...BABY ONE MORE TIME

Barrettes, Butterfly Clips, and Bandanas: The Best Y2K Hair of the Summer

Take a dive into the most TRL-worthy hair of the summer.

by Tilden Bissell

britney_holder.jpg
Photograph by Michael Thompson

With Baby Phat’s impending return to the fashion world and a Lizzie McGuire reboot in the works, it’s safe to say we’ve entered peak aughts nostalgia. Normani’s “Motivation” music video—not to mention break out VMA appearance—paid homage to R&B classics both musically and visually with looks inspired by Beyoncé, Ciara, and Aaliyah. Even Gen Z can be seen sporting frosted lipgloss and shimmery shadow worthy of original aughts babes Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie on TikTok.

And while early ’00s revivalism is hardly new, a cursory scroll through your feed shows Y2K hair is also back and arguably better than ever. Out are the prim padded headbands of 2018: half-up-dos, pigtails, and blinged-out barrettes reign supreme. From Kim Kardashian’s high-contrast highlights to Bella Hadid’s blonde flip, see how celebrities everywhere are ringing in the new millennium, at least aesthetically.

Barrettes and Butterfly Clips

To say barrettes have been having a moment is an understatement. You can’t walk down the street without spying a variation of Ashley Williams’ bedazzled word pins, but these celebrities are throwing it back with rainbow butterfly clips, glittery hairpins, and pearl barrettes galore.

’00s Colors

Chunky highlights, reverse ombré, Gwen Stefani-inspired peroxide blonde burst back on the scene this summer, but Jordyn Woods and Megan the Stallion win for their bold honey blonde highlights and shocking red locks.

Flipped Ends

From Kylie Jenner’s freshly chopped cut to Cardi B’s blue ‘do, lots of stars decided to go short and channel Gabrielle Union, Mary J. Blige and more millennial hair icons. Props to Rihanna for picking up on the trend all the way back at Coachella last year.

Bandanas

During their ill-fated trip to Mykonos, both of the Hadid sisters channeled Jennifer Lopez at the 2000 VMAs in matching white bandanas.