What began with hair accessories like butterfly clips and the comeback of straight-leg jeans has expanded to all-denim garments, cargo and flare trousers and everything shiny, among other looks.

Casey Lewis, a New York trend analyst, noted so many micro trends – often tagged with the suffix “core” – cranked up in the past few years that she created a newsletter about them.

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Think “Barbiecore” and “mermaidcore”, which highlight the hot pink reminiscent of Mattel’s Barbie doll or sheer materials with ocean-like hues and sequins.

“Gen Z is not even close to being done revisiting these old trends,” says Lewis, whose “After School” newsletter documents youth consumer behaviour. “They are going to dig into every weird trend from way back when and bring it back.”

Retailers, from high-end Nordstrom to discounters and fast fashion outlets, are pushing the styles in campaigns and on shelves. And consumers seem to be eating it up.

Sales of women’s cargo trousers jumped 81 per cent from January to May, the latest month of available data, according to market researcher Circana, which tracks retail purchases.

The company also is seeing a big jump in sales of flared trousers, corset tops, metallic-coloured clothing and women’s track suits, which are often made from bright velour fabric reminiscent of some wardrobe choices by US socialite Paris Hilton at the height of her popularity.

Style watchers classify it as part of the McBling era, which overlaps with Y2K but emphasises flashier items personified by brands like Juicy Couture and Baby Phat, the streetwear line by television personality and designer Kimora Lee Simmons, which relaunched in 2019.

“There’s not a year’s advanced notice that these trends are going to trickle down,” says Kristen Classi-Zummo, an analyst who covers fashion apparel for Circana.

Retailers, including Macy’s and Walmart, said they are paying closer attention to what pops up on social sites and analysing topics searched by users. But it can be challenging to recognise the difference between trends that just generate attention versus those shoppers will actually buy, says Jake Bjorseth, who runs trndsttrs, an agency helping companies reach young consumers.

Alison Hilzer, Walmart editorial director for fashion apparel, says she is also seeing a lot of micro trends. Some have more longevity than others, making it challenging to figure out when to jump on them.

Walmart is also following key influencers such as Alix Earle, who has collaborated with A-listers including singer Selena Gomez.

Affordability was the primary driver, but shoppers also bought used items to be more planet-friendly.

Yasmeen Bekhit, a 22-year-old graduate student in Manheim, in the US state of Pennsylvania, says she frequents a local thrift shop almost every week and shops at resale sites like Depop, which offers Y2K-heavy options such as baguette bags and baggy jeans.

Bekhit typically gravitates toward looser, flowy trousers, flare-legged jeans and tighter shirts like mesh tops, which help her stay cooler in the summer while wearing a hijab. She is inspired by the way former Disney Channel stars like Gomez and Hilary Duff used to style themselves, she says.

Popular TikTok influencer Aliyah Bah, who amassed more than 2.5 million followers by showcasing her Y2K-inspired look known as “Aliyahcore”, also inspires Bekhit.

“I really love her way of styling outfits,” Bekhit says.

But for everyday, Bekhit says she typically looks up outfit ideas on social media and puts her own twist on them.

Retro hair also is making a splash. Tahlya Loveday, a master stylist at the The Drawing Room New York Salon, says she has seen a lot more ’90s and Y2K trends, like spiky updos and space buns, bouncy blow-dried looks and block colouring, where sections of hair are coloured in contrasting colours.

Gen Z clients embrace those looks more than millennials, she says.

“For Gen Z, this is all new to them,” Circana’s Classi-Zummo says. “They’re really not reliving it. So while we might see it as something that’s cyclical and coming back, they’re kind of getting it for the first time.”