag in my living room waiting to be picked up. It wasn't until I saw photos of Olivia Rodrigo's appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night that I began to think twice about giving the trend up for good.

On Olivia Rodrigo: Ludovic de Saint Sernin dress; Amina Muaddi Lupita Glass Wedge Sandals ($1105)

For the episode, Rodrigo chose a red minidress from Ludovic de Saint Sernin's S/S 25 collection (similar to the ones Laura Harrier and Ella Hunt wore at the 2024 Academy Museum Gala a few weeks ago) and a pair of clear PVC wedge sandals from Amina Muaddi. The combination just made sense, and with one look, Rodrigo's controversial heel choice began to feel timeless and classic rather than trendy.

On Kim Kardashian: vintage Mugler couture one-piece and coat; Tiffany & Co. jewelry

When I started to dig into the shoe style and its presence in a post-Y2K fashion world, I noticed that Rodrigo isn't the only A-lister who's been hesitant to distance herself from clear footwear. Kim Kardashian was also recently seen in the silhouette alongside her vintage Mugler couture all-white lingerie look from the Academy Museum Gala. At an after-party following this year's Met Gala, Elle Fanning wore a pair by Aquazzura with her silver-sequin Balmain gown. Blake Lively donned Christian Louboutin PVC pumps in her September spread for Vogue. Elsa Hosk, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez have all dabbled in the trend this year too.

Clearly, PVC shoes aren't as "over" as I initially thought. If you're ready to give them another go, scroll down to shop today's chicest pairs.

Never underestimate a makeup enthusiast on a mission to sniff out a discontinued staple. They'll track it vigorously from the depths of Reddit, snag it from international discount sales, barter with third-party sellers offering resale values upward of $300, and even start petitions for brands to resurrect the cult classic. (Yes, really!) Bloodhounds have nothing on a riled-up beauty fan.

I'm now thrilled to report that, for many, all that work has paid off. Over the past few months, a slew of beauty brands have relaunched their old icons, dusting them off from the vault and bestowing OG devotees with exactly what they've been begging for. Beauty trends have always been cyclical (give it a few years, and what's old-fashioned becomes shiny and cool once again), but now, so are the formulas themselves. Mission accomplished, beauty fans—major relics are making a triumphant comeback in 2024.

Take a scroll through Reddit, and you'll likely notice multiple frustrated users (understandably so) wondering why brands discontinue their icons in the first place. If a product is selling like hotcakes, why would they ever give up such a winner?

The answer isn't so cut-and-dried. Some brands choose to pivot ingredient lists, as in the case of Fekkai's Brilliant Glossing Styling Créme. "At the time, we were transitioning toward cleaner, more sustainable formulations to align with the growing demand for eco-conscious beauty," founder and celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai tells me. For others, production pains played a role, like key ingredients becoming too expensive or supply chain delays (a phrase that has unfortunately become all too familiar since 2020).

"We first launched the Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick in 2020, and it was an instant hit, going viral on TikTok—but then the pandemic hit," recounts Kelly Solomon, Revlon's chief digital marketing officer. Unable to deliver the product in the same quantities and pace, the brand ultimately decided to discontinue it, much to the distress of Redditers who swore it was comparable to Chanel. (Although, they're in luck: Super Lustrous Glass Shine is officially set to relaunch this November!)

Plus, well, the market changes—and so do makeup routines. Urban Decay, for example, decided to build upon its beloved Naked eye shadow palette with similar iterations—such as Naked2 Basics and Naked3 Soft Pinks—while the original 12-pan palette was phased out in 2018. "We did underestimate the love for it from our fans and community," says Arnaud Kerviche, Urban Decay's VP of marketing, but at the time, it made sense the team would evolve the palette as the shoppers themselves did.

What they didn't expect were the countless comments begging the brand to bring back the original or photos of users proudly displaying their decrepit 13-year-old palettes. (While using eye shadow that's older than members of Gen Alpha is questionable, I do applaud the dedication.)

