Giving the Past a Warm Hug: 5 Iconic Cultural Touchstones of the 90s/2000s
The 20-year trend cycle is slowly dying with the rise of hyperspeed consumerism and social media yanking us in and out of new, hyper-specific aesthetics. What used to be stylish and influential in 2020 is now viewed as outdated and cringe (re: the House of Sunny dress that we collectively dropped within a few years of its universal grip on fashion). There is something calming and nostalgic about looking back at some of the wacky and personal style-inducing trends of the late 1990s and early 2000s where many of these microtrends get their inspiration from. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and appreciate 5 memorable trends and cultural moments that may have slipped to the back of our minds as we were being bombarded with ten new microtrends a week:
#1: Frosted Tips on Men
These unhinged hairstyles were anything but natural, and everyone who participated in the trend was clearly leaning into the chaos of it all. No matter how masculine or tough a man was presented as, there is absolutely no doubt that he would embrace his iced out hairstyle. The general goal of frosted tips was to create a deep, stark contrast with one’s natural hair, leaning even further into the idea that there was no intention for the hairstyle to be natural. This commitment to the look was refreshing and silly, something that was common during this time, especially in the early 2000s. Alongside the rise of shock value like Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s superbowl performance and Madonna, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears’ three-way kiss, there was a playfulness and gaudiness in fashion that felt like a refreshing and daring segue into uncharted waters. Frosted tips allowed for men to show some edginess and break away from the standard “suit and tie” look that we grew accustomed to seeing so often.
#2: HitClips
New millennium, new sounds.
HitClips came on the market freshly in the new millennium during the year 2000.
It's hard to believe that we once lived in a world where we couldn’t open up our phones and access any song that we could think of. Before we were spoiled by modern technology, we were blessed with HitClips. The invention of HitClips came in hot in August of 2000, setting the stage for the boom in instant access to music that would soon be the norm. These devices hit two perfect fad-worthy markers: they were technologically advanced and featured collectable items. Each HitClip played a short snippet of a song made by a popular musician or band, and the possibilities of jamming out to your favorite musician solely depended on your ability to convince the adults in your life that you NEED to listen to 25 seconds of a popular Britney Spears song. This early 2000s invention was not widely consumed like the iPod or Zune would be in the coming years, but it had a significant place in the cultural zeitgeist of the early 2000s music fanatical culture.
#3: Glitter as an Accessory
As someone who clocked maybe 40+ hours rewatching the Lizzie McGuire movie over the span of my childhood and young adulthood… and also adulthood… There was one specific thing that never left my brain: glitter. Glitter in the early 2000s was the ultimate accessory. It could be found in lip gloss, clothing, hair accessories, jewelry, and so much more. In the Lizzie McGuire movie specifically, Lizzie struts around the stage with a glitter covered belly button– something that was so subtle yet revolutionary for us 8-year-old watchers. Not only did Lizzie inspire us, but the general use of glitter on our bodies let us sparkle and showcase our individuality.
In the modern world, wanting to shimmer still holds strong, but it generally takes the form of a glow oil or body butter and I say let’s take it back to chunky glitter!
#4: Myspace Web Design
When reflecting on our lives in the mid-2000s and early 2010s, I’m sure many of us who lived and breathed MySpace would be impressed by the level of coding and meticulous design that went into our profiles. We were craftsmen; every inch of our profiles were curated to reflect our current likes, dislikes, and best friends of the week. Where did we find the inspiration? How did we learn to recalibrate a MySpace theme via code? These skills transitioned seamlessly into the Tumblr era of the internet where web design was our number one passion— pictures had to align perfectly, too much dead space between pictures was unacceptable, etc. Looking back, there was something incredibly wholesome and resourceful about a bunch of preteens and teens leaning on each other to figure out how to get the exact perfect shade of blue for their MySpace background while centering their new icon perfectly on their profile.
#5: The Dreaminess of Movies
This may be a hot take, but the quality of movies and TV now is just too… real. The late 2010s and 2020s saw a stark shift in the quality of media to the point where we now have hyper-realistic 4K cameras for simple baseball game coverage. This may have its benefits and sharp image definitely serves its purpose, but movies in the early 2000s had a certain dreaminess to them. A particularly stark example of this dream-like quality is in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. There were certain scenes that were fuzzy and glowy, making it seem like a dream. In the scene where Andie comes out to meet Ben in her iconic yellow dress, the fuzziness is palpable. These small qualities created a much more easy-going, cinema-like quality for viewers that just cannot be replaced now.
Trends come and go quickly now, which makes it difficult for many of us to keep up or even have the desire to keep up anymore. Luckily, there are truly no rules on how we are allowed to govern our personal style, media consumption, or interest. So go ahead, throw out your iPhone, buy a Nokia, and throw some butterfly clips in your hair!
