Most importantly, it was the year before Instagram was downloaded onto millions of phones—before everyone’s online persona became entangled with their real one. The internet still felt like an unexplored universe. It was more a place to discover things, less a barrage of flattened versions of the actual world.

Amid the signs of post-9/11 America and a financial crisis, there was hope again. An engaging president had been elected, and he brought with him into the White House a first family that reflected the country’s future. Stars embraced the chaos of paparazzi culture, often stepping out in headline-making outfits that included opaque tights, short shirt-dresses, and platforms that could leave you with a broken ankle. It was all so, as the internet aptly dubbed it, optimistic and weird.

Now cut to the New York Fashion Week runways in 2026, when one particular show, 7 for All Mankind, featured an almost costume-like version of this moment. Models nearly ran down the catwalk in Wayfarers, skinny scarves, and short, slinky dresses. On other runways like Area, Collina Strada, and Proenza Schouler, there were subtle nods to peplum cuts, another Gossip Girl staple of the moment; high-low skirts, which were basically miniskirts with a train; platform high heels à la Lady Gaga (who, fittingly, cameo’d in Gossip Girl in November 2009); and ultra-mini denim skirts, which, in 2009, transitioned directly from socialites to suburban shopping malls so high schoolers could pair them with their calf-hugging UGGs (also seen on runways in 2026 for Gabe Gordon and Taottao).

Runway Images by firstVIEW, Courtesy of Gabe Gordon

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 13: A model walks the runway for the 7 For All Mankind FW26 fashion show during New York Fashion Week at the Starrett-Lehigh Building on February 13, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Victor Pagan/Getty Images)Victor Pagan/Getty Images

You could certainly argue that these are multiyear trends that seeped into the 2010s, but my view of what we just saw this New York Fashion Week is not about an actual garment; it’s about a feeling that brands and consumers are sharing, even in a world overrun by so many bad things. Hope? Delusional optimism? Maybe it’s simply the beginning of an inevitable shift, good or bad.