An Urban Outfitters Guide To The Best Y2K Trends

It seems as though the once polarizing Y2K fashion trend of 2021 is still going strong for 2022 — and it has only picked up steam since low-rise jeans and tube tops wriggled their way onto TikTok last year. Heck, Y2K trends are now even embraced by millennials who already lived through these shudder-inducing styles during their actual teen years — which really means one thing: Y2K fashion is back because the clothes reviving these turn-of-century looks are better than ever and more wearable than they used to be.

For instance, we’re seeing low-rise jeans that actually cover the booty, slip dresses with structured corset details, and baggy cargo pants that don’t drag on the ground (it was a thing back then, don’t ask). The Y2K fashions of today are fearless, cute, (and, yes) nostalgic — and forever-young retailer Urban Outfitters happens to be a goldmine for all the best Y2K clothes in the game. Ahead, we put together a guide to navigating the millennium-defining trends at UO you may want to incorporate into your own 2022 wardrobe — that is, if you’re feeling fly like that.

Low-Rise Denim

Long ago, low-rise jeans often meant that your whale tail might be on display — so it’s godsent that these hip-hugging pants have since evolved to include full butt coverage. Plus, you now have several options: opt for a V-front button closure if you’re feeling brave or have your pick of a mid- or low-rise, depending on how midriff you’re feeling.

Colorful Pants

Candy-colored clothing defined the 2000s, from bubble-gum pinks to fluorescent neons to psychedelic prints. Pandemic life can be a drag but your wardrobe doesn’t have to be — so grab a pair of “fun pants” that are guaranteed to quickly brighten your mood.

Babydoll & Slip Dresses

Truth be told, slip dresses are always in style for their versatility, minimalist design, and ease of wear — it’s a perfect frock to include in your capsule wardrobe collection. That said, take a gander at the slips of 2022: Early-aughts grunge florals, babydoll empire waists, and corset details make the timeless slip more trend-forward.

Cargo Pants

The cargo pant is probably the second-most polarizing Y2K trend to come back (after low-rise jeans, of course) — likely because the bagginess of the leg is often contrasted with baby tops (which we know isn’t a look that everyone loves to wear). But what makes these parachute-like pants more wearable in 2022 are the reasonable inseam lengths, high-rise fit, and smaller, less bulge-y pockets. One could even say it’s all cargo, no bulk.

Band Tees

Very good vintage band tees are expensive. So scoring a very good “fake” vintage band tee affordably is deserving of a prize. (And the prize is looking legit without actually being legit.) Urban Outfitters has a whole selection of yester-year artist tees, like this distressed Sublime top or a “…Baby One More Time”-era Britney keepsake.

Halter Tops

Next stop: Decolletage city! The halter tops of 2022 are not for the reserved — they’re cropped at the ribcage, fit like sports bras, and are all kinds of strappy across the chest or around the neck. Poor spaghetti tanks never had a chance.

Track Pants

Athleisurewear and “leggings as pants” have finally paved way for looser-leg track pants (or velour pants) that can be worn in place of jeans, or with a sports bra and a matching track jacket for a sweet taste of Sporty Spice.

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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8 Size-Inclusive Jeans From H&M To Break You Out Of Sweatpants Fatigue

Let’s take stock of where we’re at: It’s year three of the pandemic, it’s two months into winter, and the number of sweats we’ve accumulated since 2020 has skyrocketed from zero to oh about a billion. But as comforting as it is to cocoon in super-soft velours and fleeces, it’s hard to ignore the unmistakable, ever-increasing fatigue from haphazardly slapping together a hoodie with leggings and calling it an “outfit” after the millionth time (writing in hyperboles is evidently also a symptom of said fatigue).

That brings us to a rather apt (and very achievable) resolution: to actually get dressed in 2022. And it all starts with reacquainting ourselves with non-sweats — specifically, styles from H&M’s size-inclusive denim drop (all are available up to size 18; H&M+ sizes range from L to 4XL online) that are designed to meet everything we’re looking for in our jeans. We broke down eight denim goals, from finding jeans that actually fit to experimenting with new silhouettes, so that perhaps this might just be the year we finally take a (temporary) break from our sweats. 

To find jeans that are basically leggings in denim form 

The denim: A body-hugging style that’s woven from an innovative super-flexible, cotton-blend stretch fabrication that’s designed to fit your body. 

To embrace the ‘90s but in a more polished way

The denim: A 1997-meets-2022 hybrid jean that unites the slouchy, devil-may-care attitude of the grunge era with a thoroughly modern high-waist silhouette. 