But all that buzz raises the question: If the market has been craving a relaunch for years, why finally bring back those relics in 2024? Well, some brands choose to honor a long-beloved icon as they experience milestones themselves (such as Fekkai's 35th anniversary this year), while others only release those favorites for a blip of time.

Urban Decay, for example, has a limited supply of OG Naked Palettes with currently no plans for a restock. "For now, once the Naked Palette sells out, it will be gone!" Kerviche says. (It's still available as I type this sentence, so I'd suggest snagging it while you still can.) Similarly, Diptyque's highly anticipated Archive Sale gives shoppers the opportunity to snag old, limited-edition scents for just one week before they're returned to the vault.

It's also no secret that Gen Z loves everything nostalgic, so there's arguably never been a better time to resurface beauty favorites from the '90s and early aughts. "The nostalgic appeal of '90s beauty and glamour is deeply woven into the Fekkai DNA," adds Fekkai. The brand's original Glossing Crème was actually conceptualized in the early '90s, when Fekkai himself began cocktailing product combinations backstage for long-lasting shine, softness, and bounce. "The demand for this iconic Crème has never faded. … It's a formula that has truly stood the test of time, and we're excited for both our loyal customers and a new generation to rediscover it."

Now, younger generations can rely on the exact products used by their '90s hair icons. Fekkai even reunited with Ronald Uy, the original chemist who created the cult-favorite Crème, to ensure 99% accuracy across both formulas. (The 1% difference stems from removing now-banned ingredients.) Gen Z can also finally understand the bliss of dabbling in Urban Decay's highly pigmented nude shadows, just like the OG beauty YouTubers who came before them—the only difference being creamier, longer-lasting formulas.

Even brands that haven't relaunched old favorites take part by dipping into nostalgic promotional materials. Take Covergirl's Clean Invisible Foundation campaign, for example. The new video pays homage to the first-ever Covergirl foundation by drawing inspiration from visuals and voice recordings from its 1961 ad. It then remixes the assets with newly captured footage to reflect all the necessary changes (cleaner ingredients, more inclusive shades, etc.) that have brought the foundation to its sixth iteration. Maison Francis Kurkdjian also released a video to accompany its new APOM fragrance, a unisex version of the brand's discontinued APOM Pour Femme and APOM Pour Homme scents from 2009. Nostalgic for olfactory films that brands used to pair with new releases, Kurkdjian decided to create a five-minute picture in partnership with filmmaker Cyril Teste.

It's clear that brands are encouraging a stroll down memory lane, whether it's through nostalgic branding or revamped OG launches. So if you've been pining over a discontinued formula like an old flame—Tom Ford Blush Nude Lip Color, I will always love you!—let it be known. The powers that be are listening.

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Nearly 25 years on from the turn of the century, some of the biggest trends of the millennium still have the same iron grip on fashion people that they did all those years ago. Having looped back around after an ebb in popularity, the season's most in-demand items look like they've walked in straight off the MTV VMAs red carpet circa 2001.

Y2K fashion trends have been coming for the wardrobes of stylish people everywhere, and celebrities are no exception. Often amongst the first to pioneer new-season trends, the celebrity style set is fully swept up in the nostalgic craze, featuring forgotten relics of the early noughties in all their coolest looks of late. But of all the throwback trends floating around right now, it's the Y2K trouser trends that have really caught my eye.

Cropping up on my favourite celebs more and more frequently, I'm declaring these trousers as official key items for the new season. Read on to discover the celebrity-endorsed Y2K-meets-2024 trouser trends to know about right now.

4 Y2K TROUSER TRENDS CELEBRITIES ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW

1. BELLA HADID WEARING BOOTCUT JEANS

Style Notes: Skimming the thighs before flaring out below the knees, bootcut jeans are the underrated denim trend that celebrities are bringing back. To perfect a Y2K silhouette, style with a heeled mule and a corset blouse à la Hadid, or wear with a fitted tank for an elevated take on off-duty style.

