Though decades have passed since the turn of the millennium, fashion has come full circle and is once again relishing in the chintzy and lurid sensibility prominent in the first few years of the 21st century. As we speed towards another raucous summer—not quite as bratty as in previous years, but one hedonistic nonetheless—every sign indicates that the defining aesthetic will be one rooted in the 2000s. Indeed, Y2K fashion is back on the agenda.
Instead of bedazzled Motorola Razr flip phones, Isabel Marant Beckett wedge trainers and Gwen Stefani’s debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby to soundtrack our cruises in Regina George-inspired convertibles, we now have prebiotic sodas, reissues of the Balenciaga City bag and the hypnotic melodies of Slayyyter’s punk-meets-club record Worst Girl in America.
Despite the passage of time, many things have remained the same since they first debuted in the early 2000s—rhinestone velour will always hold a place in our hearts, micro mini skirts will never date, and lace-trim camisoles will always complement a pair of ultra-low rise denim. Speaking to Amy Bannerman, eBay UK’s style director, she explains that Y2K fashion perpetually resonates for how “unapologetically excessive it all was”.
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
“From sequins in the daytime to slogan tees and massive sunglasses, these were all strange layering choices that somehow worked—it was glamorous but chaotic!” she adds. “People romanticise that freedom now because fashion has become so polished and algorithmic. It feels almost mythological because it existed in a time when we had more creativity and freedom, before everyone curated themselves online.”
This sense of uninhibited dressing is permeating across all corners of the sartorial landscape, especially in the joy of dressing up discerned across the spring/summer 2026 runways, further cementing the fact that fashion’s getting a little noughtie once more. As for what we can expect this summer, the Y2K revival will run the full gamut, expressing every subculture and micro movement that reared its head the first time around.
“The early 2000s were filled with ‘more is more’ metallics, tiny tops, trucker hats, velour tracksuits and diamanté everything,” Bannerman notes. “By the late 2000s, things became darker, moodier, grimier and more rock-and-roll. “Think: skinny jeans, oversized leather jackets, American Apparel disco pants, Alexander McQueen skull scarves, heavy eyeliner and huge amounts of layering.”
This, both iterations of the aesthetic will emerge, with Bannerman adding that it’s this “glossy-cum-trashiness to [Y2K fashion] that people are being drawn back to after fashion’s obsession with minimalism and the quiet luxury aesthetic.”
Below, we chart the rise of the defining Y2K fashion trends returning this summer. From the subcultures being revived to the brands doing them best, it’s time to take a dip into the archive. As Madonna said, time goes by so slowly…
6 Y2K Trends Staging a Comeback for Summer 2026
1. Bel Air Brat
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
Style Notes: With their tiny dogs and chunky flip-flops, the lifestyles of Los Angeles’ rich and famous in the 2000s laid the foundation for what the Y2K fashion would come to immortalise. This was a time when infamy could segue into a bona fide celebrity status, so getting snapped by a paparazzi whilst shopping on Robertson Boulevard was paramount.
Socialites like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie ruled the set of Bel Air brats with a fist made of Juicy Couture velour and grasping an Urth Caffe mocha lattes. These days, you’ll catch the next generation of this cohort, including Real Housewives of Beverly Hills scion turned supermodel, Amelia Grey, grabbing a takeaway iced matcha from Community Goods in low-slung Adanola sweats or capri track pants. So, wear something that would make you feel like an extra in The Hills or Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring and delight in all its bubblegum pink, bimbo-turned-businesswoman-esque glory.
Shop the Trend:
Free People
Dance Til Dawn Halter Cami
MANOLO BLAHNIK
Sumbasan Satin Sandals
Gucci
Half Horsebit Mini Bag
CHLOÉ EYEWEAR
Tortoiseshell Sunglasses
Reformation
Marysia Dress
GUCCI
Satin-Jacquard Track Jacket
2. Secretarial Sleaze
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
Style Notes: Gisele Bündchen, with her bespeckled frames and body-conscious business casual attire, in the memorable, albeit short-lived, cameo in The Devil Wears Prada, has come to encapsulate the rise in corporate dressing that predicated much of the 2000s. These are ensembles bound to have you written up for violating your office’s dress code—much like Bridget Jones and her off-sick skirt—though the mix of structured tailoring with sensual undertones is undoubtedly a Y2K archetype.
Today, you need only look at the sheer amount of skin-tight pinstripe shirts, Bayonetta glasses and sleek pencil skirts circulating for proof that this trend has transcended workplace settings. Calvin Klein-era Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, eat your heart out.
Shop the Trend:
MANGO
Mid-Rise Denim Skirt
The Row
Marlo 12 Leather Tote
Reformation
Raya Fitted Silk Shirt
3. Track Star
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
Style Notes: An obsession with archival silhouettes doesn’t end with Galliano-era J’adore Dior tank tops and Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton Speedy bags. At least, that’s what the style set is proving this summer, showing up to take the Tracey Anderson Method or a Reformer Pilates class in activewear nearly 30 years old. “Early 2000s sportswear was never just about functionality, it was about identity,” argues Bannerman before adding, “those old Adidas, Puma and Nike pieces had really bold colourways, interesting silhouettes and a kind of optimism to them.”
