Y2K Icons: Cycling Classics and Fashion

y2k icons

Intro

As I said many times before, fashion is a circle, every trend seems to have a chance turning back.

The popular y2k fashion style in recent years is a good example.

Y2K stands for year 2000s, which is the trend of the 2000s. Baby T-shirts, low-waist skirts, colorful beaded jewelry, velvet materials or special fluorescent colors can be seen everywhere on the streets, which are all the classic elements of y2k. The pop music of the millennium spread rapidly, and the dressing styles and ideas of the musicians set off the trends of the time. From the clothing styles to the selfie angles, people flocked to them. You can also say that as long as you understand these y2k icons, you can have a more comprehensive understanding of the fashion and music fields of the 2000s.

y2k icons

 

What was the world like in the 2000s?

From 2000 to 2009, commonly known as the Millennium, the advancement of global Internet and technology made the spread of music and fashion arouse a more enthusiastic response. People can share in real time through communication software, social groups and video websites, leading to the rise of fashion globalization, homogeneity and fast fashion. It also provides unprecedented access to music from around the world, allowing musicians to freely distribute their work without a record label.

In the early 2000s, many mid-to-late 90s clothing was still popular, and the public loved futuristic and bold clothing. Bright crop tops, dresses and low-rise jeans were the most popular choices at the time. The mid-to-late period incorporates retro styles from the 1960s to the 1980s: bohemian style, over-size clothes, sets of velvet sportswear, etc. Located at the junction of the 20th and 21st centuries, technological innovation made the fashion and music of this period rebellious and avant-garde, pursuing the pursuit of transcending the established impressions of society and forming a wild atmosphere.

We will learn about some y2k icons. I have summarized 7 classic y2k icons for you below.

y2k icons

 

Christina Aguilera

After winning a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1999, “Genie in a Bottle” Christina Aguilera has remained a pop culture icon. In addition to her powerful singing voice, continuing the girl power trend, she attempted to break away from the “good girl” image that most pop stars had in the early 2000s. She likes to pair sexy cropped tops with work pants and feminine high-heeled boots to create her own “Dirrty Style.”

Christina Aguilera wanted a song that represented her true self rather than the sweet, girly image her label wanted to maintain. This sexy music video was a risk and a gamble at the time, but it certainly paid off. Short skirts, hip-baring leather pants and cropped tops cemented her place in fashion history.

Christina Aguilera  cyber y2k icons
Christina Aguilera

Rihanna

Rihanna has been known for her style since her debut in the early 2000s. Never afraid to experiment, she likes to mix different styles of items, which can be elegant or avant-garde, to create a unique look. Rihanna’s music and clothing both advocate changing stereotypes about black women. This positive spirit further expands the foundation laid by Janet Jackson, TLC and others.

Hip-hop culture entered the mainstream more heavily than ever in the 2000s, with its extended looks including baggy jeans, sweatshirts, oversized T-shirts paired with headbands, baseball caps, Nike Air Force sneakers, and more. Many hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z, Pharrell, Diddy, Nelly and 50 Cent also influenced fashion with their own brands during this era.

Rihanna cyber y2k icons
Rihanna

 

Cam’Ron

As one of the singers driving the East Coast hip-hop renaissance, Cam’Ron likes to wear over-size clothing in bright colors. The pink fur coat he wore to the 2002 Grammy Awards is one of the most influential looks in hip-hop and fashion history. Before this, men wearing pink were often labeled by society. Cam’Ron broke the stereotype and made the public think that it is cool for men to wear pink.

Cam’Ron iconic y2k outfits
Cam’Ron iconic y2k outfits

 

Pharrell Williams

As a singer-songwriter, music producer, fashion designer and more over the years, Pharrell Williams’ style is unique in its fluidity. He can dress upright one moment and switch to hip-hop or avant-garde the next, showing the limits of style transformation. The fashion brand Billionaire Boys Club (BBC), which he founded with his friend Nigo in 2005, became popular in the American music industry. The two introduced Japanese trends to Europe and the United States, and integrated them with skateboarding and hip-hop, forever changing the pattern of European and American street fashion.