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2. JORTS

Style Notes: There's no point arguing about it anymore—jorts are back like they never left. Actor Ariana Greenblatt styled her below-the-knee pair with an oversized T-shirt and white crew socks for a slouchy, skater-girl take.

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3. CAPRI PANTS

Style Notes: Any fashion person can attest that capri pants will continue to be a major player next season. With nostalgia and playfulness in bucketloads, this pretty trouser trend has been welcomed back with open arms. Take your inspiration from Sabrina Carpenter, who wore hers with a pretty corset top and heeled mules this weekend.

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4. SKIRTS OVER TROUSERS

Style Notes: Perhaps the most divisive of the lot, the skirt-trousers hybrid is set to come through as a key trend next season. Unexpected and a little daring, we're predicting that it'll be all over street style looks throughout fashion month in September.

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For those of us who grew up in the 2000s, our feelings about Y2K fashion are a true love/hate affair. While we will never forget the way we felt when Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake stepped out in his and hers denim, or just how Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie dictated everything we wanted to wear, there is something immediately triggering about seeing the clothes we wore as tweens popping up again today. Cargo pants, butterfly clips, platform trainers, low slung jeans? Yes, nostalgic, but also a reminder of the awkward "in-between" years.

Just when we thought the 2000s had been left firmly in the past and fashion had moved forward, scrolling through Bella Hadid's street style archive proves us wrong. Gilets, halternecks, tracksuits, and plenty of silver, baby blue, and lime green—forget summer, this is a "Brat Girl" year, and celebs are head over heels for the throwback trends we first wore when we were teenagers. While I'm thankful that not everything we wore in the 2000s is making it back into 2024 (I'm looking at you shrug cardigans), there are some iconic Noughties brands enjoying a revival that we just didn't see coming.

If you are old enough to remember buying CDs from Woolworths, watching Top of the Pops, and putting posters of boybands on your bedroom wall, keep scrolling. These are 9 brands popular in the 90s and 2000s that will be working their way back into your wardrobe in 2024. Don't say we didn't warn you.

1. ABERCROMBIE

Style Notes: The arrival of Abercrombie & Fitch in the UK in 2007 would cause such a stir that it would change the way teenagers would dress forever. Thanks to our American cousins, preppy chic became the ultimate uniform and anyone who was anyone wanted to be spotted in logo tees, denim skirts and flip flops (despite the Great British weather). Abercrombie has evolved since then, and while you can still get jersey basics and sports apparel from sister brand Gilly Hicks, the mainline collections are more "grown up" take on tailoring and polished separates.

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2. TAMMY GIRL

Style Notes: For anyone who grew up wearing Tammy Girl's logo tees, distressed denim and sparkly accessories, news of the brand's revival in 2023 would have come as a surprise. Just how would the baggy hoodies and tiny tops translate for a modern shopper? Well, in much the same way. Gen-Z's affinity for wacky prints, exaggerated silhouettes and 90s-coded clothing has launched Tammy 2.0, a heady mix of ultra-femme club wear and bohemian festival chic.

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3. UGG

Style Notes: You may have seen UGGs so often lately that you've forgotten their recent disappearance altogether, but after the initial spike in the mid noughties cooled off, you couldn't find a sheepskin boot stocked anywhere for love nor money. Fast forward 15 years and those of us fortunate enough to have a pair first time around remembered just how comfortable these squidgy-soled wonders were, and the off-duty celeb shoe became hot property again thanks to being seen on actors, influencers, and supermodels too. Not bad for a brand that only sold 28 pairs in their first season.

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4. JUICY COUTURE

Style Notes: It's almost impossible to discuss Y2K fashion without mentioning Juicy Couture as one of the decades defining brands. Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, and of course, Paris Hilton, were all photographed in JC's instantly recognisable candy coloured tracksuits, establishing a Californian cool-girl aesthetic and making velour a hot commodity in the process. During the pandemic, as sales of loungewear shot up to unprecedented heights, the designer tracksuit was brought back to the forefront, and now you can find Juicy Couture's diamanté studded pieces stocked everywhere from Selfridges to ASOS. Just add flats and frameless sunglasses with tinted lenses.

