Who isn’t nostalgic for their childhood? It is safe to say that we all long for the past; times were simpler, things were easier, and life seemed full of brightness and color, tinged with a mysterious sparkle that has somehow worn off over the years and now seems irretrievable. It seems that especially within Gen Z, there has been a massive surge of nostalgia as the generation begins to transition into adulthood. Suddenly, my TikTok feed has been slowly inundated with videos reminiscing the past, bringing up niche items from my childhood that I had completely forgotten. For our generation, all of these fond memories are centered around the early 2000s, which explains why there has been a sudden renaissance of 2000s culture in 2024. Everywhere I look now, I see low-rise jeans, mini skirts, fur-lined coats, and leopard print, trademarks of the 2000s style that we experienced as children and have brought back to life as adults. As a girl growing up during that time, the 2000s have, in my mind, always been marked by incredible glamor, a large part of which was due to Victoria’s Secret.
We all remember the spectacle of Victoria’s Secret. The immaculate blowouts, bedazzling outfits, beautifully decorated runways, spectacular wings and of course the iconic angels themselves, who every girl secretly dreamed of being. Victoria’s secret seemed to be the epitome of beauty and fashion, an unforgettable hallmark of the 2000s era. You can imagine the excitement when Victoria’s Secret announced their long-awaited return was in fact taking place this October, with their first show in six long years. The timing was perfect: the 2000s were back and excitement was high, as were expectations. On the night of October 15, however, many of these expectations were brutally dashed, giving rise to much controversial discourse. Immediately following the fashion show, the internet was flooded with contrasting opinions, many of which were decidedly negative, spurring a wave of supporters to leap to the defense of Victoria’s Secret.
All over social media came the outraged demands for “the old Victoria’s Secret.” TikToks filled my for you page bemoaning the lack of spectacle, glitz and glamor that made Victoria’s Secret iconic. “Yeah I agree it was very underwhelming,” one comment said. “The runway was so bland and some of the models were giving a vibe not fit for VS [Victoria’s Secret].” Other comments flooded in, claiming the show seemed cheap, the wings were tacky, and criticizing the hairstyles, music and lack of energy among countless other reasons.
Not surprisingly, this lead many people to leap to the support of this year’s VS fashion show, spurring a somewhat controversial debate throughout the media. Many defended Victoria’s Secret by claiming the “cheapness” and lack of extravagance on the runway was due to financial issues, as the budget was spent on bringing back the iconic, original angels we were all dying to see. It was also pointed out that the slick back hairstyles and more minimalist looks featured in the show were reflecting the trends of our time now, not the early 2000s, which I think is incredibly important to highlight. While we were all longing for a show reminiscent of the ones that made up our childhood dreams, it is a new era now: the models are older, societal standards around beauty and body positivity have changed, and Victoria’s Secret has also evolved to fit in with the changing times.
This really touches the root of the brand’s fall from grace. As time changed and people began to become more conscious of inclusivity, Victoria’s Secret was “cancelled” for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and toxic exclusivity, in one instance even suggesting that trans women couldn’t be angels. Therefore, in order to build trust and a wider audience, this year’s return was meant to focus on a new Victoria’s Secret, featuring trans and plus size models to promote inclusivity. This lead to an entire debate of its own, with some bashing the brand for still not being inclusive enough by featuring mainly classic thin angels and giving the plus sized models more modest outfits, while others still clung to the old narrative that beauty is unattainable for most. “They’re called angels for a reason,” one TikTok user commented. “It’s impossible to reach their beauty.”
However, the larger opinion seems to be that the inclusivity itself was less of an issue. Rather, it was the lack of glitter, imagination, and fun that ruined so many expectations this year. “I wanted an over the top, high energy performance, fun outfits, big wings, and everything from the original Victoria’s Secret shows,” stated a student at UC Dublin. To get more a more personal perspective on the opinions surrounding the show, I surveyed some fellow students at UNH, as well as peer in other universities (some even in Europe!). The somewhat shocking result was that no matter what people thought, 100% of the participants were unanimous in their opinion that the 2024 VSFS was worse than they expected. When asked to elaborate, one student responded, “They [Victoria’s Secret] need to get it together. Maybe don’t break a girls wings right before she goes onstage and make her the only one with no wings, and maybe don’t waste the whole budget on bringing every OG model back and just invest in some new faces. Also the slick backs were not it, bring back the original aesthetic, and get shoes that actually fit maybe.” Another student said that while she “…loved the outfits and energy on stage, [the show] wasn’t as iconic as it was in the early 2000s.”
No matter what the opinion, it seemed that almost everyone agreed on one thing: this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show wasn’t the same. While there were undoubtedly many flaws this year, and countless ways the 2024 VSFS could have been improved, I think it is still immensely important to acknowledge the flaws of our own minds and memories. We are older now, the angels are older now, and Victoria’s Secret itself is just getting back on it’s feet. No matter what kind of show they could have presented this year, it still likely would not have lived up to the glorified, almost magical version from our childhood that lives in our head, enhanced and beautified by our memory and youth. We can never REALLY go back into that time, sitting in front of the living room television and watching in wide eyed wonder as a performance straight out of dreams, a display of almost fantastical beauty. All we can do is, keeping this in mind, hope that the show this year is just the beginning, setting up for greater success in future shows. For better or for worse, Victoria’s Secret is back, bringing with it all the nostalgia from an era gone by and opening a doorway to a new era that has yet to be fully distinguished.