What Does Y2K Mean? Explaining the Y2K Bug & Fashion (2024)

Co-authored byDevin McSween

Last Updated: November 27, 2023Fact Checked

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1. Y2K stands for the year 2000. Additionally, Y2K commonly refers to The Y2K Bug (or, the Millennium Bug), which involved uncertainty about computers making the date change from 1999 to 2000. Y2k also refers to fashion trends during the late 90s and early 2000s, like low-rise jeans, graphic tees, and velour tracksuits.

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1. In the late 1990s, people feared computers would malfunction after 1999. Most computers in the 1900s formatted the year as 2 digits, like 1999 coded as 99. Computer programmers and world leaders were worried that on January 1, 2000, computers wouldn’t read 00 as 2000 and instead shift back to 1900, 0000, or 1000.^[1]

   • This was speculated to cause computer malfunctions and lead to global damage related to banking, transportation, and power plant operations.
   • Ultimately, there were no major problems on January 1, 2000. Most companies around the world successfully fixed the date coding bug.^[2]
   • Many people feared that Y2K would be the end of the world, so towards the end of 1999 they stockpiled water and withdrew their money from banks.

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1. • Bottoms: low-rise jeans, denim midi skirts, ultra mini skirts. Casual and relaxed was all the rage during the late 90s and early 2000s, with people rocking super low-waisted pants with a flared or baggy cut.^[3]
   • Tops: graphic tees, layered shirts, mesh tops. Graphic t-shirts featuring bold designs and iconic logos, like Ed Hardy, define Y2K style. It was super common to layer your graphic tees over short and long shirts for a laid-back look.^[4]
   • Prints: bold and colorful. Fun and playful was the dress code for Y2K. Bold and bright pinks, greens, purples, and blues mirrored the explosion of candy-colored technology at the time.^[5]
   • Fabrics: denim, velour, metallics. Everything was denim in the late 90s and early 2000s. You also couldn’t escape Juicy Couture velour tracksuits or shiny, holographic fabrics.
   • Accessories: trucker hats, colored sunglasses, platform shoes. Von Dutch trucker hats and bucket hats ruled Y2K styles. To finish off a look, you donned some rosy-hued shades.^[6]
   • Brands: Diesel, Juicy Couture, Ed Hardy, Von Dutch. These brands decked you out in denim, velour, and graphic tees. Baby Phat, True Religion, and Kangol were also popular.^[7]
   • Fashion icons: Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Destiny’s Child. Christina Aguilera, Jay Z, NSYNC, Avril Lavigne, P Diddy, and Blink 182 were also super stylish.

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1. On TikTok, Y2K fashion is inspired by the late 90s and 2000s trends. Y2K fashion has made a comeback on TikTok thanks to Gen Z. The Y2K aesthetic modernizes some of the classic styles of 20 years ago while getting rid of more outdated accessories.^[8]

   • TikTok influencers and celebs like Addison Rae, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Bieber are rocking baggy, low-rise jeans, Ed Hardy tees, and trucker hats.
   • Fashion trends typically cycle every 20 years, with fashion brands like Blumarine, I.AM.GIA, and Supriya releasing Y2K collections.
   • If you’re building a Y2K outfit, look out for Y2K brands like Juicy Couture and Ed Hardy when you go thrifting or shop on apps like Depop.

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1. On Roblox, Y2K refers to Y2K-inspired styles for your avatar. While you’re looking for new outfits for your Roblox avatar, you might see outfits tagged as Y2K. This just means the outfits are based on the styles of the late 90s and early 2000s.

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