So what makes today's Y2K revival so different? For starters, there were plenty of Y2K trends that millennials were glad to leave behind. And topping this list were the dreaded low-rise jeans. And according to TikTok, there are new updates to the style that include a range of body types, like pairing the look with longer shirts. Today's trendsetters aren't shy about addressing the problematic aspects of Y2K fashion, either, namely, its emphasis on thinness and whiteness that overwhelmed images of the era's popular aesthetic, deemed "heroin chic" due to models' extremely thin, pale presentations (via Gen-Zine).
The Y2K aesthetic not only promoted damaging body images, but many of the styles themselves were reaped from the Black community without assigning due credit, as is so often the case in American culture. For example, the quintessential Y2K tracksuit was initially popularized by designer Kimora Lee Perkins (then Simmons), who styled Missy Elliot and Lil Kim with her sweatsuit line, Baby Phat. However, the rise of Juicy Couture velour tracksuits soon overshadowed earlier contributions to the aesthetic and placed a new emphasis on the wearer's thinness.
Though Juicy Couture now offers plus-size tracksuits, many other Y2K trends still need updates in terms of inclusion. In 2021, curve influencers told Cosmopolitan UK their secrets to reinventing popular millennium styles in their own image. They recommended resources like eBay and online vintage shops, like Berriez — which states that it is "curated for curves" — to fill some of the style gaps in today's fast-fashion market. They also shouted out brands like ASOS Collusion for being both Y2K stylish and size-inclusive.
