Picture this: you’re getting ready for a night out with friends. You slide into some oversized denim, throw on a baby tee, and slip on a sparkly pair of jelly shoes. After lining your lips with a pencil three shades too dark, you cover your lids in a generous amount of metallic eyeshadow, pack a tube of lip gloss in the nearest handbag (preferably something decked out in rhinestones) and you’re out the door. The year is 2004 — or is it?
Anyone with an eye for trends knows the Y2K look has been the dominate “aesthetic” for a minute now. You can thank — or blame — the host of celebs who’ve so bravely embraced the aughts-issance for its cultural comeback, especially those who were too young to experience the pre-iPhone era the first go around. And while this may have been a long time coming (fashion is cyclical, after all) it seems like the culture’s infatuation with wedged flip flops, baggy jeans, and so-ugly-they’re-cute tunics have reached a fever pitch in the past year.
To prove 2000s fashion is alive and well, we’re revisiting 15 recent looks from our favorite aughts-obsessed A-listers. Of course, 2000s fashion is hardly a monolith — there’s so much more to Y2K than Juicy Couture tracksuits and rose-tinted sunglasses, so expect to see every facet of the aesthetic represented on this list, from pop punk princess to comforting TJ Maxx clearance aisle finds.
Bella’s Boho Chic Top
This butterfly top made its debut in Valentino’s Spring/Summer 2004 collection; 20 years later, Bella Hadid is still rocking the look. Complete with its flowy semi-sheer silhouette and corseted detailing, this vintage number surely would’ve had a place in Carrie Bradshaw’s closet.
Sydney’s Scarf Shirt
Back in the day, celebs like Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera favored wearing headscarves not around their necks, but around their chests. Cut to 2024, when Sydney Sweeney was spotted reviving the style with a makeshift bandana top courtesy of Miu Miu top and an equally Y2K-appropriate low-rise midi skirt.
Meg’s Low-Rise Moment
Dua’s Skirt-Over-Pants Look
All the big-name Disney Channel stars tried their hands at layering skirts over pants in the early 2000s: Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, the list goes on. And while the style is much more divisive in today’s world, Dua Lipa somehow manages to make it look chic.
Katy’s Whale Tale
The whale tale is probably the most defining accessory (if you can even call it that) of the early aughts, and in March 2024, Katy Perry brought back the controversial look while attending Billboard’s annual Women In Music event.
Camila’s Y2K Buffet
While most people try to limit their aughts-inspired looks to one Y2K homage per outfit, Camila Cabello took to the stage in a fur-trimmed bolero with a grommet belt and a pair of fuzzy leg warmers for her first performance of 2025.
Tyla’s white thread-adorned dark wash jeans are a Y2K staple, as is the bootleg cut. And the gaudy bedazzled bumps? That’s a late-2000s club rat staple if I’ve ever seen one.
Bella’s Toe Ring Sandals
For a ‘90s kid, Bella Hadid sure does love the 2000s. Toe ring sandals are on the rise, with celebs like Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, and Gabrielle Union leading the charge.
Lisa’s Studded Jeans
It seems like studs are everywhere these days, and you can thank Lisa for bringing back the punk-inspired embellishments in 2024. These bottoms look exactly like something Avril Lavigne would’ve worn in 2003, which is the highest compliment I could give.
PinkPantheress’ Capris & Flats Combo
PinkPantheress is the true embodiment of Y2K style. Everything she wears is tacky in the best way, and looks like it was sourced directly from a TJ Maxx mannequin circa 2006 (again, I mean this in the most complimentary way possible).
Addison’s Daisy Dukes
The short-shorts, the teeny crop top, the belly button piercing, the fedora — Britney Spears circa 2006 would be proud.
Dua’s Grommet Ensemble
Grommets are an early 2000s staple, and this grommeted look from Dua Lipa is all nostalgia, no future.
Olivia’s Baby Tee
Bonus points for the visible bra straps.
Devon’s Denim Midi
We all had some version of this skirt in our wardrobes back in the day, so it stands to reason Devon Lee Carlson wanted to channel her inner child with this cheugy mermaid silhouette.
Billie’s Baggy Jeans
There’s more to the Y2K aesthetic than glittery accessories and pink Juicy Couture tracksuits. Baggy clothes were just as inescapable during the turn of the millennium, and if there’s one celeb who has the oversized style on lock, it’s Billie Eilish. Here, Eilish’s baggy jeans and performance jacket combo is very running-errands-in-2002-coded — even if the singer was born in 2001.