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5. KOOKAI

Style Notes: There was once a time in the 90's that you couldn't walk down the high street without bumping into a Kookaï shopping bag, but after downsizing operations in the UK, the brand quietly moved abroad to focus on European, Asian and Australian sales. Now back online (but unfortunately not in stores), the revamped Kookaï is a surprisingly chic and affordable take on runway trends with a new minimalist aesthetic that couldn't be further away from former rivals Jane Norman and Morgan De Toi.

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6. DIESEL

Style Notes: If the runways have taught us anything its that fashion trends are cyclical, and just as quickly as Italian denim brand Diesel fell out of favour in the late 2000s, it made its triumphant return to Milan Fashion Week in 2021 under the creative direction of Y/Project alumni Glenn Martens. Several shows, a Met Gala appearance, and one viral handbag later, Diesel is back on the fashion insider's radar as an edgy, experimental brand that sets the tone rather than following trends.

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7. VON DUTCH

Style Notes: It's 2003 and you're getting ready for the weekend. You reach for a tank top (preferably raceback to show your bra straps), a mini skirt (or cargo pants), and most likely a pair of mid-calf boots. The only thing missing? A Von Dutch trucker cap of course, the accessory of choice for Gwen Stefani, Ashton Kutcher, and Missy Elliot. Just like the Juicy Couture tracksuit, these colour pop caps were designed to look effortlessly cool, as if the wearer had rolled out of bed into a perfectly assembled outfit, and after the 2020s obsession with the luxe baseball cap, it's only right that the natural evolution would be cult classic with plenty of Instagrammable appeal.

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8. CALVIN KLEIN

Style Notes: In the early 80s Calvin Klein was best known for its ready-to-wear collections, but by the 90s and early Noughties the focus had moved to underwear and fragrance, meaning that while Obsession and CK One were climbing in popularity, the brands fashion offering had to take a back seat. By 2002 and a quiet rebranding under a new buyer, celebrity fronted campaigns and store openings have redirected us back to Calvin Klein's minimalist approach to capsule wardrobe dressing. Think versatile slip dresses, seasonless separates and anti-trend outerwear and denim that you can happily wear for another 10 years too.

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9. ADIDAS

Style Notes: Okay, Adidas has technically never drifted into obscurity quite like some of the other names on this list, but it's far to say that the brand has undergone a major glow up over the last five years alone. From collaborations with Gucci and Wales Bonner, to internet-breaking reissues (it's still difficult to get your hands on a pair of Sambas or SL72's in certain colourways), what was once a safe and reliable sports brand in the 2000s has because a major player on the high fashion circuit, just ask editors and influencers alike. Nike, who?

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Up Next, If You're Obsessed With '90s Style, These Chic Summer Outfits Are for You

I'll never forget the first time I saw an ad for Sex and the City. It was 1998, and I was 10. I'd grabbed a magazine on my dad's bed (child of divorce here), and on the back was the image of Sarah Jessica Parker naked (gasp!), save for a laptop covering her holy parts against a New York skyscraper backdrop. "Sex" (gasp, gasp!) is obviously in the title as well, which I'm sure is why this moment was so vividly burned into my little brain. And while initially I took note of Sex and the City for what SJP wasn't wearing, Carrie Bradshaw's looks have now become so iconic, 25 years after the show first premiered, I'm still fawning over them.

Nineties and early aughts style doesn't appear to be going anywhere. In fact, its appeal only seems to be getting stronger (cue capri pants' recent resurgence). In my humble opinion, the era owes its prevalence in the cultural zeitgeist in large part to SATC's impeccable stylist, Patricia Field, who over and over again outfitted Carrie in showstopping looks that have clearly stood the test of time. From slip dresses to pageboy caps, Carrie's style was always a bit unpredictable, which is probably why it's still exciting and enviable today. 

