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Perhaps you once shopped for pricey denim amid the pounding music and shirtless models at Abercrombie & Fitch, spent every pay cheque in Topshop or lived in Gap hoodies.
Whatever your preferred style was in your teens and 20s, these high street giants probably sound like relics of wardrobes past – fun to feel nostalgic about but not the kind of clothing you’d dream of wearing today.
However, some of the stores that defined 90s and noughties fashion are making a comeback – with Calvin Klein underwear and Kookai also back on the cool list.
Gen Z is largely behind the resurgence, but according to luxury stylist Angela Kyte mid-life shoppers are missing a trick if they think that these brands are reserved for 20-somethings.
She told the Daily Mail: ‘When brands modernise their silhouettes, refine their quality and update their messaging, they offer something powerful: the chance to reconnect with a version of ourselves that feels confident.
‘This resurgence isn’t about dressing younger; it’s about tapping into a sense of ease and authenticity that these brands once signified.
‘For clients over 40, there is nothing to be scared of. The new iterations of these 2000s staples are cleaner, more minimal, and designed with a sophistication that speaks directly to an adult wardrobe.
‘The key is intentional styling. Think elevated basics, streamlined denim and well-cut essentials paired with mature tailoring or luxury accessories.
‘When worn thoughtfully, these nostalgic brands don’t read as “youth culture”; they read as timeless, stylish and self-assured. Mid-life shoppers aren’t revisiting their past, they’re redefining it with greater confidence and clarity.’
Read on to discover the brands making a comeback and the pieces to shop that don’t look like they’ve come from a teenager’s wardrobe.
Gap
A few years ago, Gap was clutching onto the cobwebs of ’90s shopping centre fame and closing down dozens of branches – but after a swift Zac Posen-led makeover, Gap is officially not just surviving, but thriving too.
Far from selling underwhelmingly reliable denims, the brand is now Hailey Bieber’s go-to, with A-lister royalty Gwyneth Paltrow and her daughter Apple Martin fronting a glossy campaign.
Gen Z shoppers have similarly flocked to Gap stores after pop group Katseye modelled ensembles from the retailer while dancing to 2003 club anthem Milkshake by Kelis.
But even for those who spend more time traipsing around on office commutes rather than sashaying down the red carpet or spending time at school, Gap 2.0 has plenty to offer.
His successes became clear in August 2024, after fiscal second-quarter results showed profits had more than doubled from the year prior.
And now its cultural savvy is made all the more potent with Hollywood’s influence (everyone from Timothée Chalamet and Demi Moore to Cynthia Erivo and Anne Hathaway has worn the US high-street brand on the red carpet in the past year or so) – cementing its return to not only being a monetary success, but also a status one too.
‘Gap is absolutely having a moment again, and it’s not just nostalgia,’ stylist Shauna Colaci told the Daily Mail.
‘There’s a genuine appetite right now for clean, wearable basics that feel both elevated and effortless, and Gap is cleverly tapping into that.
‘With names like Hailey Bieber and Gwyneth Paltrow wearing the brand, and Zac Posen reimagining the aesthetic, Gap has moved from forgotten mall brand to modern minimalist cool.’
Those who grew up in the 2000s will remember the booming Abercrombie stores that felt more like a nightclub than a clothes shop.
But after a 2022 Netflix documentary exposed its exclusionary hiring practices, with bosses revealed to favour mostly white, thin employees to peddle a hyper-sexualised image to teens, customers fled and stocks started to tank.
Now, Abercrombie is staging one of the most surprising comebacks in retail. Its stock has surged over 400 per cent in five years – outperforming even some of tech’s biggest names.
On one Wednesday in June alone, shares jumped 32 per cent after the company posted blowout earnings and forecasted strong sales for the rest of 2025.
The company credited its revival to trend-savvy updates, such as printed jeans, dresses, and vintage-inspired denim, attracting a new generation of shoppers.
