Clothing trends are constantly reinventing past looks, and the North West is no exception – harbouring a vintage obsession and adoration for bucket hats.
But the latest trend to hit the city is noughties nostalgia – as people take inspiration from pop culture icons and films such as Mean Girls and Clueless for a ‘Y2K look’.
While many clothing retailers are embracing this funky attire, some local brands are taking it one step further by putting a classic Mancunian twist on the Y2K style.
Here’s a few examples…
Borderline Tacky
Borderline Tacky is a trendy boutique is transporting people back to the early noughties with their selection of Y2K outfits.
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Velour two-pieces are an unmissable trend from this era, and Borderline Tacky has high-waisted fit and flashy bralette up for grabs – as well as unique diamante t-shirts, double denim and tie-front cardigans.
Tie-front cardigans are another staple of Y2K fashion that have made a comeback this season.
Whilst these days we’re a lot more comfortable in high-waisted skinny jeans and plenty of layers, the exposed midriffs and low-rise bottoms are much more reminiscent of the early 00s.
Dirty Disco has taken Manchester’s favourite vintage pieces and turned them into Y2K must-haves by styling cardigans with a singular button done up.
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This is the perfect stepping stone to starting a Y2K wardrobe while still playing it safe, plus those cardigans will definitely come in handy when Manchester’s wintry weather inevitably hits!
One of the biggest hallmarks of Y2K fashion is nostalgia – with brands rapidly reproducing the accessories of our childhoods; such as butterfly hair clips and jelly shoes.
July Child is the perfect case in point; creating lots of funky jewellery items that our younger selves would be equally obsessed with.
From alien heads to peace signs and everything in between, they have perfectly tapped into nostalgic jewellery tastes – and get bonus points for the level of bling.
Juicy Couture was renowned for velour matching tracksuits that caused a storm in the early noughties, and with lockdown still upon us we definitely share their appreciation for loungewear.
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In collaboration with House of Sunny, Norah Store has put a retro twist on this classic look.
The brand’s showstopping co-ords are complete with fur cuffs and a vivid lime green colour palette – everything you need to make a statement.
The claw clip is a classic 90s hair accessory that might give off major librarian vibes these days, but they’re actually back in style with the rise of Y2K fashion.
Rock on Ruby has expanded its selection of quirky printed t-shirts to include these highly desired hair accessories, so you can now effortlessly scrape back your hair and still fit the Y2K style.
The brand is offering a variety of different colours and styles, meaning you can boast this trend with any outfit.
Style
Football fans rage over the cost of the new England kits for 2026 World Cup
Danny Jones
It’s that time again: lots of Three Lions fans have been left furious over the cost of new England kits, and having seen the latest price, we’re not surprised.
No, seriously, the world of football fashion is getting seriously out of control…
With the squads for this month’s national team camp having just dropped, March has also seen the release of the new England home and away shirts – both of which are pretty nice, if you ask us.
In case you haven’t seen it already, here’s an extended look at the reveal video, which debuted the new white and red strips ahead of the 2026 World Cup over in the USA:
You can find the full England kit range and all the prices right HERE.
All that being said, something we don’t like the look of is the price tag, and we’re far from the only ones – a good chunk of social media is up in arms about it.
While one person said, “Baffling anyone paying those prices”, and another quipped, “Then treat yourself to a World Cup ticket for three grand” – match prices having also been raised as a concern – the general consensus seems to be ‘game’s gone’, to use a seemingly timeless phrase.
Another sarcastically wrote, “I have no idea why the counterfeit shirt economy is booming when you can get an original [at] such a good price.”
For example, it didn’t take long for someone to share their most recent and more affordable overseas order along with the caption: “Surely no one is genuinely paying £90 for that when you can get it just as good on DHGate for £10.”
While fake footy shirts are a growing obstacle for manufacturers and suppliers all over the world, for an increasing amount of the general public, it’s now becoming genuinely the only viable way they can justify spending money on the latest kits.
Its a nice kit. But I def do not have £155 lying about.
For context, the above post is an example of the authentic player version worn in matches, which features Nike’s breathable AERO-Fit fabric.
However, even just the standard adult replica version is currently retailing at nearly £90; juniors ‘Stadium’ shirts are priced at £64.99, a full kids ‘Mini’ kit is nearly £50, and even a pair of shorts will set you back either £44.99 or £32.99, depending on whether you’re a kid of grown-up.
When you take into account the countless parents hoping to put a smile on their little one’s face by getting their favourite player’s name on the back of the new England jersey in time for the World Cup, it’s no wonder the Classic Football Shirts and hand-me-down vintage kits culture is so strong.
Featured Images — England/The FA/Sky One (screenshot)
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The Premier League and EFL should follow La Liga’s lead and bring Retro Matchdays to the UK
Danny Jones
Following the news that La Liga is set to debut a new ‘Retro Matchday’ round, we can’t help but ask the question: why didn’t the Premier League and EFL think of this first?
Well, technically, neither did the Spaniards, but you take our point.
Anyone who follows the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or even the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) equivalent here in the UK and mainland Europe, will know that the concept is nothing new – but by and large, it seems to be for the beautiful game.
In case you missed it, in an effort to further capitalise on the increasing trend of vintage and classic football kit fashion/the wider nostalgia culture that only seems to be growing every year, Spain’s top two tiers will soon host their inaugural Retro Matchday gameweek next month, and we want a piece of it.
Set to be hosted from Friday, 10 April, over the usual weekend of football in their premier and second division, and running until the final lot of fixtures on Monday, 13 April (no, thankfully not an April Fool’s), supporters will get to see players step out onto the pitch in some of the country’s most iconic kits.
Depending on who you ask, some would argue that Spain has some of the nicest footy shirts all time, whether that be the national side or clubs themselves.
To be honest, we definitely have a soft spot for a proper European throwback – we’re thinking Borussia Dortmund’s 1995/96 home kit, the Napoli kits of the 80s, that amazing Toyota-sponsored Fila Fiorentina kit at the turn of the millennium – and even some of the best 2000s ones now look so old-school.
In fact, we actually had a taster of these kinds of special matches in the past, including here in 0161 for the likes of the Manchester Derby.
Reminds me of the Manchester derby in 2008 where they played in retro kits due to it coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Munich disaster. Looked absolutely brilliant. pic.twitter.com/TLRjKHThbG
When you also take into account that, besides collectors already creating a whole new craze in filling their cupboards with classic kits, the likes of Nike, Adidas and more now regularly turning to old designs like the ‘Futura’, Total 90′ and various ‘adi Originals’ revivals of late, it’s more the rage than ever.
Birmingham’s recent ‘penguin’ remake, Port Vale’s traditional 150th anniversary one, based on their 1953-54 season jersey, not to mention countless other lifestyle fashion collections inspired by historic releases, you can’t move for the stuff – so why not get them wearing it on the grass?
As mentioned, the likes of local ice hockey outfit Manchester Storm have been taking a leaf out of the NHL’s book for ages now, with the annual ‘Retro Nights’ proving to be some of the most popular dates on the calendar, even selling off original shirts in the stadium itself before, during and after the match.
We genuinely can’t think of a single football lover following a team at any level in the English football pyramid that wouldn’t LOVE this. In fact, plenty of them already go to the ground wearing their dad’s second-hand away strip, which has turned out to be a modern cult favourite among the next generation.
These are the kinds of ideas we can see fans actually getting behind; you can find out more HERE. Would you like to see a retro Premier League and/or EFL match day featuring your favourite kits from down the years?
Daisy Bradbury -
2nd April 2021 
