Millennials Fashion Trends Through The Decades (2024)

Fashion has a beautiful way of cycling back. With each decade, we evaluate what worked and what didn't. What works trends again, and what didn't well... it depends.

The millennial generation includes folks born between 1980 and 1996 which makes the oldest millennialabout 40 and the youngest is 24. From the fresh 90sto divas in the 2000's and the reign of skinny jeans in the 2010s, up until now, fashion has evolved.

This is a review of the fashion trends and popular styles thus far in the millennial lifetime. To see which trends survived, their relationship with time period pop-culture, and what has circled back.

90's: Millennials First Sense Of Style

We are going straight to the 90s because the oldest millennial would have been 10, just about the time when kids begin to have their own sense of fashion.

90's looks from fashion pop-culture were iconic. Supermodels Kate Moss and Tyra banks wore mini skirts with tights, tight Ts, button-up shirts and tiny purses. This look carried over to the silver screen with Cher Horowitz making the two-piece set and high socks famous in Clueless.

Sara Jessica Parker dawned the screen for the first time as Carrie Bradshaw, marking the mini dress era paired with short high-heeled shoes.This was the reign of silky dresses, with mini button-down sweaters, or fake fur cuffs.

It wouldn't be a complete review without giving homage to Princess Di, whose modern take on royalty pushed back on conservative boundaries.

The 90s unofficial fashion anthem was denim everything: jackets, baggy jeans, and even button-downs.Every 90s girl wore her hair in a scrunchy, middle part, and a matte nude lip. Of the ladder looks, the middle part made the cut for the early 2000s style.

Related:10 Fashion Items All 90s Kids Wore (That Are Making A Comeback)

2000 And Late

The early 2000s were characterized by the divas: Brittany, Christina, Paris. Suddenly, everyone was straightening their hair and adding highlights to it, even the boys. Do you remember Justin Timberlake's famous frosted tips?

The most drastic change from the 90s to the early 2000s was the jeans. High-waisted and baggy were gone, and suddenly low-rise boot cut was in. We even saw for the first time, knee-length jean Bermudas.

High-waisted pants were out, it was all about showing midriff with a low-riseskirt or pants and an ultra crop. The rise was so low, it was even trendy to let your thong hang out around your hips. Christina Milan's Drop It Low video popularized the low-rise bootcut jean with an ultra crop look.

J Lo wore a famous pink juicy velour tracksuit in a music video, and suddenly everyone had one, even the Mom Mean Girls.

Lauren Conrad rocked the triangle-shaped tops and dress, with the occasional tube tops afterher show Laguna Beachmade it big. Finally, it was Gossip Girlthat transitioned us from the late 2000s fashion to 2010s trends.

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2010's

The decade of skinny jeans and leggings, flat boots and long shirts. As of 2010only side parts wereacceptable and you had to have a designer bag. Fashion specialists characterize this era as more explorative, fashion followed fewer rules than previous decades with fashionistas like Rihanna, Lizzo, Janelle Monae and Zendaya taking the red carpet.

Although as mentioned it was the time of skinny jeans and destroyed denim was the trend that nobody's parents could understand. But the parents did like the long but slender shirts and cardigans worn over leggings with ugg boots.

It wasn't until the end of the decade the cropped shirts began to creep their way back into the mainstream along with the reintroduction of high-waisted jeans. Big Gen Z supermodels gained fame such as Kendal Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Hailey Beiber bringing fresh faces to the fashion week runways. Another Gen Z'er who rose to fame is Billy Aillishwhose androgynous looks brought baggy back from the 90s.

Gen Z's Influence On Today

Gen Z is leaving its mark on today's fashion, and millennials are just living through it. It's been declared that skinny jeans are dead, only wide-leg pants allowed. Mini purses are back, along with many trends from the 90s.

Olivia Rodrigo sports silky dresses, and high-waisted pants with halter tops and even cowboy hats. Rodrigo´s use of colorful butterfly clips from the 90s has also struck a trend on TikTok. Anything that is a tight crop T, or button-up, or even a two-piece set will do for Gen Z fashion. We are also glad to see the return of the slicked-back low bun.

SZA on the other hand, a millennial herself, has brought back Christina Milan looks with the low rise boot cut jeans and ultra crop tops to her Instagram and music videos.Juicy suits didn't exactly make a comeback, but matching sets sure did.

The looks for today are taken fromthe '90s, and early 2000s. It seems to just be too soon to bring back 2010s favs but also, it was the decade with the least amount of rules.

The best has circled back, but overall it seems to each their own. Take from what was good, and learn from what was bad. Ultimately fashion is an individual choice, and we can only be grateful for the outfit inspiration that came before us.

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