Women’s Bodies Are Not Trends

The collateral damage of the return of the Y2K Aesthetic

In many ways, society is dominated by trends. The things we do, the clothes we wear, even the words we say – many of these daily decisions are influenced by what we observe from friends, family, and celebrities alike. And while keeping our individual style is vital, following trends can be fun. Before skinny jeans were ousted, who would have known there were so many types of denim? This year has seen the return of the Y2K aesthetic –  a pop culture trend during the late 1990s and early 2000s that celebrated low-rise and wide-leg denim, chunky sneakers, and colorful accessories. The resurgence of this trend has expanded the styles of young women, especially. 

As an avid thrifter, I’ve enjoyed scouring the racks for these once-outdated gems. It has expanded my closet and given me so many new ideas about what to wear. Unfortunately, however, the YK2 trend hasn’t stopped at altering our closets. 

Women’s bodies are also wrapped up in this trend. This is seen in an article released by the New York Post, titled “Bye-bye booty: Heroin Chic is Back.” 

During the past decade, the emphasis has been on celebrating women’s curves. Whereas the thin models of Parisian runways once dominated headlines, the soaring celebrity of the Kardashians pushed a new body image to the forefront of the media: a curvy hourglass figure. Big butts and thick thighs became part of the idealized body for women in the 21st century. 

Yet within this celebration of curves were important caveats, epitomized under the term “slim thick” that unveiled a truth: this trend was never about embracing curvier women. The perfect body included a big butt, yes, but not so much as to sacrifice having a small waist and, of course, a flat stomach. In other words, during the 21st century, women have only faced more specifications. It’s no longer enough to just be skinny or curvy. You have to have the right curves in the right places, and you have to be skinny in the right places. We were put in the impossible position of desiring both, a lose-lose game that has left hundreds of thousands of women standing in the mirror and thinking, I’m just never going to be quite good enough. 

Now, the pursuit of the perfect body has changed once again. As celebrities like Kim Kardashian document their weight loss, the media proclaims the return of the stick-thin idealized bodies that existed in tandem with the YK2 aesthetic during the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

Trends now favor low-rise and flared jeans over skinny jeans, chunky sneakers instead of vans, and pumpkin-spiced lattes in the fall. 

Our bodies? They are ours at all times, in all sizes and shapes. We can’t swap them out the moment that society decides our form no longer fits the trend. Yet as the media and celebrities popularize the return of “heroin chic,” women and girls are told that, once again, beauty standards are changing – and it’s up to us to put in the workouts, diets, and inner criticism needed to conform.

For the rest of the world to realize that our bodies aren’t trends, we need to become the chorus of our own celebration. Curvy, stick-thin, anything in between – the trend is women in their bodies, loving their bodies. Feeling at home in their bodies. 

We can’t feel at home in a place that’s always being asked to change, to make itself bigger or smaller. This whip-lash is a battle that, as women, we never should have been subjected to. 

What society doesn’t realize is that the chorus starts now. We’re loving our bodies now, and we’re loving them loud. It’s okay if you’re still finding your voice in this void. Slowly, but surely, we can create a society that uplifts women in embracing their figures. 

This is the beauty underlining it all: we, as women, have always been in this together. 

• body image
• media representation
• y2k aesthetic