Y2K and Emo: The Re-Emergence of Two Styles
By Kitty Volino
With the resurgence of Y2K fashion (which is an anachronistic term, but I won’t go into that here), it hardly seems surprising an emo revival should follow it. In the past year, My Chemical Romance have announced global tour dates, Panic! At the Disco headlined When We Were Young Fest, and Dan and Phil have started a podcast. It seems predictable, then, that we can expect to see a revival of some emo “staples”.
Note: For the reader’s sake, and my own sanity, I will NOT be including pictures of my own awkward emo phase in reference to these trends
Y2K generally spans the early 2000s, up until roughly 2009/2010. Pop and punk music became intertwined, with albums like Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance, Riot! By Paramore, and From Under the Cork Tree by Fall Out Boy being released in quick succession. Equally, it was a period in the aftermath of 90s grunge, with some of the fashion elements still visible in the alternative scene. Hair was dark, emotions were intense, and the jeans were tight. Thus, a new generation of angsty teens were born.
Much like with Y2K trends, emo staples tend to involve skinny, often low waisted, jeans, a darker colour pallet, and tight band t-shirts. Looks weren’t always gender specific either, with both men and women wearing makeup (LOTS of eyeliner) and sporting longer hairstyles. Additionally, hair was usually flat-ironed, with a fringe covering one side of the face A more current example can be seen in Vogue’s recent article on Autumn/Winter trends, which cites stripes and alternative (“punkish”) elements as styles to look out for.
Image Credit: Getty Images
“Guyliner” quickly became all the rage too – think Pete Wentz, Billie Joe Armstrong ( or even Devon Bostik as Rodrick in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies).As far as ‘re-emergence’ goes, this isn’t so much something which ever left the punk-rock scene. More contemporary bands like Måneskin, or earlier rock stars like David Bowie and Prince, have always worn heavy eye makeup as part of their image.
Other staples that are beginning to re-emerge are oversized accessories (necklaces, belts, bracelets, etc) and embellished clothing. An iconic example of this is A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out – era Panic! At the Disco. The album has a wide range of inspirations, from cabaret to vaudeville and Victorian circuses, while still maintaining the distinctly 2000s pop-punk feel. At their renowned Live in Denver performance in 2006, the band sported Victorian style frilled lace shirts and waistcoats, combined with distinctive eyeliner and makeup. This mixing of styles can be seen now, with recent trends of pattern and fabric combination, and oversized embellishments.
Image Credit: Getty Images
Homages to both Victorian and Punk styles are also very current, with Alexander McQueen’s AW 2025 collection focusing on elements such as tailored jackets, lace, and ruffles (all elements we see here on the members of Panic!)
Image Credit: Alexander McQueen
Like other sub-cultures, the impact of ‘emo’ on the fashion world is lasting. Even now, when you read the word, you can picture an image of a moody teen dressed in all black. Yet there is more to it than meets the eye. ‘Emo’ isn’t only representative of an aesthetic or style, but of a wider effort at self-expression. Even more than that, it’s the formation and finding of a sense of community, in a time where it seems impossible.