The transformation began when Fran Horowitz took over as CEO in 2017, steering the brand away from its Mike Jeffries-era playbook of shirtless models and exclusivity.
Under her watch, Abercrombie ditched its toxic image, embraced inclusivity, and made fashion-forward tweaks, like vintage denim, printed dresses, and gender-neutral basics.
The turnaround is more than skin deep. In its latest quarter, Abercrombie posted $1billion in sales – a 22 per cent jump – and crushed Wall Street expectations on earnings.
Compare that to 2014, when Jeffries resigned after 11 straight quarters of shrinking sales, and the brand was hit with a $40million discrimination settlement.
There was a hole in London’s Oxford Street when Topshop closed all its physical stores in 2021.
With its trendy clothes, sell-out designer collaborations, and 100,000 sq ft flagship store, the brand attracted everyone from tourists and teenagers to It Girls and fashion editors.
But things took a turn for the worse in 2020 when Phillip Green’s Arcadia Group collapsed into administration.
Such a demise would have been unthinkable at one point. So how did Topshop – once the coolest name in high street fashion – get to that point?
The answer is a combination of cumbersome brick-and-mortar stores, a slow digital strategy, and aggressive competition from the likes of PrettyLittleThing, Boohoo, and Missguided, which lured Gen Z shoppers with their ultra-fast fashion and even faster delivery times.
Then there was the issue of Sir Philip Green himself, with retail experts, including Topshop’s former brand director, pointing to how the BHS pension scandal and accusations of sexual harassment (which he denies) put off the brand customer base, largely made up of women and woke Gen Z shoppers.
However, much to the relief of Topshop’s cult following, ASOS purchased the brand later that year, selling its clothes online only, and separating it from previous scandals.
Fast forward to this year, and Topshop has made a return to brick-and-mortar stores, featuring as concessions in the likes of Liberty and John Lewis.
It was up for debate as to whether the brand would ever get its cool back, but with its mix of nostalgic and new designs, it’s safe to say Topshop is gaining momentum once again.
It’s known for its provocative advertising, trademark underwear, and celebrity endorsements, but Calvin Klein faded from public consciousness in the late 2010s.
Come 2025, and it’s experiencing a major revival.
Kate Moss, who posed half-naked with actor Mark Wahlberg for a controversial 1992 campaign, helped bring the brand to astronomical heights, despite Kate later revealing that she felt vulnerable while being photographed.
Their shoot, among others, helped establish the Calvin Klein look, attracting a young, hip demographic with a keen eye for fashion.
The brand, however, faced a slump in the latter part of 2018 under the creative directorship of Raf Simmons, leading to a pause in its high-fashion line and the closure of its store in its hometown of New York.
Fast forward to today, the brand is back doing what it does best, creating divisively sexy adverts with famous faces from the best of pop culture – thanks to the new creative direction of Italian designer Veronica Leoni.
Singers Bad Bunny and Rosalia, actor Jeremy Allen White of The Bear fame, and Kendall Jenner have all posed for the brand in recent times, reaffirming its place in the zeitgeist.
And after a six-year hiatus, Calvin Klein made a return to high-fashion runways and opened up a flagship store in the Big Apple once again, reclaiming its status as a brand that should be on everyone’s shopping list.
Kookai
Kookai, which originates from France, launched in the UK in 1990 and continued to grow its high street presence in the 2000s. The brand built up a following by dressing it-girls in glamorous party attire.
However, in 2006, the label fell into administration, forcing the closure of its UK stores, much to the disappointment of its British fanbase.
Almost a decade later, Kookai has made a big return after being purchased by the Australian brand Magi.
Now, its designs have matured, its social media game is impressive, and its product quality is at an all-time high.
The retailer has managed to create a strong online presence and virtual store, and while it honours its 90s roots with an abundance of crop tops and low-rise trousers, there’s plenty to shop for when seeking out that sophisticated look.
