How to cash in on GenZ’s love for Y2K fashion
WASHINGTON, Aug 6: Early 2000s fashion is resurging, with Generation Z, born from 1997 to 2012, embracing the Y2K aesthetic that many millennials cringe at. College students and TikTok influencers are showcasing bright, brand-heavy, and borderline tacky items they likely bought secondhand. Jackson Mangum, a 24-year-old tailor in Eugene, Oregon, appreciates Y2K style, stating that it’s easy to find things that fit into his niche. The Y2K resurgence could be attributed to a 20-year cycle in fashion history, where boomers downsize their homes and purge their millennial children’s old belongings. This period allows younger generations to find the fashions of their parents’ generation, something they can remember but only in the abstract, as quaint or interesting and kind of available for reinterpretation and adoption in their 20s.
The 2000s and the 2020s share similarities, such as political and social dynamics, such as technology booms and catastrophic events. The global pandemic and the growth of the internet and social media in the 2000s mirror the development of artificial intelligence today. At the same time, the 2000s may represent a time relatively free of social media and interconnectivity, which could appeal to Gen Z, who have grown up in the age of the internet. Jocelyn Brown, owner of the online resale shop Arkival Storehouse, earns a living off this nostalgia by purchasing vintage clothes from thrift stores and antique malls, upcycling them, and reselling them online. She suggests using online channels and apps like Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, TikTok, and Instagram to sell and trade. Brown also suggests selling at flea markets and catering to the audience buying.
Resale stores, like Apocalypse, buy about 75% of the inventory from Y2K, with staff specifically looking out for micro miniskirts, vintage Victoria Secret lingerie tanks, and baby tees. For every item bought, the seller receives either 30% cash or 50% store credit of the resale price.
The Earth-friendly appeal of buying used also appeals to consumers, as Gen Z has an awareness of fashion sustainability and the ills of mainstream mass fashion. Brown believes that Y2K pieces will remain in consumer’s closets but will be styled in a more individualized way. In the future, 2010s style could be on the horizon, so hold onto those infinity scarves, skinny jeans, or combat boots you may have tucked away. (AP)