Pharrell Williams icons y2k
Pharrell Williams

 

Jonathan Davis

When rock meets hip-hop and combines the most aggressive elements of both, Nu-Metal was born. It was one of the most popular music genres from the late ’90s to early ’00s, and like most music, nu-metal wasn’t just a genre of music – it also represented a unique look.

Each nu-metal band has a different style. Korn, founded in 1993, was influenced by the street culture of the time and stood out with its own style both musically and visually. Frontman Jonathan Davis is a fashion pioneer of the genre, blending Hip-Hop, Raver and Grunge fashion to create a trend all his own. Reggae heads, Adidas tracksuits, skirts and more, show that nu metal not only blends different styles, but also subverts wider gender norms.

Jonathan Davis nu metal fashion
Jonathan Davis

 

Avril Lavigne

As time went on, eventually Nu-Metal gave way to Emo, Scene, and Pop Punk in the mid-2000s. Next, let’s talk about the representatives of Pop Punk and Emo. When talking about pop punk, it is impossible not to mention the iconic style and gorgeous aesthetics of Avril Lavigne, the queen of the genre, such as skull patterns, ties, sleeveless vests, Converse canvas shoes, eyeliner, jeans and complicated accessories on the wrists, etc. Avril Lavigne is the epitome of punk style in the 2000s. Her radical music and attitude promote pop music that is based on the female heart and influenced by punk culture. The gorgeous and androgynous style is imitated by the majority of teenagers. As the pop punk aesthetic returns to the mainstream, Avril Lavigne’s personal style continues to inspire the public.

Avril Lavigne  iconic y2k outfits
Avril Lavigne

 

Gerard Way

During the same period, Emo fashion, which drew inspiration from goth and punk, gradually became mainstream and was also a style often imitated by teenagers. Typical Emo looks include: T-shirt, tight jeans, suit jacket, black nail polish, eyeliner and covering part of the face. The overall color of the bangs on the lower part is usually black.

My Chemical Romance rose to fame during this period, when most new bands continued the grunge look of the 1990s, but My Chemical Romance was an exception. Lead singer Gerard Way’s early appearance was one of the driving forces of the emo trend. His hairstyle, pale skin and eyeliner exuded a melancholic and androgynous atmosphere. By the 21st century, male makeup in the music industry was nothing new, but it was new to cynical teenagers of the time, who were drawn to a style that subverted gender roles and seemed to represent their own psyches.

Lead singer Gerard Way publicly rejected the term “emo” in a 2007 interview, describing the genre as “fucking garbage” (I think emo is fucking garbage – it’s bullshit.). And said its music has no resemblance to emo. But it still has to be said that the vast majority of people who like Emo are influenced by My Chemical Romance.

Gerard Way cyber y2k icons
Gerard Way

 

Conclusion

Based on the previous article, it is located in the 2000s at the beginning of the new century, continuing the female power and street culture of the 1990s. With the development of Internet technology, people are pursuing avant-garde styles that are futuristic, subvert gender concepts, and break established impressions.

Today, nearly 20 years later, everyone should have noticed that the fashion trends of 2000 are popular again. Whether it is the return of Y2K or the resurgence of music genres and styles such as nu-metal, hip-hop, and pop punk, many celebrities’ clothes, makeup and hair all incorporate elements of the 2000s, proving that fashion is a cycle.

Fashion and music are the clearest symbols of every era. Every once in a while, retro elements of contemporary design can be observed, or styles revived. The hippies, bohemians, and Mods of the 1950s and 1960s, the disco and punk of the 1970s, the glamor of the 1980s, and even the return to minimalism in the 1990s, and the avant-garde of the early 21st century… The popular fashion of each era They are all different from music, each has its own uniqueness and excitement. What they have in common is that they all represent people’s long-standing desire to break down barriers, change the system, express themselves and pursue freedom.

If you want to know more about the fashion content of the era, I mentioned the throwback outfits ideas from the 1950s to the 2000s in my previous throwback outfits topic. Whether you are going to throwback Thursday or wearing everyday clothes, you can find good ideas!

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