Whether it’s for personal style, concerts, festivals or parties, Y2K-style clothing has been making its explosive comeback in popular fashion. As someone who is a proponent of this return and a personal Y2K-style enthusiast, I’m always on the lookout for vintage clothing or newly released lines that at least resemble it. But as I’m sure many can relate, thrifting for 2000s-era clothing is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, and buying from secondhand resellers that are asking for an arm and a leg for an Abercrombie top can be incredibly frustrating. Newer clothing that are aiming to emulate the ’90s and 2000s style can be just as expensive and they might just miss the mark entirely. So do you just have to pick your poison if you don’t want to settle and actually find Y2K clothing you love?
This was a question I asked myself often, and I was resigned to my meager options until I came across a place called Designer’s Brand Factory Outlet, or DBFO, which sells Y2K women’s clothing.
This store makes sure you know what they’re about before you even step foot inside. In the parking lot, they blast 2000s and ’90s music, have display windows flaunting mannequins wearing carefully curated outfits, a huge Y2K light-up sign mounted on their wall and a red tube man boldly declaring their sale, which is what originally drew me in. DBFO purports that everything they sell is $20 or less — and additionally, they were having a Mother’s Day sale, so certain racks had further discounted prices. Despite this, I was still reluctant. I was under the impression that DBFO was a thrift store, and for secondhand, $20 can be a lot, especially when you could go to a Goodwill where everything is usually half that.
Welcome to Y2K sign and sale sign placed outside entrance of store. Photographed by Luana Caravalho/BruinLife.
Person grabs for turquoise shirt with commonly seen Y2K emblem in the middle. Photographed by Luana Caravalho/BruinLife.
Aisle of clothes ranging from all sizes with playboy bunny sign in background. Photographed by Luana Caravalho/BruinLife.
However, after speaking with one of the employees, Jana, I was informed that the clothes they sell are not secondhand but what’s more popularly known as dead stock, meaning that they get old stock from the early 2000s that was never sold from the brands Ed Hardy, BCBG, Vertigo and Playboy. What’s nice about that is that oftentimes there are multiples of the same clothing item and in different sizes, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find something that’s just right for you. Furthermore, another employee, Leslie, informed me that what makes their store even more unique is that they carry one-of-a-kind samples and original pieces from these brands, which were from “before Juicy Couture.” When people think of Y2K clothing, iconic velour tracksuits may come to mind, so if that’s something that interests you, DBFO is the place to be. They had racks on racks of tracksuits, made from velour or other materials by the brand BCBG, which was indeed founded before Juicy Couture. But even if tracksuits aren’t your thing, the store is expansive and has tons of clothes to choose from. After all, Y2K encompasses popular trends throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, so the style itself is not a monolith. There are many facets of the style that may appeal to you!
That brings me to another great thing about DBFO: The store advertises that they have new items everyday, meaning that you can always look through their clothes another day and find a gem that wasn’t there before. Both Leslie and Jana told me that they were shoppers at DBFO even before they started working there, and Jana even told me that she often leaves shifts with a few new items.
I myself found a variety of gorgeous items, from an embroidered short sleeve sweater, to a 100% silk floral spring-colored dress, though I ended up buying a lilac short sleeve button-up which was more fitting to my personal style.
Whether you’re looking for items that are quintessential to the Y2K style like low-rise jeans or a bedazzled halter, or more eccentric and authentic ’90s and 2000s pieces, it’s likely that Designer’s Brand Factory Outlet will have what you’re searching for, and you won’t have to pick between the poisons of breaking the bank buying from resellers or spending hours sorting through a diamond in the rough at a thrift store.
Hangars labeled with supplying brand "Vertigo", seen throughout the store. Photographed by Luana Caravalho/BruinLife.
Store's Y2K Designers Brand sign outside front of building behind stores inflatable red tube man. Photographed by Luana Caravalho/BruinLife.
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Featured Image Photographed by Luana Caravalho/BruinLife