To prove to Gen Z that skinny jeans aren’t going anywhere

The denim: The ultimate closet mainstay — a classic skinny jean in a versatile, goes-with-anything inky shade that would outlast any trend. 

To find plus-size wide-leg jeans that don’t feel baggy 

The denim: A unicorn of a jean (sizes go up to 4XL online) that boasts a wide leg without any excess fabrication or frumpiness.

To find jeans that are as comfortable as my sweats

The denim: With its super-relaxed, loose fit, this ultra-high-waist style is like your sweatpants but better.

To branch out and experiment with a new silhouette 

The denim: A vintage cut featuring cool, retro-inspired flares but with a sleek, contemporary (and size-inclusive) design. 

To find a pair of worn-in jeans without actually having to break them in

The denim: A vintage-y, ‘90s-inspired straight-leg denim with the perfectly imperfect faded wash that you didn’t have to dig through countless bins to find.

To find jeans that 1) actually fit and 2) mold to my curves (read: no back gaps) 

The denim: As part of H&M’s “True To You” line, this plus-size jean (whose size range goes up to 4XL online) adapts to fit your body on a daily basis. 

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Inside The 2022 Comeback Of Y2K’s Favorite It-Bag

Over the past two years, fashion TikTok has become a one-way ticket to the Y2K era. From micro-mini skirts and tube tops to low-rise jeans and Bratz-approved platform shoes, the app — hand-in-hand with the secondhand market boom — has brought back many nostalgic trends. Among them is one of the era’s signature designer bags: the Fendi Baguette.

Currently, the hashtag #fendibaguette has over 2.4 million views on TikTok. And the views are translating to retail demand. According to Rebag, the Fendi Baguette bag was one of 2021’s most searched items on the resale site. Meanwhile, on the luxury consignment site The RealReal, searches for the bag have grown by 63% from 2020 and sales rose by 40%. “The Fendi Baguette has had a significant resurgence over the past several years, as demand for iconic ’90s fashion surges,” says Kelly McSweeney, merchandise manager of womenswear at The RealReal. 

While the comeback initially started when Fendi re-issued the Baguette in 2019, its It-bag status in 2021 was cemented by an intergenerational phenomenon that saw Gen X unearthing their vintage style and selling them, to the millennials ready to take them off their hands. “Gen X was the generation that originally purchased Baguettes back in their heyday,” says McSweeney. “As the original Gen X owners see them rising in resale value, it’s motivating many to sell theirs forward, and millennials are jumping on the chance to finally live out their Baguette dreams.” According to The RealReal, demand for vintage Fendi Baguette bags has grown six times faster than the new versions of the bag from the brand, with the average resale value reaching four times more than in 2017.

For millennial influencer Caroline Vazzana, this latest wave of popularity prompted her to expand her Fendi Baguette collection. While she got her first one six years ago for $200 at Beacon’s Closet, today, she says, getting her hands on both vintage and re-edition Baguette bags is much harder — not to mention expensive. 

“I honestly wish I got more [back then] because now they go for so much money,” Vazzana, who currently has five, says.

Like many other millennials, Vazzana first got acquainted with the Fendi Baguette bag when she watched Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw parade it around New York City in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. Frequently described as one of the original influencers, Bradshaw’s predilection for the style — a phenomenon credited to the show’s costume designer Patricia Field — made it a must-have back in the day. 

First launched in 1997, the Fendi Baguette bag was conceptualized by Silvia Venturini Fendi, who was inspired by French women and wanted to create a purse that could be held like a loaf of bread under the arms. But it is the bag’s versatile rectangular shape, recognizable double F-logo clasp, and a wide variety of colors, textures, and materials that cemented its popularity as one of Y2K’s most iconic handbags. 

Fashion commentator and jewelry designer Carla Rockmore, who is part of the Baby Boomer generation, remembers the bag at the height of its popularity. Back in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, she says that “everybody under the sun tried to knock [Fendi Baguette bags] off.” She adds, “I remember thinking at the time, ‘Gee, this bag is becoming a canvas, almost a moniker of your style.'”

And though the Baguette’s It-status waned for a few years — as handbags like the Louis Vuitton Pochette, Balenciaga City, Celine Luggage, and Saint Laurent Sac Du Jour skyrocketed in popularity — Fendi re-issuance of the style in 2019 inspired a second coming. When re-introducing the purple sequin version, which was first launched in the house’s fall 1999 collection and popularized by Sex And The City, Fendi tapped no other than Sarah Jessica Parker, who played Bradshaw, for the ad campaign. In the commercial, Parker is followed by a group of younger girls who are lusting after her bag, screaming, “Ma’am, I need that bag!” She then turns around, replying: “Oh, this isn’t a bag. It’s a Baguette!” 