For those germaphobes amongst us who are uncomfortable with the idea of working out in something someone had profusely previously sweated in it, may we first direct your attention to the concept of a dry cleaner, and also alert you to the fact that many brands are currently banking on this trend. Mia Zotos, the founder and creative director of Mode Mischief, which fuses theatrical nostalgia with playful charm and contemporary silhouettes, is one such designer, offering her own iteration on the style.
“Modern activewear can feel very uniform, whereas 2000s activewear often felt like an outfit,” explains Zotos. “It was sporty, but still styled. There were playful necklines, unique shapes, flares, tight shorts, colour blocking, prints and design details that felt functional but still intentional, whilst still allowing for more self-expression. I think people are drawn to that because it feels nostalgic, but also more individual.”
Shop the Trend:
Mode Mischief
Steffi Mini Dress
TOM FORD EYEWEAR
Silver-Tone Sunglasses
ZARA
Semi-Sheer Combined T-Shirt
Woven Tape Detail Trousers
YSL
Cassandre Windbreaker
4. Aquamarine-Core
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
Style Notes: From the scintillating sequins that floated down Chanel’s Cruise 2027 runway in Biarritz to the Lisa Frank-inspired colour palettes of Zara Larsson’s on-stage wardrobe and the viral remix of Addison Rae’s single “Aquamarine” with Arca, fashion has gained its sea legs this summer and diving headfirst into the mermaidcore revival. Like a song is to a siren, this trend beacons anyone besotted with crystallised accents, pearlescent details and vibrant colours, including magenta, chartreuse, turquoise and coral.
Of course, for anyone who grew up in the 2000s, they’d know that the mermaids at the centre of Australian teen soap drama H2O: Just Add Water are the original pioneers of the trend. But as the weather warms and the season drags on, who wouldn’t take up the call to relive these childhood memories by frolicking around in the sands of Ibiza or the shorelines of Sifnos? Channel your inner Ariel by wearing tank tops decorated with buttons—see: gizmos and trinkets—that could’ve sunk to the seafloor or make like Matthieu Blazy by opting for glimmering embellishments that catch the light.
Shop the Trend:
MANGO
Strass Triangle Bikini Top
Reformation
Jessie Thong Sandal
Leset
Yoko Classic Button Down
Faithfull
Soleil Head Scarf
Miu Miu
Rounded Sunglasses
5. Prep School
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
Style Notes: Blame it on Bennito Skinner’s critically-acclaimed and ludicrously-hilarious college-set series Overcompensating or the fact that Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf will perennially be a source of inspiration, but prep school aesthetics appear to show no signs of slowing down. There is, of course, Emerald Fennel’s nightmarishly posh Saltburn to also hold accountable for this trend, but it would be remiss to ignore the glaring influence of school uniform dressing on summer wardrobes.
Rugby shirts! Bermuda shorts! Boat shoes! These are all staples you’d find in an Eton graduate’s wardrobe, let alone some of the most inspired dressers of our time. But it’s this exact subversion of buttoned-up archetypes that makes it so compelling. Make like Nicholas Hoult’s Tony Stonem in Skins and pop the collar of your polo, teaming it with a pair of low-rise jean shorts and the most scuffed-up pair of loafers you own. Wired headphones are compulsory.
Shop the Trend:
Versace
Cable-Knit Cotton Sweater
Miu Miu
Poplin and Eyelet Lace Miniskirt
ZARA
Short Dress With Polka Dot Tie
Miu Miu
Aventure Nappa Leather Bag
Mode Mischief
Janou Layered Blouse
6. Basement Gig Grunge
(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)
Style Notes: A subculture that can be summarised by the sonic offerings of The Strokes, Interpol and Arctic Monkeys, indie sleaze is sordid grunge encapsulated. Almost like you’re looking through life with eyeliner-smudged lenses, this aesthetic is one of basement dance floors, sticky record shops and the nascent days of thrifting. As Bannerman puts it: “It felt like we were all living in Camden”. The aesthetic has become somewhat mythologised in recent years, especially as Gen Z romanticises the past and pines to recreate its most memorable attributes. (See: Glastonbury 2007.)
Recently, Olivia Rodrigo put this to the test during her surprise set at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, showing up for the gig in a pair of American Apparel disco shorts, lace-up combat boots, fishnet stockings and a black-and-white striped top. Elsewhere, Jenna Ortega channelled her inner Kate Moss when attending Johnathan Anderson’s debut collection presentation for Dior in a sleeveless Napoleon jacket and frayed denim mini skirt. This cohort is also taking cues from Mary-Kate Olsen’s intentionally distressed Hermès Birkin and Cory Kennedy’s Cobra Snake party photos.
Shop the Trend:
Isabel Marant
Bekett Wedge Sneakers
Prada
Leather Mid-Calf Boots
Ganni
Baggy Jeans in Zebra Print
Meet the Experts
Amy Bannerman
Amy Bannerman is eBay UK’s Pre-Loved Style Director. A lifelong advocate of pre-loved fashion, she launched her own pre-loved market stall, Thrift, at 23 with support from The Prince’s Trust. With more than 20 years in the industry, Amy has forged a distinctive path in fashion – starting as an assistant at ELLE, rising through the ranks as Fashion Editor at InStyle, a freelance stylist and Fashion Director at Cosmopolitan. Throughout her career, she has championed pre-loved fashion, incorporating pieces into editorial shoots and styling projects for leading publications before bringing her expertise to eBay, where she also built the eBay fashion archive.