Whether minimalist or over the top, her looks were inspiring. I've narrowed them down to five of my favorite Carrie outfits just below, as well as the key pieces you need to get the look. What's more? They're all under $100. Manolos all around!

Asymmetric Dress

Arguably one of Carrie's most recognizable looks, this floral midi dress with an asymmetric cut is quintessential early aughts. 

Hot Pants

What can I say? Carrie loved a hot pant. While they're not for the faint of heart, I love the way they're styled with a knee-length coat here. 

Leather Blazer

All the ladies have enviable outerwear here, but I'm partial to Miranda's and Carrie's leather looks. The tan color of Carrie's is particularly unexpected. 

Strappy Sandals

We all know Carrie's a shoe fanatic, and while she doesn't discriminate, more often than not she was in statement-making strappy sandals.

Satin Slip Dress

If '90s minimalism could be summed up in a dress, this would be it. In my opinion, it doesn't get any better. 

This autumn, Kate Moss is back on our fashion radar like it's 1999. Having recently been spotted in a stream of chic ensembles in London and Milan, the queen of cool has caught our attention again, and this time for her effortless revival of a '00s favourite: a pair of tight-fitting, calf-hugging pedal pushers.

Whilst we're bang in the middle of a noughties renaissance (see: ballet flats), the return of pedal pushers has been slower to catch on. That was, until recently. Earlier this summer, Gigi Hadid was spotted sporting a pair of denim Jacquemus pedal pushers that she styled with kitten heels and a black tank. New York Fashion Week saw the street style set favour the 3/4-length pants, echoing the S/S 24 runways, where we saw calf-length trousers at Tory Burch, Phillip Lim and Mirror Palais.

Kate Moss' pair were in navy, which she wore with a longline, tonal blazer over of a black, form-fitting top. Showing us that black and navy do in fact pair well, Moss completed her look with black ballet flats—a recent throwback favourite of hers—and a black belt. Going for a trifecta of '00s trends, the model wore her capri pants and ballet flats with two long pendant necklaces.

As we enter October in 20-degree weather, pedal pushers could well be set to make more than a fleeting appearance during these warmer-than-normal autumn days. Wear them with an oversized jumper for an appropriately autumnal edge, or tap into the style's original '50s roots with kitten heels and a red lip.

If this is the '00s fashion revival you've been waiting for, shop Kate Moss' easy-to-copy ensemble below.

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Next Up: Kate Moss Just Wore a Perfect, French-Inspired Flat Shoe Outfit in London

I'm not ashamed to admit it—when I first heard of the return of cargo pants, I was sceptical to say the least. Like most millennials who wore them the first time around, cargo or "utility" trousers conjur up images of ultra-wide, rustling trousers in camouflage print, covered in pockets and usually some superfluous straps—the kind of thing we confidently wore to the school disco with a sparkly halterneck top. But now, the cargo trouser has undergone a fashionable update. In 2023, there are fewer pockets, softer fabrics and a refined colour palette, and after seeing everyone from Emily Ratajkowski to Jennifer Lopez wearing them, I'm now convinced that there's actually a lot to love about cargo pants. 

Most often you'll find me in a pair of jeans or strong tailoring when I'm heading into the office, but cargo trousers are perfect for occasions that require dress-down comfort and business-casual. You may not believe it, but the styling possibilities of these baggy trousers are endless, making them a worthy investment piece. The loose-legged silhouette is currently taking over, and as we swap our skinnies for low-slung boyfriend jeans, the cargo is the comfier, more polished alternative that you can wear with everything from heels to trainers (and, dare I say it, even ankle boots).

