Allen Berezovsky/John Ricard/Getty Images
- Gen Z has revived Y2K fashion trends from the early 2000s, which preceded the 2010s “swag era.”
- Gen Z could absolutely bring back bright-colored skinny jeans but update them to their taste.
- But wearing Ray-Bans without lenses is such a “what the hell?” moment, in my opinion.
Only one word truly encapsulates my high school experience in the early 2010s: swag.
It’s a four-letter word that young and cusper millennials revered at the time because swag wasn’t just about fashion — it was a lifestyle. Swag simply means something cool or interesting. The era sparked around early 2009 after California-based rap duo New Boyz released their single, “You’re a Jerk.”
The outfits and styles shown in the video are the basis of the swag-era uniform: brightly colored skinny jeans, snapbacks, graphic tees, checker-patterned garments, Vans, and Ray-Bans. Other pieces like vests, beanies, and shutter glasses also gained popularity.
Larry Marano/Getty Images
Watching Gen Z bring back Y2K style reminded me that fashion is cyclical, so the “swag era” could return in all its cringe-filled glory. If so, I think Gen Z could revive a few trends.
Gen Z could re-invent the colored and patterned skinny jeans trend, and in some ways, they already are
Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images; jessbritvich/TikTok
One of the defining
The company has grown over the last decade and now offers a wide variety of comfortable, stylish clothes — something I think Gen Z would appreciate.
Wearing Ray-Ban glasses without the lenses is still mind-boggling to me
The swag era’s trends were embarrassing, but this one takes the cake. When I was in high school, it was common for people to remove the lenses from stocky Ray-Ban sunglasses and wear them in the name of fashion.
People who couldn’t afford Ray-Bans could buy a cheaper, similar pair and still get the same effect. Around that time, large-framed glasses and shutter shades became popular, so this trend was likely a symptom of that. In May 2022, TikToker @ladyyasmina1 shared a video of her wearing swag-era Ray-Ban glasses with the lenses intact.
It was an asinine trend then, and I can’t imagine bringing them back.