The interaction alludes to the first time the purple sequin Baguette bag made an appearance on Sex And The City, in a scene from Season 3, when Bradshaw gets robbed and corrects the mugger, saying: “It’s a Baguette.” Three years after the commercial aired, photos of Parker wearing the same bag in the show’s reboot And Just Like That… made rounds on the internet, prompting Fendi to re-launch it once again. The current iteration of the style is selling for a whopping $4,300. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 17: Sarah Jessica Parker seen on the set of “And Just Like That…” the follow up series to “Sex and the City” at Webster Hall on July 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

But fans aren’t deterred. According to global fashion search platform Lyst, searches for the bag have jumped by 47% since the show premiered in December 2021. The bag also climbed to Rebag’s top five most-selling styles after the show’s premiere, according to the site’s CEO Charles Gorra. 

Though popular handbags of eras past have a tendency to come back in style (see: Balenciaga’s City bag or Lady Dior bag), the Fendi Baguette is currently defining Y2K’s return, both in fashion and pop culture. Will it last despite today’s short-lived, TikTok-fueled trend cycle? Rockmore thinks so. “When something is functional besides being fashionable, it has longevity,” she says. “[The Baguette] is never going out of style.”

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So, How Is It Really? Wearing A Balaclava With Big Hair

Welcome to Refinery29’s So, How Is It Really? where we take a look at all of the topics that have the internet talking. In studying them up close, we answer the question of what it’s really like to try out a trend, a viral product, or an unexpected TikTok hack.

In the last six months, there’s been no bigger winter trend than the balaclava. The cozy accessory has been spotted on runways —  with designers ranging from Miu Miu and Raf Simons to Marine Serre — and has flooded search queries. Really: Searches for “crochet balaclava” are up by 1000% according to Google Trends. The balaclava is also this season’s most sought-after item as reported by global fashion shopping platform Lyst. Miu Miu’s crochet hood and face covering and Stone Island’s ribbed wool balaclava landed on the top 10 hottest products list for women and men, respectively. 

On Instagram, we’re seeing the winter-weather accessory on the feeds of fashion influencers everywhere. Meanwhile, on TikTok, #balaclava has over 132 million views. Style aside, the one thing a lot of these posts have in common is they’re often modeled on people with straight or wavy hair. So, it got me thinking, What’s it like to wear a balaclava as someone with big natural hair? If I put it on, would it mess up my hair the minute I took it off? Would I have to either blow out or slick back my 3C/ 4A curls into a bun in order to pull off this trend? To find out what it’s really like, I enlisted the (now-sold-out) Aritzia Sunday Best Frederick Balaclava in “Guava Pink.” 

My first impression was there couldn’t be a way to fit all of my hair in all of its voluminous glory into the balaclava without looking like Megamind. But, I went ahead even though it pained me (and my freshly styled hair) to put a fabric other than satin directly on my curls. To my surprise, as I began to put it on, the material compressed my hair down enough to create a hooded shape. I paid more attention to the backside and neck to even out the bumpy areas of tucked hair that NGL tickled. I left some of my curls peeking out the front to frame my face as a styling choice.

With my balaclava on, I was ready to take on one of Toronto’s coldest days. I wore an all-black outfit made up of cargo pants, a fleece quarter-zip, thick-framed sunglasses, and a puffer jacket sans hood to go out for a walk and run some errands. I was toasty even in a negative temperature and treated the balaclava as the star of my outfit. It was comfortable until I had to put on my face mask to enter stores which became a bit of a hassle, especially as I tried to maneuver the mask ear loops through my tangled hair. If all the back-and-forth is not for you, then I’d recommend trying a ski mask-like balaclava that covers your nose and mouth for ease. 

When the time came to remove it later that day, I pulled the balaclava off by stretching the sides as wide as possible to minimize frizz. My hair was flattened but it was nothing a little zhoosh couldn’t fix. The only downside was the fabric soaked up some hair product which left my curls feeling a bit dry. I went into this experiment fully sure that I would have to slick my hair back (you know, “tone” it down). Instead, I made the trend work for me and the natural state of my hair. My hair grows sideways and upwards, and not every style may be worth hopping on, but the balaclava made me love on my curls just a little more. 

Overall, I can definitely see myself wearing the balaclava more often. It’s a cute accessory that also works as an easy way to update your wardrobe without breaking the bank on new winter gear. 

Ready to give it a try? We got you:

Know how to knit? Check out these options:

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