Growing up with a love for all things clothing and accessory-related, I always felt especially close to my aunt. Our family always deemed us to be the fashion gurus of the family, and we've proudly served our titles. We'd often spend weekends combing through Dillard's awaiting their seasonal blowout sales. Even if we weren't buying, we were browsing. Shopping was a shared and beloved hobby.
Over the course of numerous T. J. Maxx hauls and Zara hunts, we'd seen ample trends come and go. One of the most amusing moments for me was how often my aunt liked to recount her high school and dental school days by exclaiming, "I used to wear that!" As a teenager, I used to just roll my eyes and retort that it was the way of fashion. I mean no offense, I just didn't think I had lived nearly long enough to relate to her shock. Really, I never gave much thought to the idea of wearing flared corduroy pants only to wait 30 years for them to become all the rage once again.
Recently, though, the "I used to wear that!" disbelief and excitement have hit me like a ton of bricks. As a 90's baby, the early 2000s were my childhood, and the fashions are etched in my mind with permanence. So, it's come as quite a surprise to me to see the trends of my childhood reclaiming their fame. Everywhere I look, ad campaigns and top models look like they've just stepped out of a Destiny's Child music video. While I'm certainly not disappointed with it, I'm just shocked.
As a 21-year-old, I think of myself as young. Observing this upswing in early 2000s fashions, however, has somehow made me feel old. Yes, cue the laughter from any of the parents and grandparents reading this. I know that I'm still young, but it's a wild feeling to see kids only about 10 or so years younger than me wearing stuff that I wore as a kid. I guess I always assumed I'd at least be in my 30s before that became a reality.
I have to say, though, I'm really enthralled by the way these trends are being presented. It's true, in fashion, that nothing is ever new; it's just redone in a new way. Some of my childhood favorites are coming back, except they aren't exactly my childhood favorites. As with trends from any previous time period, they have modern twists and stylings.
As I'm processing this notion of trendy 2000s, I felt that it was relevant to point out my likes and dislikes of what I've seen. For starters, the idea that bootcut jeans would even be uttered again is repulsive to me. Catching glimpses of articles heralding their return has made me doubt the 2000s resurgence entirely. What restores my faith, however, has been the rise of cargos and cargo-joggers. Talk about comfortable and practical! I jumped back on the cargo bandwagon as soon as I could, and I'm thoroughly enjoying them. Also, while I've seen a frenzied mix of reviews about tiny sunglasses, I've done my part to usher in their revival. I love the weird and eye-catching shapes of the tiny frames. Lastly, and probably the most important, is the attempted comeback of the velour tracksuit. Made famous by Juicy Couture, the velour tracksuit was a closet STAPLE for every girl in 2006. Although I don't know exactly how I feel about them now, I used to adore my teal Juicy sweatsuit in middle school.
If you're a twenty-something like me who's excited and confused by the 2000s becoming trendy again, you're not alone. While just three years ago most of us would've clowned the idea of wearing our fave denim culottes from 2004, I've been wearing my culottes with pride as of late. What goes out of style is sure to always come back in, and you just never know how soon that time might be.
