26-06-2025
'90s–'00s Trends Millennials Wish Would Make A Comeback
I'm fascinated by the idea of changing fashion trends (and really, just trends in general). Like, it's truly so much fun looking back on the things we all once loved, but have since joined a long list of "what were we thinking"s. And it's even COOLER reminiscing on the trends that we'd all really love to make a comeback!
So recently, millennials on Reddit have been answering the question: "What are trends you thought would have made a comeback by now but haven't?" and it unlocked some serious memories from the '90s–'00s that I wasn't ready for. So without further ado, here's what people said:
"Jeffrey Campbell LITA boots. I was hoping with 'indie sleaze' and the Chloe Paddington and Balenciaga City bags making a comeback we'd see LITAs again, too."
Four fashion colorful high heel shoes on a white background
"For the girls, they've been saying for years that the super low-riding jeans would be coming back, and I've seen them pop up, but not nearly as much as the wide-legged jeans that are high-waisted. The key word with Gen Z'ers and the emerging Gen Alpha kids is 'comfort,' and yeah, it makes sense why the super low-riders haven't made a huge comeback."
"I keep expecting a counter-culture/AI backlash to occur where people go back to mid-2000s internet practices, or at least aesthetics. That might include MySpace, blogging, or social sites with strictly no AI. They've done it with cameras already for the past couple of years — I was speaking to a Gen Z couple at a bar the other week and the guy whips out a 2004 Casio digital camera he'd just bought at a charity shop. I simultaneously felt very excited and very old."
"The colored polo shirts and low-rise jeans were styles that the preppy or popular kids wore when we were in high school. When I first noticed the 2000s/Y2K styles coming back with younger generations, it threw me off because it seemed like they were dressing like the unpopular kids or kids who were bullied when we were in school. It's surprising, because you would expect that it would be the cool kids' style making a resurgence."
"Some sort, any sort of big hair — volumized hair or styled up. It's been the longest stretch in ages of pretty simple, flat, low or even zero-volume hair now for decades. Earlier '90s, '80s, late '70s, earliest '60s, '50s, '40s, '30s — they all had some volume and style. Late '60s to mid-'70s had none, but now it's been decades of none, not just a few stray years."
"Gaucho pants. Haven't seen them in Vogue since like '04, and I'm patiently waiting."
"Argyle sweater vests. Think Seth Cohen on The O.C. I loved them. I suppose we just might not be deep enough into the '00s resurgence for them to be back. Bring back 'emo' before 'emo' became 'scene'!"
"I sort of expected corduroys to be back, because it's a type of fabric. Probably not the thick, heavy ones, but the thinner, lightweight ones that were soft. Didn't expect mood toe rings to be in stores, that's for sure. (I saw that in the wild in November at the mall)."
"The whale tail, AKA thongs showing above your jeans."
"I predicted a huge resurgence of body glitter by 2020, but it never really happened."
"Beanie Babies."
"Some of the hairstyles that were popular mid '90s-onward, like the Rachel cut and layered styles."
"Torn cuffs on jeans and pants."
"Rock music of sorts. Like Paris Texas — a mix of hip hop and rock, at least. I really expected this sound to become 'radio music,' but it went R&B country instead."
"Tie dye coloured tees."
"Juicy track suits."
And here's my choice: denim on denim. People should really start rocking the Canadian tuxedo again, and no, I'm not just saying that because I'm Canadian. I guess ever since Britney and Justin wore it, we all realized none of us can ever top them.
Now it's your turn! What's one trend from the '90s–'00s that you wish would come back already? Tell me in this anonymous form, or leave your answer in the comments below!
And check out BuzzFeed Canada on Instagram and TikTok for more nostalgic stuff!