The Frankie Shop first grabbed my attention with its seriously chic tailored take on cargo trousers that changed everything I thought I knew about utility styling. Suddenly, denim jackets and baby tees were no longer the only option, and any trousers that work with my full roster of blazers gets my seal of approval. As anyone in the Who What Wear UK office will tell you, I also own a lot of waistcoats, and after influencer Caroline Cook wore her Frankie Shop cargos with a grey vest, I was sold on the high/low pairing of tailoring and casual cargos. Functional and fashionable—what more could a girl could want?

My Go-To Pair of Cargo Trousers

After searching high and low for the right pair that would feel smart enough and flatter a curvy figure, I settled on Alice + Olivia's Cay Low-Rise Cargo Trousers (£622). After wearing these on repeat, I've been singing the praises of utility trousers to anyone who will listen, and there are plenty of other options out there should you have a budget in mind.

So, wondering how to wear cargo trousers in 2023? Keep scrolling to see five ways I'm styling mine for the season ahead, and to shop more of my favourite pairs.

1. TRENCH COAT + WHITE TANK TOP + CARGO TROUSERS

Style Notes: As soon as there is even a hint of autumn in the air, I automatically reach for a trench coat. I would wear one all year round if I could, but nothing says "transitional wardrobe" quite like this classic—especially with wide-leg trousers and the simple tank top I relied on throughout summer. 

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2. BOXY BLAZER + LOGO TEE + CARGO TROUSERS

Style Notes: Big blazers are the one piece that I always fall back on when I don't know what else to wear. Tailoring always manages to make an outfit feel put-together, and when you amp up the proportions, it can take things to a whole new level. I added pointed shoes to make this look feel a little bit dressier, and hey presto—an outfit I'll be wearing to the office on repeat. 

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3. COSY KNIT + TRAINERS + CARGO TROUSERS

Style Notes: The weekend is calling, and this outfit just answered. If you need a laidback uniform to take you from errands to brunch and then shopping, allow me to put forward the slouchy-cardigan-and-cargo-trousers pairing. It's low-maintenance in the very best way, and with such cosy layering, you won't need to worry about taking a coat with you. 

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4. TIE-FRONT TOP + STRAPPY HEELS + CARGO TROUSERS 

Style Notes: Just to prove that utility can work for evening too, nod to noughties styling with a ruched top, cargos and strappy heels. Minus copious amounts of butterfly hair clips, this look manages to make reference to the '00s without feeling teenage, thanks to the tonal colour palette and elevated accessories.

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5. OVERSIZED SHIRT + MULES + CARGO TROUSERS

Style Notes: It just wouldn't be a comprehensive outfit edit without an oversized shirt, and the same one I wore open over a bikini on holiday now gets the transitional treatment semi-tucked into a pair of trousers. Whether you prefer JW Anderson's maximalist chain loafers or Birkenstock's minimalist Boston clogs, a pair of slip-on shoes are perfect for the laidback attitude of cargos. Wear everything loose, undone and with plenty of slouch.

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Next Up: The It List: Everything Our Editors Are Buying This Month

From the reissue of the Celine Phantom bag, the reprisal of the Alexander McQueen skull scarf and the fervid discussion about the return of indie sleaze, there’s never been a better time to acquaint yourself with the 2010 fashion trends. This is obviously a delight to the patron saints of this era—Alexa Chung and her twee pinafores and Kate Moss in her satin lapel black blazers, to name a few—but the collective appetite for this period’s sartorial hallmarks might come as a surprise to anyone who actually embraced these looks when they were originally in fashion.

Yes, we’ve come to look back at clothing from the late ‘90s and early 2000s through rose-tinted glasses, but have we really moved so far on from the 2010s that we now nostalgically yearn for its fashion to return? And if we are, should those of us who still own pieces from this point in history consider re-selling them on Vinted to line our own wallets with the desires of a younger generation who aspire to dress like this “better” time? Or worse, consider a heavier dosage of retinol, considering the pieces we once wore in earnest, thinking we were the acme of taste, are now being classified and lusted over as archival.

