The blueprint for the quintessential y2k summer style, the girls from H2O: Just Add Water continue to influence our summer styles two decades later. The series, which premiered in 2006, met all the criteria to reach the pinnacle of early 2000’s television. House parties under full moonlight, love triangles, mermaids, the show had it all. And like every good early 2000’s hit series, the actors became models for the most iconic y2k trends. Clothing was a character of its own on this set, so much so that in Season 1 there’s an episode dedicated to an ill-advised shopping spree that leaves the girls with gaudy glasses and costume jewelry. But even when clothing isn’t a part of the plot, it’s obvious that in each episode the clothing worn on screen was deliberate and integral to the characters and setting. 

Costume designers, Jean Turnbull and Lucinda McGuigan, perfectly captured the jovial, beachside aesthetic of the show while leaning into the fashion trends of the early 2000’s. Bright colors, baby tees, mini skirts, and thick sunglasses dominated the screens. While the trio of mermaids are most iconically remembered for their orange tails and seashell tops, both Turnbull and McGuigan kept the girls equally as fashionable on land as they were under water. The designers also paid close attention to the girls’ individual styles, Rikki the staunch tomboy, Emma the practical, and Cleo the more feminine, each actress had a wardrobe specifically tailored to that of their character’s personality. Yet, each outfit complimented one another and all followed the wave of y2k summer fashion that many of us are trying to emulate an entire twenty years later. 

Layered Camis

A staple amongst the girls wardrobe is camis. Specifically, layered camis. In different scenes, the stars can be seen wearing camis paired together, often the top layer leaving space for the bottom shirt to peek past its hems. Now I don’t know what the average temperature was for those girls, but two tank tops in the intense heat of late July and UV of upwards of 8 sounds miserable. Luckily, the layered cami is having its renewal this summer and with adaptations. Almost all of the major fashion retailers like Pacsun, Urban Outfitters, and Free People are selling their own versions of the shirt, but now the layers are illusions rather than doubled-up tanks. Often the bottom cami is just a mock neck with straps. It may not be as versatile as the mix and match possibilities of two unattached shirts, but it’s certainly more adaptable for the summer months. And still very much y2k. 

Check out this pick from Amazon:

Capris

Another y2k staple making its reappearance in major retailers is the capri. Capri denim, capri linens, capri leggings, you name it. Despite it being summer, a lightweight capri can be the perfect in-between for, well, the in-between. Summer nights. Hiking in high altitudes. Whatever it may be, capris might be replacing the staple linen pants in our closets, and the mermaids of H2O did it first. Bonus points if your capris are camouflage. Just search any image of Rikki Chadwick and you’ll see what I mean. 

Rikki’s Camo Capris:

Low Rise

No one was immune to the chokehold low rise had on the early 2000’s. Low rise skirts, shorts, pants, low rise everything. Yes, to honor the integrity of the series, the aforementioned capris should be low rise. But, maybe more importantly,were the stars of the show that were the low rise skirts. Cleo’s ruffled denim skirts, Emma’s midi skirts, both low rise, both very 2000s. The girls favored striped patterns or cargo, both styles that are easy to find in-stores and online. Paired with a layered cami… you become a member of the cast. 

This skirt perfectly combines the striped pattern with the midi length, sort of resembling a tail:

Flops

Flip flops and sandals are a crucial part of the show’s costume department. Whenever they’re out of the water and gone are their tails, the cast is almost always dressed in some sort of strappy flip flop. Often colorful, the shoewear ranges from basic flip flops to discreet heeled and wedged sandals. Their versatility lends itself to nearly every occasion. 

If you want to lean even further into the y2k aesthetic, try platform wedge flops, the trifecta of early 2000s shoe styles.

What have the mermaids of H2O taught us? That fashion holds up after twenty years. No matter the current trends or newest designs, certain styles always resurface to claim their hold on us consumers. It’s more about how you wear it, I’d argue. Like the capris or layered camis or midi skirts, certain items will always be able to be worn. It’s just about reinventing them. So maybe consider keeping some of those items in your closet from the last decade and refurbishing them as fashion continues to recycle itself. 

Do you like H2O’s y2k summer fashion? Let us know in the comments!