Dear 2005, I'm Finally Ready for You

When I envision Summer 2025, I see an unapologetically girly vibe. So, I created a mood board. I find this vibe to be more for the female gaze—only a true girl's girl will truly get it. I've been fiercely embracing color, sequins, sheen, mini shoulder bags, and mini skirts. With the rise of conservative ideologies seeping into fashion, I simply want to break away. And honestly? I'm resisting—one mini skirt at a time.

Younger Gen Z (I was born in the earlier years) are giving "milkmaid to the clurb", but I'm trying to channel Y2K It girl. I wasn't old enough to fully enjoy this era, sadly. I never got my pink Motorola Razr with rhinestones on the back and a phone charm . But now that I'm older, I can participate. And I'm so ready. I want to make younger me proud.

Lately, I've been binging nostalgic television like The Hills, Laguna Beach, Clueless, Half & Half, etc. The Hills and Laguna Beach make me so nostalgic. Even though I never grew up in SoCal, those early-2000s aesthetics hit something deep. I feel immense nostalgia because of the simplicity in fashion and beauty. It was a time where celebrities wore pieces straight from the mall onto red carpets. Everyone was effortlessly chic. Appearances weren't a whole production; people looked more human as they weren't chasing complete perfection yet. It was also pre-"clean girl" (rolls eyes). Styling had more color. Brands embraced girly fabrics, patterns, and silhouettes that made it easy to be effortlessly stylish. That's the essence I want to capture: carefree girlhood, choosing to be unapologetically girly. This mood board makes me want to hop in my car, pick up my girls, and grab ice cream, blasting old-school Beyoncé on the way. At the red light, I stop to reapply my cherry squeeze-tube lip gloss. Back when a mini skirt made life feel worth living.

What really kicked off this vibe shift was a Vintage Cole Haan Bag I purchased off Poshmark. It's one of their older styles, the Alexa. Sporting pink croc-embossed real leather, this bag has become my new obsession. I'm in love with everything about that bag. To amp up the Y2K feel, I added a Baby Phat logo silver keychain (a little ode to Black girlhood). It makes me feel like I stole my older sister's bag to go to the mall with friends— except I never even had an older sister (I wish). I also picked up a denim vintage Coach shoulder bag, major score! I'm still deciding if want to add rhinestone appliques or keep it classic, but either way—I'm choosing to bask in better times.

Side note: Lauren Conrad makes me want a convertible so bad. I'm currently eyeing a silver Lexus LC convertible with tan interior. It's giving "top down, lip gloss on."