Cover In a lilac mini and spiky bun, Lola Tung of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ delivers Y2K pop-star energy. (Photo: Don Arnold / WireImage / Getty Images)
In a lilac mini and spiky bun, Lola Tung of ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ delivers Y2K pop-star energy. (Photo: Don Arnold / WireImage / Getty Images)
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From spiky buns to plaid minis, Lola Tung redefines Y2K style with five outfits that bring back the early 2000s
Lola Tung, the 22-year-old New Yorker best known as Isabel “Belly” Conklin in Amazon’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, has quickly carved out a fashion profile of her own. Her off-screen style at press tours and fashion events leans heavily on Y2K references. Think low-rise denim, slip dresses, spiky updos and wraparound shades—all staples of the early 2000s now refracted through Gen Z’s lens. Where some lean into nostalgia with costume-like devotion, Lola Tung has made the era’s hallmarks feel sharp, relevant and deliberately relaxed. Think Sex and the City meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Girls. These five recent looks illustrate exactly how she’s reworking the millennium playbook for 2025.
Read more: Y2K aesthetic revival: Decoding the millennium design trend making a comeback
1. Cool in blue and Coach in New York
Lola Tung’s pairing of a royal-blue Kerry Von Erich baby tee with low-rise, light-wash baggy jeans immediately throws back to early-millennium street attitude—with a modern polish. These Coach Resort 2026 jeans, intentionally long and baggy, graze the pavement in classic Y2K rebellion, while purple rectangular sunglasses inject subtle drama. The star of the show is the Coachtopia Alter Ego crescent bag, a sustainable piece from Coach’s upcycled leather line. The ensemble is youthful, low-maintenance and perfectly turned out.
2. Oversized tee, cargo pants and Crocs in Soho
Stepping out in Soho, Lola Tung paired an oversized graphic tee with baggy acid-wash cargo trousers and white Crocs. The mix of proportions felt very much in line with the early-2000s skater-inspired uniform, emphasising comfort without losing edge. The Crocs, worn unapologetically, underscored the Gen Z embrace of ironic practicality.
3. Spiky bun and a slip dress in Sydney
In Sydney, Tung wore a lilac slip dress with a sheer baby-blue overlay embroidered with floral beads and fringe. It's unmistakably millennial, reminiscent of iconic looks from Can’t Hardly Wait and 13 Going on 30: delicate and slightly twee, yet front-and-centre. The playful detailing contrasted with the spiky bun, which gave the outfit its unmistakable early-2000s pop-star edge. Finished with simple hoop earrings, the look balanced sweetness with deliberate attitude.
4. Wraparound sunglasses, graphic tank and knee-high boots in Sydney
At The Summer I Turned Pretty press tour in Sydney, Tung wore a fitted graphic tank with a black mini skirt and knee-high boots. The wraparound sunglasses gave the look its defining Y2K accent, while the mini-and-boots pairing channelled early-2000s clubwear. The look was cool and fun, and was an effective interpretation of millennial style rather than a costumey appropriation.
5. Plaid skirt and bomber jacket by Miu Miu
At Miu Miu’s Miutine fragrance launch in New York City, Lola Tung leaned fully into collegiate chic a la Cher Horowitz, but with a modern twist. She paired a pleated blue-and-white plaid miniskirt with a structured navy wool bomber jacket, evoking millennial nostalgia. Her embroidered calf-high socks added a touch of childlike charm, while patent leather slingbacks with gold buckles sharpened the silhouette with grown-up polish. The overall effect was a sophisticated riff on schoolgirl codes.
Across these five looks, Lola Tung draws a clear line to late-1990s and early-2000s fashion. Low-rise denim, spiky updos, slip dresses and wraparound sunglasses all appear in her rotation, filtering Y2K codes through a minimal, modern sensibility that keeps the nostalgia fresh.
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Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
