What Fad Will Be Skipped in Late 2000s Nostalgia?
It feels so strange to look back at an entire decade and realize just how much things have changed. But no decade had as much captivating, skeuomorphic and world changing innovations back to back as the 2000s did. The world went from having 3G just after the decade started, to 4G before the decade was finished. From little T9 keyboards to sliders, to sidekicks, to touchscreens before half the decade was finished.
However, like the 90s, nostalgia doesn’t really care for the electronic aspect, aside from some creative uses of their imagery here and there. The sentimentality is all in the the toys, the TV, the movies, things that we consumed with all that gimmicky technology, but you’re only here for fashion.
The nostalgia is inevitable but unfortunately not every trend can or should be revived. But which mid-late 2000s trends will? Better question: which ones won’t? Here are some that might not.
Denim Vests
Goddamn denim vests. Denim jackets as a whole had a good run and became a staple. Their sleeveless counterparts didn’t have the same longevity. They weren’t all completely bad though, when they were designed more like a denim waistcoat they were fine.
The trucker jackets with the limbs cut off however — we had enough.
Revival Rating: one Dan Humphrey (who, by the way, was not the worst dresser on the show). Fair chance of revival (as a creepy, N.Y book store employee) but we won’t know ‘till it happens.
Hip-Hop Style
Not referring to hip hop as a whole, but the suburban, white adaptations of popular early 2000s and late 90s trends from rappers like Cam’ron or the rest of Dipset. Gold chains on a track suit, as if making a mock mafioso ensemble, were disgusting when done wrong and so rarely done correctly. Justin Bieber-style tongue-fucked, high top sneakers with a pair of boot cuts were even worse. It will be remembered but not missed.
Revival Rating: two O.C season 2 finales. Back-to-back. A painful reminder of the power white people had in the 2000s. Will not be coming back.
Acid Wash Jeans
These were really late 2000s and probably spent more time in the early 2010s but they still deserve a spot. Terrible. Utterly terrible. The only thing worse than this piece of clothing is the characters that became associated with it. It should have never passed GO, or collected 200.
Revival Rating: one Fred The Movie. No. Just, no.
Zip Hoodies
Specifically the figure-fitting top half of tracksuits that became popular, often in bright neon or pastel shades. Some had extremely flashy embroidery and graphics or even rhinestones. Ironically, the worst part of them wasn’t any decorative element, but was their awful proportions. A glaring reminder of how skinny-obsessed the world was and kinda still is. Zip hoodie dimensions have evolved but in general they have always been second place to pullover hoodies.
Another abhorrent trend involving zipped hoods was the “zip hoodies layered with everything”. Zip hoodie underneath a trucker jacket. Zip hoodie underneath a blazer. Underneath a top coat. Underneath another hoodie. This trend was sort of cool but still overdone. This also got replaced by “pullover hoodies layered with everything” which will soon it’s reckoning.
Revival Rating: two Dan Humphreys. Same as one Dan Humphrey but with twice the chance of comeback.
Every Variation of the Bowl Cut
No. No. No. No. It didn’t work then, will never work again. That goes for the standard issue bowl cut, the coconut head, the “let me grow out my bowl cut and see if it still works” or any swooshy version in between.
Revival Rating: none. The world has come to it’s senses, it’s over for the bowl cut.
Styles that should come back and definitely will:
Headbands
These were great, why did they ever leave?
Boot Cut Jeans
Highly debated but it’s safe to say most people are tired of skinnies, straight leg and peg leg by now.
Bright-coloured Coats
Because the world needs some colour.
The Casual Blazer
These weren’t bad and never really disappeared as much as they just diminished in popularity.
Overalls
Definitely overalls. Yes with a red heart emoji.
However, as aforementioned, these are just hypotheses and no indication of the actual future landscape. As always, fashion is unpredictable and we just like to think we are prescient enough to tango with it when we know we can’t.
