It is July 2022. The rookie group NewJeans has officially made their debut with the single Attention, with a music video that seems to be writing a new chapter in K-pop fashion – casual chic crop tops, baggy jerseys with shorts, low-rise jeans with baby tees, footwear in vibrant, unexpected shades like green and orange, with open hair, minimalist jewellery and subtle, dewy makeup. To many, these will be identifiable elements from the Y2K wardrobe of the 90’s and 2000’s. However, the global Y2K revival was not a new phenomenon for the K-pop stage. The genre of music, heavily focused on creating a vibrant visual effect corresponding to its upbeat, carefree and sometimes dreamy moods and themes, has always incorporated Y2K in its album concepts, music videos and especially stage performances, although NewJeans has channeled the millennial wardrobe aesthetic with a faithful adherence to its most basic elements.
New Jeans in Attention
Y2K fashion not just adds a playful diversity of colour, it artfully combines hairstyle, accessories and differing vibes from casual, sporty to elegant in its ensemble. The K-pop stage is all about drama and enigma on the one hand and visual translation of the jovial, colourful mood of the songs and music videos on the other – and Y2K fashion is the all-in-one combo of all of these elements that K-pop stands for as a genre.
Yeonjun of Tomorrow X Together
The 2000’s saw the birth of the Y2K wardrobe in the homes of fashion enthusiasts. At a time when bold experimentation was the norm in the realm of fashion, every corner of every street would see a new vibe, a new concept. While one person may be walking along in a breezy oversized shirt with a bucket hat, wide-leg jeans, and dark boots, in another corner someone else might be seen donning a chic mini skirt with a crop top, their hair tied up in a bun adorned with vibrant hair ties and matching clips, the look completed with chunky, colourful shoes.
ENHYPEN
As a genre, K-pop is almost impossible to pin down to one specific musical style, and the visual aesthetics are even more varied owing to its focus on combining multiple types of stage personas through every group of performers. From swoonworthy, playful, bold, to even melancholy, K-pop has no defined boundaries when it comes to the emotions and vibes the songs channel. But one thing is common among all K-pop groups and their concepts – they all aim to present a polyphonous, performative experience in music, allowing fans to discover something new every other day. This is exactly why Y2K as a fashion trend has never really been a sudden or fleeting revival in K-pop culture. It is intrinsic to the genre, and essential for performers to embrace in order to channel breeziness, mischief, grace, and elegance all together on stage.
Girls’ Generation
The Y2K wardrobe in K-pop has also evolved through the generations. While iconic, legendary groups like H.O.T, Girls’ Generation and BLACKPINK have embraced traditional Y2K styles with baggy hoodies, oversized shirts, vibrant shoes and 90’s style bandanas in menswear and miniskirts with baby tees or crop tops and low-rise jeans with tank tops in women’s clothing, groups, which have debuted more recently, including Tomorrow X Together, Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, Aespa and IVE have sported bolder ensembles on stage, with a more dynamic mix of contrasting colours and even neon shades, experimental hairdos, more bulky footwear and heavy jackets and jewellery. The Y2K storm rages on in the K-pop scene, with new variations and additions coming in with every new generation making its debut.
Jennie of BLACKPINK
Yunjin of Lesserafim
Stray Kids
Yujin of IVE