As someone who personally spent the better half of the decade wearing American Apparel disco pants, lusting over Jeffery Campbell Lita boots and trying to discourage anyone I knew from investing in a pair of galaxy tights, I truly can’t come to terms with the fact that these styles have already sailed over the bell curve of the trend cycle and circled back to being sought after following such a stretch of obsolescence. Perhaps this is also because I can’t come to terms with the 2010s being that long ago.

Without sounding too pining, I can still vividly recall the time I heard about this novel app called Instagram, or the excitement I felt walking into Topshop and buying a pair of Joni jeans, or reblogging the love letter the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner left for Alexa Chung on a cocktail napkin to my Tumblr page. And whilst there are certainly elements of the decade that we’ll never get back, including the thrill of going out clubbing and documenting it all on a lurid digital camera or posting something on social media using gaudy Kelvin filters, there’s some solace in knowing that we can always reach for these pieces to relive the memory. So, without further ado, grab your Isabel Marant wedge trainers, a pair of leather leggings, your slouchy Chloé Paddington bag and a faux fur gilet and get acquainted with the 21 biggest 2010 fashion trends, below.

21 2010s Fashion Trends That Are Just As Chic, Over a Decade On

1. Normcore

Style Notes: The 2010s were a spell of logo-mania—Alessandro Michele’s bee-emblazoned Gucci, Virgil Abloh checkerboard-adorned Louis Vuitton, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s graphic shirts for Dior. Acting like a palette cleanser for these heavily branded pieces, normcore emerged as an antidote for those looking for something more streamlined and minimalistic. Pioneered by the likes of Phoebe Philo and coined by trend forecasting group K-HOLE, the trend prioritises grey marle sweaters, blue wash straight-leg jeans and non-descript white t-shirts.

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2. City Bags

Style Notes: Created by Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga at the dawn of the new millennium, the City bag (or, as it was coined then, the Biker bag) truly was the epitome of a viral moment. Like capturing lightning in a bottle, the style features a slouchy shape, leather strings that leisurely hung from the body and textural studs that served as the antithesis of what luxury leather goods looked like at the time. As the story goes, the style was so polarising that the brand only wanted to put a limited run into production exclusively for the runway. But as they say, the rest is history, and has since adorned the side of every chic dresser, including Kate Moss, the Olsen Twins, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Kaia Gerber and Bella Hadid.

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3. Napolean Jacket

Style Notes: It’s not just in Ridley Scott’s 2023 epic biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby where France’s first Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, had a starring role. From Jonathan Anderson’s debut for Dior to Sean McGirr’s latest collection for McQueen, the Hussar jacket stole the spotlight with its frogged fastenings and gilded buttons. Whilst the trend originally dates back to the 18th Century, it was Olivier Rousteing at Balmain who brought it into the 21st Century and updated it for the new age. Now, you can find the piece at the likes of Allsaints, Zimmermann and even Mango.

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4. Blazers

Style Notes: The 2010s were a time when business casual attire reigned supreme, so it should come as no surprise that the blazer was a crucial part of this ensemble. At the beginning of the decade, the fits were decidedly cropped quite tight to the figure before filling out and becoming more boxy and oversized towards the end of it. Irrespective of the cut, however, it’s safe to say this corporate piece was an essential part of any 2010s wardrobe.

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5. Ballet Flats

Style Notes: Before they stomped their way back into our hearts on Miu Miu’s autumn/winter 2022 collection when Mrs Prada presented a panoply of candy-coloured satin styles inspired by pointe shoes, ballet flats were once relegated to the more demure dressers of the 2010s. They certainly weren’t as ubiquitous then as they are now. Primarily worn by preppy types like Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf wearing Tory Burch’s medallion-adorned Reva flat, they’ve since become a mainstream staple seen on everyone from Hailey Bieber to Chloë Sevigny.

