Robert Pattinson Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
If you thought the ‘90s/’00s fashion revival was just a female affair, then this news may come as a shock: frosted tips are back! Robert Pattinson showed off his foray into bleached ends at the Dior Homme show at Paris Fashion Week over the weekend — but it’s not the only questionable turn of the century trend for men that seems to be re-emerging faster than you can say “That’s so fetch.”
At 38, you might think R-Pattz is old enough to remember frosted tips from the first time around and that this should be enough to put him off, but you would only be half right. Crucially, Pattinson probably wasn’t old enough to be allowed them himself back then, as the original frosted tips crew, like NSync and Joshua Jackson (Pacey getting them was a whole storyline in Dawson’s Creek), are now in their mid-forties.
NSync in 2000 Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images
While most of the big ‘90s/’00s looks for women tend to center around the midriff (think chain belts, low-slung jeans and tramp stamps), for the men hair tends to be a focal point. But it’s not the only controversial look of the era that seems to be coming back… brace yourselves!
The deep v
Brooklyn Peltz Beckham Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
There are some guys — usually found at the gym, 24/7, or getting voted off reality shows — who have always and will always favor a deep-cut v-neck whether it’s currently in style or not. But most, more modestly-muscled men have shied away from the deep v over the past decade or two, especially for formal occasions. In the early ‘00s, though, you couldn’t leave the house without tripping over someone’s hairy, glistening chest. And now, as demonstrated by the fashion-forward Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, it’s back, slightly more subtle this time, but often accessorized with a little necklace for some masculine/feminine light and shade.
Trucker hats
Ashton Kutcher Getty Images
If you were trying to grow out your frosted tips in the early ‘00s, there was only one option: hiding them under a big, bright trucker hat, preferably by Von Dutch. Now some of the hat-wearing heroes of the era will be frantically trying to buy theirs back on Poshmark, as trucker hats are 100% coming back. It’s very good news for the now middle-aged dads who haven’t stopped wearing them since they first wanted to be Fred Durst in high school, especially if they don’t have quite as much hair under there these days.
Justin Bieber Gotham/GC Images
Bootcut jeans
Ryan Gosling RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
What is it about men in bootcut jeans that’s so hard to get onboard with? The silhouette they create somehow screams “middle-aged woman on her way to happy hour in jeans and a nice top” but does Ryan Gosling look like he cares? It seems not, and he’s not the only one; the bootcut look is becoming more prevalent again for all genders. Remember, though, that denim trends come and go pretty fast, so expect to see some suffocatingly-tight mid-’00s skinnies taking over again pretty soon.
Since nothing ages a man faster than looking awkward in denim, we’re hoping the most sensible, stylish guys will always keep it classic and stick to their trusty old 501s.
The man bag
Will Poulter Pierre Suu/Getty Images
When it comes to men having the same rights as women to carry whatever they need around instead of just stashing their phone and keys in their pocket and hoping for the best, in recent years the backpack has ruled supreme. In these hybrid-working times, it makes perfect sense; you can shove in your laptop, water, gym gear and some protein-based snacks, and you’re good to go. Because of this, the less practical but (arguably) more chic man bag has been neglected, more symbolic of the “metrosexual” look of the turn of the century. But it turns out men still want fancy handbags too, as suddenly we’re spotting them, as showcased by Will Poulter at Paris Fashion Week, clutching expensive leather sports bags and satchels again like Covid never happened.
Absolutely everything Ashton Kutcher and Zac Efron
Zac Efron in 2005 Mark Mainz/Getty Images
Top of the list for every red carpet event of the era (and top of the heartthrob list for teen girls and grown women alike), Zac Efron and Ashton Kutcher epitomize the men’s fashion of the time from head to toe. Glossy, Karen-y layers? Check. Questionable denim? Check. Random “distress” to otherwise functioning garments? Check. Between them they form the ultimate lookbook for the early ‘00s fashion comeback, so if you catch your man secretly watching High School Musical, be very afraid: frosted tips could be in your future.
