2020s in fashion
The fashions of the 2020s represent a departure from 2010s fashion and feature a nostalgia for older aesthetics. They have been largely inspired by styles of the late 1970s to early 1980s and the late 1990s to mid-2000s; elements of Modern Medieval fashion, boho-chic, Indie sleaze and mid-century fashions from the 1940s to the 1960s. The early and mid 2020s were driven by microtrends, social media influencers, and niche online communities that transformed internet aesthetics into the dominant tastemakers for music and fashion. Early in the decade, several publications noted the shortened trends, niche revivals, and nostalgia cycles in 2020s fashion. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a major impact on the fashion industry and led to shifting retail and consumer trends.
In the 2020s, many companies, including current fast fashion giants such as Shein and Temu, began using social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram as a marketing tool. Marketing strategies involving third parties, particularly influencers and celebrities, have become prominent tactics. E-commerce platforms that promote small businesses, such as Depop and Etsy, grew by offering vintage, homemade, or resold clothing from individual sellers. Thrifting also exploded in popularity because of the potential to find valuable pieces of clothing at cheaper prices.
General trends
COVID-19 pandemic
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a face mask was a common and often mandatory practice. The mask shortage, the desire for self-expression, and the ability to quickly make masks without specialized technology soon led to a multitude of mask designs. People started selecting masks in different fabrics, colors, and patterns to match their masks to their clothing, allowing people to follow health recommendations while expressing their style.File:210120-D-WD757-2566.jpg|thumb|2021: Natalie Biden wearing a matching cloth COVID-19 mask at the inauguration of Joe Biden, her grandfatherAfter the start of the pandemic, fashion trends evolved significantly, with a notable shift towards comfort. This change was particularly evident in American public schools and universities, where students embraced more relaxed and casual clothing options. As remote learning became normalized, students in both K-12 schools and higher education increasingly favored comfortable clothing like pajamas, crew socks, sweatpants, and athleisure wear, reflecting a broader cultural shift toward prioritizing comfort, functionality, and ease. The shift toward casual dress codes also allowed students to prioritize comfort over formality, even in academic settings. After quarantine and the return to physical classrooms, many students continued to embrace comfortable clothing, including pajama-style pants and loungewear, in public school and university settings.
Despite the return to maximalism in certain fashion circles, the vast majority of Americans continued to choose comfortable clothing, reflecting the growing emphasis on casual and relaxed styles in everyday life and a shift toward prioritizing functionality and comfort in fashion choices.
Over-consumption and fast fashion
The growth of social media in the 2010s, especially Instagram and TikTok, made it easier to discover and share styles, leading to the rise of microtrends, which were often short-lived and varied widely, sometimes even contradicting each other. As a result, it sometimes felt like many different styles were trending all at once. In the 2020s, the increasing popularity of TikTok and Instagram Reels made microtrends more common and allowed them to spread faster, with some microtrends lasting only a few weeks or months. Clothing brands and manufacturers felt pressure to keep up with microtrends, increasing the prominence of the fast fashion industry, where clothes are made and sold quickly and cheaply to fuel continuous overconsumption. The quick production and constant demand for new styles have raised concerns about the environment. Many environmental advocates have pointed out that the fast fashion industry causes a lot of waste and pollution, contributing to bigger environmental problems driven by overconsumption. According to UN News, “The fashion industry is one of the world’s most polluting sectors, responsible for up to eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.”Social media played a major role in the decline of a "mono-fashion culture," where one dominant style defined an entire era. This sparked the rise of the "anti-fashion" trend, which was a response to how the internet turned microtrends into mainstream subcultures and niche aesthetics. The anti-fashion movement pushed back against the idea of following fleeting trends, focusing instead on rejecting traditional fashion rules and celebrating individuality.
Athleisure and activewear
The 2010s saw a significant rise in the demand for athleisure, as athletic clothing became not only functional for workouts but also a fashionable choice for everyday wear, which is a trend that continued into the 2020s. Athletic wear such as yoga pants, hoodies, athletic shorts, crew socks, sneakers, and sweatpants remained staples in millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha wardrobes. Leggings and sports bras for women continued to be popular in athleisure wardrobes, while 5-inch inseam athletic shorts and sweatsuits for men were commonly worn for their comfort and mainstream style.Athleisure could be considered the decade-defining style due to its cross-generational appeal and everyday function. While some pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for the prevalence of casual clothing, market research suggests that athleisure never truly went out of style. In fact, athleisure has been gaining popularity for years due to its ability to seamlessly transition from the gym to everyday activities. This trend is further reinforced by the increasing focus on health and wellness, as people seek clothing that allows them to stay active and comfortable throughout the day. Gen Z's professionals are increasingly adopting activewear as suitable workplace attire, allowing companies to support their employees fashion choices.
