Comfort is a Shoulder Bag
Ever since rising to stardom on social media in 2021, PinkPantheress has enamored fans not only with her music but also with her style reminiscent of the early 2000s, proving that authentic fashion choices always outshine trend-following.
PinkPantheress performing live on stage in London at Alexandra Palance featuring a leopard print maxi dress and her signature shoulder bag. Photographed by Simone Joyner, February 2024. Available via gettyimages. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
In recent years, all things Y2K have reigned supreme in the closets of Gen Z consumers, but few embody the early-2000s aesthetic as effortlessly as PinkPantheress. The British singer and record producer doesn’t wear Y2K-inspired clothing just because it’s trendy among her peers; she wears it because it genuinely reflects her personal style. Her understated take on the aesthetic stands in contrast to the over-glamorized version often seen on social media, verifying that authenticity always makes the biggest statement.
Anonymously posting snippets of self-produced music on TikTok from her university dorm room under the alias of PinkPantheress, Vicky Walker made a name for herself on the platform with viral hits like “Just a Waste,” “Break It Off,” and “Pain,” using samples from previously released music. After a wave of support from fans on TikTok regarding her music, PinkPantheress revealed her identity and released her first mixtape, to hell with it, featuring some of her TikTok viral hits, in October of 2021. From that point forward, she’s been giving us the Y2K fantasy we all have been needing.
PinkPantheress’s most viral hit to date is “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” featuring Ice Spice, a remix of her December 2022 single, released in February 2023. Collaborating with a fellow self-proclaimed “Y2K baddie” made the fashion in the music video all the more impactful. Throughout the video, PinkPantheress wears a black tank top layered under a distressed white tube top, paired with flared leggings and sneakers, while Ice Spice sports a light pink velour tracksuit and her signature necklace featuring her own face. The contrast between Pink’s understated look and Ice Spice’s more over-the-top aesthetic highlights the spontaneity of the Y2K era. It ultimately makes Ice’s style feel more grounded and pushes Pink’s fashion identity beyond her usual minimalist box.
Consistently channeling her British roots in combination with her Y2K flair, she often features tartan, animal prints, statement belts, mini skirts, maxi dresses, and chunky boots when performing on stage. As PinkPantheress began to tour the globe with her debut album Heaven knows, released in November 2023, she became known for performing with a shoulder bag everywhere she went. Fans began to point this out as a funny quirk of hers, speculating that she found comfort in carrying a statement shoulder bag while performing in front of thousands of fans. It is not common for performing artists to carry excess baggage on stage with them, physically or mentally. This just shows that Pink is still the shy girl who was anonymously releasing snippets of her music from her dorm room just a few years ago.
On July 30, 2025, PinkPantheress made her TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she performed songs off of her most recent mixtape, Fancy That. The performance was exactly what we would expect of Pink, doing the most without really doing much at all. She encapsulated the Y2K aesthetic, wearing a red tank top, black statement belt, tartan pleated skirt, and black ballet flats, with a group of backup dancers featuring patterned tank and halter tops, capris, and ballet flats with a similar color story. The performance was enhanced by a live DJ, simple choreography, and a skew of flashing red and blue lights, creating the perfect formula for an authentic Y2K-esque performance.
Although the Y2K aesthetic has been a common trend among Gen Z in recent years, no one has met the standard that PinkPantheress has set. It is clear that Pink would dress like a dental receptionist from 2006 regardless of whether it was trending or not, and that is why she undoubtedly executes Y2K fashion better than what’s seen on social media as a whole. Following trends can be a great stepping stone for someone’s personal style, but if you are only dressing a certain way because it’s popular and not because it’s truly authentic to you, it’s impossible to fully reach your stylistic potential. PinkPantheress has managed to do exactly that in her short yet impactful career thus far.
