Kailey Wood, a 37-year-old mom, recently found herself in a state of disbelief when her 11-year-old daughter, Lauren, requested a hairstyle that took her back to her own high school days. Lauren wanted the chunky blonde highlights made famous by Kelly Clarkson in the early 2000s. Kailey, who goes by @the_geriatricmillennial on TikTok, shared her astonishment in a video that quickly went viral, amassing 264,600 likes and 2.9 million views.
“When we were on our way to the salon, I asked her to pull up some inspiration pictures to show the stylist, and they were all chunky blonde highlights—I couldn’t believe it!” Kailey told Newsweek. “I was in high school when they were popular, graduated in 2004, and I wanted them but never got them. So when she showed me, I was like, ‘Are you sure?!'”
Kailey’s TikTok video captured the moment her daughter insisted on the nostalgic hairstyle, saying, “This is what I want, and you can’t convince me otherwise.” Despite Kailey’s offer to pay her daughter $200 to reconsider, Lauren was adamant about getting the chunky highlights.
Kelly Clarkson’s zebra-esque locks were a defining look of the early 2000s, especially during her time on American Idol in 2002. Kailey tried to show Lauren different styles, but the 11-year-old was set on the thick, chunky highlights. “She is 11, and her sister is 13, so daily I feel like I am seeing them pull up some fashion trend that I experienced in middle and high school: baggy jeans, flares, 90s smiley face shirts, music, makeup, and now hair,” Kailey said.
In an attempt to reach a compromise, Kailey suggested that Lauren start with smaller highlights to see if she liked them. However, Lauren’s heart was still set on the chunky blonde highlights, and she plans to return to the salon this weekend for the full transformation.
The reemergence of this old trend sparked a flurry of comments from TikTok users, including hair stylists who shared their thoughts. “I’m a stylist, and chunky highlights are definitely back. It’s wild,” said Tiff Crowe. Another user, Erin, shared, “My 18-year-old daughter came home with chunky blonde highlights, and I pulled out old photo albums. She is now twins with me from my past life.”
Other commenters reminisced about their own experiences with the trend. “The way I begged my mom and hair stylist to give me Kelly Clarkson chunky highlights in ’03 and was devastated when I left with completely regular-looking blonde highlights,” said Cee. Patricia Hodges, another hairstylist, added, “As a hairstylist, please God, I haven’t had anyone ask for that yet. I don’t want to do it.”
One user humorously recounted, “My stepsister bleached six chunky highlights on the top of my head, and I tell you, I have war flashbacks from time to time.”
Kailey’s experience highlights a broader trend of millennials witnessing the resurgence of styles and trends from their youth. As a generation often characterized by their love for nostalgia, it’s no surprise that their children are now embracing the same trends that defined their parents’ formative years.
The phenomenon of old trends making a comeback is not new, but it does bring a sense of déjà vu for many parents. For Kailey, seeing her daughter embrace a hairstyle she once coveted but never got was a surreal experience. It also serves as a reminder of how fashion and beauty trends are cyclical, constantly being reinvented and reinterpreted by new generations.
As Lauren prepares for her full transformation this weekend, Kailey and other parents like her are left to marvel at the enduring appeal of trends from their past. Whether it’s chunky highlights, baggy jeans, or 90s smiley face shirts, these nostalgic elements continue to find new life in the hands of today’s youth.
In the end, Kailey’s story is a testament to the power of nostalgia and the ever-evolving nature of fashion and beauty. It also underscores the unique bond between parents and their children, as they navigate the complexities of growing up and finding their own identities, often through the lens of the past.
Source: Newsweek
