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It's been perpetually 2004 for twenty years and we have questions.
Recently, a sitcom started auto-playing on Netflix. After watching for a few moments, I typed the title into Google to get the gist of what I was watching. I was shocked! This show from 2003 had very similar styles and tone to what is in media today. It shocked me even more to realize that 2003 is officially 22 years ago.
Growing up in the early 2000's, looking at images and movies from 20 years ago was hysterical with the 80's hairdos and dad-staches. Now reflecting back twenty years ago, you'll notice that much of it feels oddly familiar. Yes, the technology has advanced dramatically—smartphones have replaced flip phones, and TikTok replaced MySpace—but the essence of daily life looks strikingly similar. Structurally our outfits are the exact same (especially menswear).
Compare this with the fashion jump-scares from the 1950s to 1960s, where watching a movie or TV show from those decades feels like stepping into a completely different world. Something seems to have happened since the era of Friends and Sex and the City that no one can move on from. This raises an interesting question: why does it seem like we’ve stagnated culturally?
One of the most significant shifts since 2004 is the fragmentation of mass media. In the defining cultural decades, there were touchstones that united people in the zeitgeist—major TV networks, blockbuster movies, and hit albums that everyone experienced at the same time displayed captivating aesthetics and new trends. These shared experiences shaped the cultural aesthetics of their eras, defining fashion, language, and even values. And yet, fashion outlets today are still relying on fashion from the early aughts for modern inspiration.
Today, the internet has splintered our attention. Streaming services, niche social media platforms, and algorithms mean that everyone can exist in their own microcosm of entertainment and trends depending on who they follow or subscribe to. Instead of one monolithic culture, we have infinite subcultures. This variation can be liberating, but it also dilutes the power of any single trend or aesthetic to define a generation, thus fracturing and seemingly freezing our cultural identity.
Modern media has given us access to every style, every trend, and every era—all at once. A quick scroll through Pinterest or Instagram reveals everything from Regency-inspired cottagecore to Y2K revival looks to minimalist modern aesthetics. Because we’re constantly exposed to such a wide array of styles, it’s harder for any single one to dominate.
This coexistence of all styles at the same time might explain why fashion, in particular, seems to have lost its crown as the defining aesthetic of culture. Unlike previous decades, where the prevailing fashion trends shaped the zeitgeist, today’s trends feel more like fleeting experiments circling back to circa 2004.
However, we can't deny that trends do exist. When we look back at defining styles from the early 2000s or 2010s—think pastel eyeliner, bedazzled jeans, or the pixie-girl Tumblr aesthetic—we tend to laugh at them. They feel like one-off moments, isolated and unserious, and primarily sported by teenagers. But what’s even more striking is how little has changed in the everyday adult world. While fashion and beauty trends come and go on TikTok or in high fashion, they rarely translate into a cultural revolution in how people dress or present themselves daily. Take a look at The Office or Arrested Development to see how work wear has basically remained the exact same, barring a little more relaxation today.
In contrast, the 1980s gave us power suits, teased hair, and bold makeup that defined not only the decade’s style but also its attitude. The 1960s had mod dresses, bouffant hairstyles, and a sense of rebellious optimism. Over the 20th century, the structure of fashion changed dramatically, evolving from men in suits and women in hoop skirts to women in suits and men in jeans. Since then, the structures have remained largely the same with varying patterns, cuts and colors largely the same for every-day wear. Today’s trends, while often creative, don’t seem to permeate everyday life in the same way they did in the twentieth century.
Despite the stagnation, classical femininity is only on the rise—a concept that isn’t about trends at all. Unlike the rapidly shifting micro-aesthetics of modern culture, classical femininity embraces timeless principles: elegance, grace, and an appreciation for beauty that transcends eras. It values symmetry, simplicity, and sustainability, offering a counterpoint to the chaos of today’s fleeting trends.
Classical femininity isn’t something you look back on and laugh at in 10 years. It’s not about pastel eyeliner or a viral hashtag. Instead, it’s about cultivating a presence that feels timeless—one that draws from the best of the past without being stuck in it. In a world where trends come and go faster than ever, classical femininity offers a grounding aesthetic and lifestyle philosophy.
As it may feel like we’re stagnating culturally, this moment still offers a unique opportunity. The lack of a defining aesthetic means we have the freedom to choose one and build a new future. We can reject fleeting trends and embrace principles that are enduring. Instead of stagnating in an age of utilitarian, unaesthetic, ultra-capitalistic styles, we can create a culture that feels less like an algorithm and more like art.
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