Maximalist fashion and 2010s backlash
As the decade started, maximalist fashion made a resurgence on the runway to express individuality and break away from the minimalist fashion of the previous decade. After spending time indoors during the pandemic, many fashion designers were drawn to bold, colorful, and creative styles. Although maximalism became popular in high fashion and online communities, streetwear continued to favor comfort and simplicity. The TikTok algorithm repurposed minimalism as a selection of curated aesthetics and "fashion essentials" that appeal to Gen Z and Gen Alpha.Although they were a fashion must-have in the 2010s, skinny jeans briefly faced backlash at the start of the decade. Many Gen Z social media influencers on TikTok said that skinny jeans were no longer a symbol of youth culture, causing controversy among fashion bloggers and millennial women. Separating one's hair to the side was also considered out of style by Gen Z influencers. The term cheugy was coined to describe "tacky millennial fashion." The trend cycle of the early 2020s seemed to contradict itself, with microtrends like the Y2K revival and early 2010s nostalgia emerging alongside the millennial backlash. During the early 2020s, crew socks surged in popularity among Gen Alpha and Gen Z, marking a cultural shift away from no-show socks, which had become associated with millennials.
Quiet luxury
In the early 2020s, clothing with large, bold logos began to lose popularity in the US as fashion trends shifted toward simpler, more refined styles. This change represented a move away from the flashy, logo-centric designs that had dominated the late 2010s. Many consumers began placing greater emphasis on the quality of materials and the overall construction of garments rather than their brand names.As part of this shift, interest increased in understated quiet luxury and "timeless" designs. People began to prioritize clothing that was simple yet sophisticated, with an appreciation for details like fabric texture, color, and silhouette. This trend was also correlated with the rise of the "old money" aesthetic, which is inspired by European fashion houses, and discreet luxury over overt displays of wealth or brand affiliation. The shift toward quiet luxury was further influenced by the fashion choices of wealthy celebrities and public figures, who often embraced minimalist, high-quality garments that exuded quiet affluence. Many consumers, seeking to emulate these figures, adopted similar styles in an attempt to mirror the sophisticated, understated look associated with the elite. The influence of these celebrities helped popularize the idea that wealth and status could be communicated through subtle, refined fashion choices, rather than through overt displays of logos or brand names.
Women's clothing
Early 2020s (2020–2023)
Late 1990s–2000s revival
Reflecting the 20-year trend cycle, Y2K women's fashion from the late 1990s and 2000s fashion became a major influence, especially among social media users. This marked a distinct contrast with the fashion of the previous decade, which drew inspiration from early to mid '90s styles. The early 2020s saw renditions of the underwear-as-outerwear and explicit sexuality. Versace, Gucci and Prada made significant returns to latex-inspired styles. Pornhub sponsored an osé fashion collection in Paris. Brands became in demand of a very wide diversity of models. The COVID crisis had an impact on fashion continuity, which Vogue described as a "chaotic, creative mix of idiosyncratic takes on what the post-pandemic world wants right now." Ghesquière explored vampire looks for Louis Vuitton.From 2020 to 2022, trending shades in the US, Canada, and Europe were navy blue, neon green, electric blue, purple, white, coral, baby pink, light grey, silver, pastel pink, violet, pale blue, lavender, mint green, faded yellow, pastel teal, lemon yellow, orange, red, and brown.
Popular shirts, coats, and dresses from this time included puffer jackets made from up-cycled deadstock fabric, sweatshirts, high waisted pants, tucked-in sweaters, camisoles and crop tops, low-rise miniskirts, brocade topcoats, midriff-baring tops, ribbed turtlenecks, garish Ed Hardy style T-shirts with rhinestones, off-the-shoulder knitted tops, science fiction-inspired metallic jackets, loose-fitting shift dresses or blouses, pantywaist tops sometimes with cap sleeves, cashmere cardigans, and oversized 1980s-inspired dog's tooth check jackets popularized by Kaia Gerber and Miley Cyrus.
Desirable shoes and accessories included Crocs, platform sandals, knee-high boots, ballet flats, white sneakers, fringed handbags, multicolored 1980s-inspired earrings made from recycled ocean plastic, white bralettes, chunky cable knit scarves, Chelsea boots, and Doc Martens.
Some women also shifted to fair trade, vintage, and cruelty-free clothing. In the UK, a number of women rejected nylon, acrylic, rayon, new cotton, and polyester fabrics in favor of tencel, linen, organic cotton, and recycled polyester.
South Asian Generation Z girls in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka repurposed the sari worn by their mothers, pairing it with sneakers, casual knitwear, crop tops, T-shirts, black Oxford shoes, Y2K-inspired platform sandals, and sportswear. The dresses were often made in contrasting shades of grey, black, and blush pink, often being seen as a modern and corporate look.