LinkedIn Created with Sketch.
The Iconic Edition
News
|21 Dec 2022|5 mins

Remember When Hailey Bieber Revived This Noughties Knickers Trend?

The Hailey Bieber effect.

Is there anything Hailey Bieber can’t convince us to do? We think not. From her bronde hair to glazed donut nails, almost anything the It-Girl has tried has pretty much gone viral around the world and inspired a new look. It’s the Hailey Bieber effect. The one trend we didn’t really think would catch on however, was the return of the Y2K ‘whale tail’, which she debuted back in 2019 for the annual Met Gala.

Image thanks to Getty

For those who don’t remember the iconic moment, allow us to refresh your memory. The Met Gala 2019 theme was ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion’ and arguably one of the best themes of late. That year, Jared Leto carried his head as an accessory, Katy Perry morphed from a crystal chandelier on the red carpet to a hamburger at the afterparty, Harry Styles made pearl earrings cool again, and Hailey Bieber sashayed her way into the spotlight wearing a long-sleeved, floor-sweeping Alexander Wang gown.

Compared to other costumes, a long-sleeved maxi dress doesn’t exactly turn heads, and it didn’t help that it basically blended into the bubblegum pink carpet and candy-coloured wall of flowers that decorated the event, but when she spun around, she revealed a very bare back and an exposed thong bedazzled with ‘Wang’ at its centre.

Image thanks to @alexanderwangny via Instagram

Many were quick to dismiss the detail as part of the dress but the designer confirmed it was indeed matching underwear, hiked up for the world to see – a very Y2K thing to do, which many of us who lived through the era have tried to block from our memory.

Back then, we weren’t aware just how deep into the Y2K fashion revival we’d go, so we never actually thought our lingerie would see the light of day again, at least not without good reason. We were only half right. Thankfully, showing off the strings of your thong isn’t an everyday look however, modern designs seem alarmingly similar. Dresses and skirts with subtle strap details around the waist and even pants with risky side cut-outs have become increasingly popular. The good news is that although many 90s and 00s trends have become mainstream, like tube tops and cargo pants, nothing quite resembles a full blown whale tail just yet…

Free delivery over $50 and free returns.

Eliza Concepcion
Editor
Related Stories
Load More