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6. Skull Scarves

Style Notes: First presented in Alexander McQueen’s pirate-inspired spring/summer 2003 collection, the label’s skull scarf has quickly been reclaimed by the avant-garde and artistically inclined as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the 2010s. (See: Timothée Chalamet performing a rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Outlaw Blues/Three Angels” on Saturday Night Live, Charli XCX wearing a custom version for her set at Glastonbury and .)

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7. Wide Belts

Style Notes: Just as the 2000s had the useless skinny scarf, the 2010s had the gargantuan wide belt. An accessory designed not to hold up looser-cut trousers around the hips but to accentuate your waist by drawing the eye to the mid-section, this style often featured lengths that reached up to half a meter and a fussy rectangular buckle that rivalled something you’d see on a pilgrim’s shoe.

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8. Skinny Jeans

Style Notes: Sickly tight and fitted to the point they appeared sprayed on, skinny jeans were the defining jeans trend of the 2010s. Though the back half of the decade introduced looser cuts, though not so loose compared to the baggier barrel-leg style seen today, the first few years of the time period were certainly marked by an adoration for the ultra-slim style. Whilst some, like Kate Moss, have never lost their penchant for the cut, it’s certainly one of the most polarising trends and therefore one with the rarest sightings.

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9. Wedge Trainers

Style Notes: From the Made In Chelsea set to the Kardashian-Jenners out in Calabasas, wedge trainers were all the rage. Of course, it would be remiss of me not to call out Isabel Marant’s Beckett style, which featured suede accents, a high-top shape and a 5-centimetre heel height. The inimitable original, this piece served as the definition of off-duty style at the time and was regularly worn with no care for the divisive trail it left in its wake.

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10. Bandage Dress

Style Notes: Ah, Hervé Léger. It’s a name that could either conjure shivers down someone’s spine or spark endless amounts of joy, but regardless of your own feelings on the designer’s most famous creation, there’s no denying that the bandage dress is nothing short of iconic. A going-out staple if there ever was one, the silhouette has returned with a vengeance, spotted on the likes of Kaia Gerber at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival to viral TikTok sensations on your For You page.

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11. Luggage Bags

Style Notes: To the more practical amongst us, luggage bags might read as something you’d carry with you onto a flight. But to those in the know, you’ll remember how this shape and style of accessory was so widespread in the 2010s. The most recognisable style is, of course, Celine’s style. Rendered in a Yves Klein blue and sporting its signature smile facade, this is one shape that’s made a comeback under the aptly-titled name the New Luggage and already spotted on the shoulders of A$AP Rocky and Julia Roberts.

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12. Collared Shirt

Style Notes: Continuing the business corporate attire that saturated the decade, collared shirts were another notable piece in the 2010s fashion landscape. Worn under chunky argyle knit sweaters and with moccasins or rendered in an eccentric print and teamed with MAC’s Saint Germain lipstick, pair this with a top knot and a chunky statement necklace.

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13. Military Jackets

Style Notes: It wouldn’t be the 2010s if there wasn’t the presence of the army bomber jacket rendered in the apt khaki green. Often styled with the Chloé Susanna ankle boots and a flannel shirt wrapped around the waist, this is something you’d find worn by Gigi Hadid and the supermodel set circa 2016.

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14. Sandal Boots

Style Notes: Is it a sandal or is it a boot? It’s neither nor both at the same time. A major part of any discerning dresser’s wardrobe, these styles were often made of leather, grazed the ankle and featured intriguing cut-outs that made them inappropriate for winter’s frost and summer’s heat, but totally right for layering with a sculptural skort and fluorescent sleeveless top.

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15. Bag Charms

Style Notes: It might seem like bag charms are a recent innovation, but they were just as prominent in the 2010s as they are now. Whilst the trend has evolved to include any trinket or tchotchke that your heart desires, back in the day, bag charms were reserved for one specific style: Fendi’s Fur monsters. These keyring add-ons were the brainchild of Karl Lagerfeld, but they almost have a Jim Henson slant to them that makes them feel so whimsical.

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