Beyond glamour: why nostalgia for the dashing nineties lost to the chic of the noughties

Fashion fans have turned back to nostalgia — now for the glamour of the 2000s, which in 2025 forced them to abandon the harsh style in the spirit of the 1990s (at least for a while). The interest in aesthetics is related to the trends dictated by zoomers — for them it is an exotic vintage and a way to satisfy their interest in individuality. On the other hand, it is related to people's need for emotional support and inner strength. About how the noughties thundered in the stories of their heroes and how the new interpretation of glamour differs is in the material of Izvestia.

"First money, first branded items, luxury Vertu phone"

The noughties sound like an endless party — at the Children's house or in a trendy club, where the still young Timati does not give up trying: "Dance with me." They smell of ostentatious, newly acquired luxury and a mixture of perfume and hairspray. They look frankly defiant.

— It was the heyday of club life in Moscow. There were many women's groups, and stylists were in high demand. Then I had a career surge — the first money, the first branded items, the luxury Vertu phone, which in the 2000s was the epitome of status and wealth. I've been working with the Brilliant group for ten years. When we created the images, we didn't go into vulgarity — the team had a good image. But in general, then everyone in society had to be sexy: the more naked the body, pink and rhinestones, the better," recalled fashion expert, TV and radio presenter Vladislav Lisovets in an interview with Izvestia.

A beautiful and vibrant life became the visual code of the era, which then replaced the brutal aesthetics of the 1990s.

— "Fat zero" is a good characteristic. Budgets have appeared on television and in show business. And with them are your favorite music videos and programs from the 2000s that are still relevant. The budget race has given rise to the "expensive-rich" style. Always expensive cars, brands, and attributes of a beautiful life. For me, the quintessence of the style of those years is Oleg Gusev's music videos and fashionable artists at concerts dressed like Britney Spears," TV presenter Yana Churikova shared with Izvestia. — I don't remember feeling a "change of epochs" at the moment, as I was always too busy working. I remember that in places where everyone was hanging out, I was constantly shooting stories first, and then leading events, and I was not in the mood for entertainment in the spirit of Moscow Never Sleeps. Then I analyzed it — after the poverty of the 1990s, people tasted luxury, hence the "downed aim" towards excessive consumption.

The triumph of glamour, like the turbulent lifestyle of the heroes of the era, was a reaction to positive changes in society.

— First of all, minimal order has been established in the country, — explained political analyst Dmitry Zhuravlev. — What was the main slogan in the 1990s? Taxes are paid by a coward. Here it turned out that taxes will have to be paid. It turned out that there was just a lot of money. Along with the rise in oil prices, this affected the stability of the national currency, and specifically, some money that was worth something appeared in our citizen's pocket.

As a result, the expert says, social optimism arose — people stopped believing that it was dangerous to go out and believed in stability.

"Fashion becomes a response to the need for emotional support"

Today, in 2025, the trend towards the glamour of the noughties has confidently displaced nostalgia for the nineties, which peaked with the success of "The Words of a Kid" and other dashing series. It sounds on screens that have flooded reality TV, in music (take even last year's sensational hit by uniqe, nkeeei, Artem Shilovets with the literal name "Glamour"), in clothing, where now, instead of oversized hoodies, low-rise and tight-fitting cropped T-shirts that show off the figure are increasingly heard on world catwalks.

— People are tired of clothes in the style of the 1980s and 1990s and oversize, and fashion has turned to something that has not been for a long time - bare bellies, trousers on the hips, a fitted silhouette. At the same time, any trend returns modified. Now the 2000s can be read in the silhouette, in the color scheme, in the cut, but now there are completely different hairstyles, accessories, even the presentation and faces,— said Vladislav Lisovets.

There are other meanings and reasons. Today, the trends of the 2000s are being revived under the influence of the generation of zoomers and millennials, who strive for nostalgia and reinterpretation of bright, experimental images from that time, says fashion designer Igor Chapurin. According to him, this is due to the revival of interest in individuality, eclecticism and cultural mixing, as well as the digital age, which allows for a quick return to past aesthetic codes through social media.

— The audience today perceives the aesthetics of the 2000s as a game with shapes and textures, with fashion that does not hesitate to express itself. It is no longer just clothes, but a way of self-identification and creativity. People style vintage with new brands, wear bright accents, accessories and rely on comfort combined with audacity — this is how the spirit of that time feels. This trend reflects the desire for sustainability and the search for one's own uniqueness against the backdrop of rapid changes. Fashion is becoming a kind of response to the need for emotional support and inner strength,— Igor Chapurin told Izvestia.

According to the designer, at the end of 2025 and in 2026, the aesthetics of the 2000s will evolve, integrating with new trends, will retain its emotional power, but will become more functional and intellectual. Fashion, he concluded, will play the role of a bridge between the past and the future, where he and other designers will experiment even more boldly with forms and meaning, while preserving the spirit of the era.