That's so fetch! - What Is Y2K Aesthetic And How To Achieve It

See, after everyone was done worrying about the Millennium Bug - which, by the way, was a real thing and not a conspiracy theory! - the world of hair, fashion and beauty exploded and embraced bravery and audacity like never seen before. To an extent, I’d say: thankfully. 

Like with every wave of trends, the early 00s have seen a few gems - and a lot of trash. For example: we all loved the colourful rubber bracelets, butterfly clips and lipgloss: BUT there’s nothing in this world that will ever convince me to wear a tennis skirt over a pair of leggings, nor to buy a pair of ultra-low-rise jeans. Hell no. I’m pretty sure that not even Christina Aguilera would go back to those.

When talking about hair, the early 00s have made history with a few looks brought to you by some of the queens of the era: Xtina, yes, but also Ashanti, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, the Olsen twins, Paris Hilton and her BFF Nicole Richie, and last but not least a roster of Disney princesses including Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale. The world of music, especially pop and r’n’b, has made a few hairstyles skyrocket in popularity - so much that those that were still loyal to the 90s “The Rachel” have hopped on the train of chunky highlights and hair straighteners to keep their coolness. 

More recently, the whole “Y2K aesthetic” has become popular again, all of a sudden. It seemed like the whole decade fell into a forgotten well and everyone was going crazy about 60s and 70s inspired looks, when someone (looking at you, Bella Hadid!) decided that there was something extremely cool about the tacky Y2K fashion - and personally? I agree. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time my dear reader, so what are we waiting for? Let’s dive deep into Y2K hairstyles!

1. Crimped Hair

One cannot mention Y2K hairstyles and 00s fashion without talking about crimped hair. Fashionable, voluminous, easy to achieve at home (every cool girl had a frisee hair crimper in their bedroom)... This trend didn’t age well, since it soon enough got ditched for natural hair, big soft curls or the spaghetti-like tresses. Briefly famous, this trend is slowly coming back - and I’m a fan! There’s something so playful and flirty about strategically placed crimped strands in your mane. Tyra Banks and Lizzie McGuire have been pioneers of this look.

Find out more in our Crimped Hair Blog. 

2. Spiky Bun

This is another cult hairstyle that used to be so lowkey and basic back then, but that became trendy and popular during the Y2K revival. Yes, some of you may not know but back in the days putting your hair up in a bun - they were usually “spiky” because of the deep layering of the fashionable haircuts of that era - was considered a mere “stay at home” look, or anyways not something that you would do in order to look cool. Nowadays, thanks to social media and models Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, this hairstyle has been dubbed the “model off-duty” bun and there’s videos and tutorials online on how to recreate it. Madness. If you’d like to know more, click here to know How To Do A Spiky Bun.

3. Butterfly Clips

We have talked about butterfly clips fairly recently, as there was a lot of demand about butterfly clip hairstyles and hair extensions. As long as you don’t attach the clips directly onto the attachments of your hair extensions, butterfly clips hairstyles are pretty safe for you to try and play with. You can create cute, colourful combos to match your outfit or go with neutral colours to just add volume and texture to your hairstyles - the choice is yours. In our Butterfly Hairclips, we have selected a few butterfly clip hairstyles to inspire you.

4. Braided Tendrils

Often paired with butterfly clips, this hairstyle is going BIG this summer - and it probably owes its return to popularity to artists such as Doja Cat and Margot Robbie. Other celebrities that gave it a go? Braided tendrils - also known as baby braids - have been spotted on the Hadid sisters, Gigi and Bella, and Hailey Bieber too. This Y2K trend is quite easy to achieve - but if you’re lacking the right amount of volume and length, then you may want to resort to clip-in hair extensions. Baby braids don’t always need to sit at the edge of your face, but can be implemented anywhere in your mane and can be paired with curls, waves and even crimped hair. The world is your oyster!

5. Claw Clip

What is a claw clip? Well, the answer is pretty easy: a claw clip is a hair clip that vaguely looks like the giant version of a butterfly clip - hence the name. Many of us used to pinch our own hands with them, for no reason; it’s also known as the jaw clip, and if you own one you’ll have no difficulty in seeing why. In the 90s and early 00s, every household had at least two or three of these hair accessories hanging around on a trinkets tray or in a bathroom drawer; years passed, and the claw clip slowly became a “I need something to put my hair up” accessories. The year is 2022, and now claw clips are a fashion statement. Go figure. If you’d like to know more about this cute little item, make sure to read our blog: How To Put Your Hair Up In A Claw Clip.

6. The Retro Ponytail

Brought to fame by Bella Hadid, the retro pony literally broke the internet thanks to its classiness and simplicity - making its way on everyone’s Instagram feeds for a while. It didn’t take much for other celebrities and influencers to notice and replicate this cute hairstyle, both peppy and romantic. The ponytail itself is a nod to the 90s casual updos with the sleek, shiny look typical of these days and a deep, neat side part. Need some help with the ponytail? If your hair isn't long or thick enough to achieve a full ponytail, you can always resort to a clip-in ponytail hair extension.

7. Hair Blings

This used to be HUGE. I’m saying this was some Mean Girls stuff. Some Queen Bee hair gadget. And I mean, look at it. Look at the bling, look at the sparkles look at those gorgeously embellished waves… Yes, we live for that. Nowadays, the deepest trenches of Amazon have provided us with a new, fun and fresh version of this hair rhinestones applier. Who do we owe the pleasure of once again wanting to glue little gems to our strands? Well, I personally blame Euphoria (yes, the TV show) and the sparkly, edgy Maddie Perez hairstyles we’ve been served. Pssst… If you’d like to check them out, come check out this post I wrote about Euphoria Hairstyles.

8. Deep Side Part

9. Pigtails

10. Hair Tinsel

Also known as “unicorn hair”, the hair tinsel is an accessory to wear on your head like a hair extension, to make your mane sparkle. You can choose a colour coordinated type (gold for blondes, copper for redheads for example) or rainbow-coloured ones to give your hairstyle an extra kick. So many options to play with! This particular hair trend peaked during the late 90s and early 2000s, and just like crop tops and UGG boots, hair tinsels are slowly rising back from the dead. You can read more about How To Put In Hair Tinsel.

11. Mini Ponytails

This hairstyle has recently been spotted on numerous influencers and celebrities, including Kylie Jenner. You know when something gets picked by a member of one of the most famous and influential families in America, it must be fashionable... Right? Perhaps that doesn't apply to certain accessories - rumours have it, that Kim Kardashian owns a bag that looks like a laptop charger from afar! - but these cute mini ponytails are too adorable not to be tried. You can either wear them in a row, pair them with hair twists or criss-cross them.

12. Conclusion:

They say what goes around comes around, and nowadays there are so many sources of inspiration for those who'd like to try different hairstyles and clothing aesthetics to express themselves. With hair accessories and real hair extensions you can switch looks in a matter of minutes, and always look gorgeous - no matter what decade inspires you!