Jennifer Garner walks down the street while filming the new movie “13 Going On 30” November 22, 2003 in New York City. Photo: Getty Images
Cover Jennifer Garner’s style in “13 Going On 30” is enjoying a comeback moment. Photo: Getty Images

You may have thought that the Y2K craze had subsided, but the 2000s is still high on the fashion agenda in 2023. And it is, more precisely, the stars of the romantic comedies of the noughties who are now proving a source of inspiration, especially among younger generations, giving rise to the ‘rom-com core’ trend

Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Katherine Heigl, Marion Cotillard and Cameron Diaz reign as queens of the fashion world in these early months of 2023. But although their outfits—the real ones—are always being watched and analysed, it’s not their everyday attire that’s of interest here. Now, the focus is on the clothes they wore in some of the romantic comedies that helped make them famous, if they weren’t already, in the 2000s.

This is being dubbed the “rom-com core” trend, and it’s causing a stir on social networks. It essentially entails dressing up like the characters of the greatest romantic comedies of the beginning of the third millennium. As such, nostalgia is evidently still riding high when it comes to influencing wardrobes worldwide.

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Baby doll dresses, cargo pants and low-waist cuts

History has already shown that, time and again, gloomier times often lead people into a quest for escape, nostalgia and wellbeing. And this can translate into the need to turn to a more optimistic time, or at least one considered as such. So seems to be the case with the rom-com core trend, which combines comedy and romanticism to give rise to poetic life aspirations.

As a result, it’s no longer a question of dressing like your grandmother, historical characters, or Barbie, as with the key trends of 2022, but like the heroines of your childhood—or, rather—like the childhood heroines of millennials and Generation Z, because they are the ones driving this trend, potentially fuelling its rise to the rank of a 2023 must-have.

On TikTok—the favourite social network of both generations—the #romcom hashtag already has more than 2.3 billion views, while the trend directly related to fashion continues to rise. In its annual predictions, unveiled in December, Pinterest already mentioned the emergence of this phenomenon under the name “Fashion Actually,” with a rise in searches for a host of associated inspirations: the 2000s girl (+235%), the cool girl aesthetic (+140%), the pink miniskirt (+145%), the rhinestone dress (+90%), and a whole host of pieces inspired by these romantic comedies, from strappy dresses to cargo pants to bustier tops and low-rise pants.

13 Going On 30

In the realm of this fashion trend, 13 Going On 30 with Jennifer Garner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days with Kate Hudson, Mean Girls with Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams (among others), or Maid in Manhattan with Jennifer Lopez stand out as some of the most popular romantic comedies of the 2000s. So, don’t hesitate to watch—or rewatch—them to hone in on the looks that will be all the rage in the coming weeks and months.

This is taking the form of a veritable fashion parade on TikTok, with users showing off pieces spotted in their favourite romantic comedies. Miniskirts, glitter, low-cut pants, denim dresses, and other relics of this decade are going down a storm with TikTokers. In fact, rom-com core is well on its way to becoming the new Barbiecore, proving that we are far from being done with the fashion of the 2000s.

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