The 2010 Aesthetic: Things We Love & Love to Hate From 2010
This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Megan Pavek. Find her on Instagram at @megan.pavek. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
If you were a teenager or young adolescent in the early 2010s, you are definitely a Zillennial who got to experience a magical time. Social media was in existence, but had not quite yet taken off during this period. BlackBerry phones, T-Mobile Sidekicks, and Razers were all the rage. Things seemed more innocent, and experiencing the popculture of the early 2010s during these formative years is what sets us apart as Zillennials. There we were growing up in the in-between, knowing how to navigate technology but not yet fully relying on cellphones while simultaneously having our brain chemistry altered by 3OH!3 and baby Justin Bieber.
Make Up
During this period, you likely started experimenting with makeup and hair accessories. A classic token from the 2010 fashion trend era was hair feathers and cracked nail polish. I vividly remember getting hair feathers with all of my best girlfriends, and coming out on the other end feeling like the most fashionable pre-teen alive. Not to mention that cracked nail polish was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Looking back, it’s a little funny to think that the world was so impressed but this product!
Another classic sign that you’re a Zillennial is if you collected lip smackers and had them in bulk and on hand at any given moment. Although, they seemed a little juvenile once PINK beauty products hit the market, teaching us how to spray and shimmer our bodies (likely a little too much).
Fashion
Not only did Victoria’s Secret introduce us to an array of heavy scented, sparkling beauty products, but it also played a huge part in introducing the world to yoga pants. At the time, wearing these instead of pants to school or work seemed risque, but quickly became more mainstream. Today, people wear leggings casually all of the time and no one bats an eye. We have the 2010s to thank for that!
The 2010 fashion trend also included wearing an insane amount of Sillybandz, and some form of neon or galaxy patterned clothing. We all had a maxi skirt and a thick belt to cinch our waists with. My personal favorite is when said belt was used on a shirt instead of a dress. This look was truly revolutionary for its time. Don’t forget the pair of UGGs!
Music
Aside from the iconic 2010 fashion trend, we also experienced the release of some amazing music and instant hits during this period. Top artists included Taylor Swift, Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Kesha. Let’s go back in time to the release of Teenage Dream. Imagine it’s summer 2010 and when you turn on the radio all you hear is Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg on the track “California Gurls.” Other contenders were “Mine” by Taylor Swift, “Tik Tok” by Kesha, and “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train. We’d attend school dances where they were likely blaring “Like a G6” by Dev, “Nothing on You” by B.o.B. or “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars in the gymnasium.
Don’t forget that during this time we were on the cusp of experiencing the release of the “Sorry for Party Rocking” by LMFAO which was lifechanging for all teenagers across the world.
Entertainment
In 2010 Facebook and Twitter were immensely popular, and while Instagram was in existence it had yet to take off. Instead of Instagram, teens took to Tumblr to express themselves. When they weren’t busy curating an aesthetic through the Tumblr platform, they were posting embarrassing Facebook statuses and not quite comprehending that they would live on the internet forever, for their future selves to find and cringe at.
If I could have anything back from 2010 it was be this innocent and simple time on the internet before social media and technology completely blew up and changed our lives forever. We we’re all taking horrible selfies and putting crazy filters on pictures of our pedicures or the food we were eating for dinner. No one took it to seriously- it was fun and we used it to express ourselves instead of curating the perfect looking life online.
What do you wish we could bring back from 2010? Let us know in the comments below!