climbers that did exist (in entertainment industry, for example), to show that they valued their roots. The tensions of income inequalities and fast fashion therefore led to the blending of street style and haute couture, so that the designer logo was seen boldly printed on all types of clothing, particularly items that needed to be replaced less often, such as a purse or pair of sunglasses. A logo purse was a visual unifier, worn by celebrities, models and "middle class" shoppers (who, because of growing income inequalities, earned increasingly less than habitual haute couture customers). Thanks to outlet stores and plentiful supplies of fast fashion "knock-offs", a logo purse became available to everyone. For the majority of shoppers, a branded purse was a form of escapism; a unifying factor that let people forget how much money they made, and present themselves as being like the rest. As the decade went on, it became increasingly popular to mix designer and fast fashion clothing. In response, a counter-culture of vintage and thrift clothing - not a new phenomenon, but not yet part of the mainstream either- began to re-establish itself in some areas, growing in popularity after the hit of the 2008/9 recession. Women's fashion Early 2000s (2000–2002) Y2K fashion When the 2000s kicked off, the fashion was profoundly influenced by technology. Around the year 2000, there was a monochromatic futuristic approach to fashion, with metallics, shiny blacks, heavy use of gray, straps, and buckles becoming commonplace. This was called "Y2K fashion". The apparel was made to be as dark, reflective, technological, and as sexy as possible. When the original iPod was introduced in 2001, the white earbuds, as well as the gadget itself, became something of an accessory for early adopters. Particular pieces of Y2K clothing included mesh tops, wraparound sunglasses, wireframe rectangle glasses, box-pleated skirts, handkerchief tops (often in a metallic pattern such as silver or gold for a disco feel), satin skirts, leather skirts, concert t-shirts with rhinestones, sparkling shoes, halter tops, sequined pants (popularized by Peter Morrissey), and embroidered and sequinned tops (inspired by Easton Pearson), along with the famous pearl printed black cocktail dress by Karen Walker, which was successful worldwide. In the year 2000, some of the casual women's and girl's fashion trends were oversized sunglasses, mini shoulder handbags/purses, aviator sunglasses, oversized hoop earrings, jeans worn for numerous occasions (such as mid-rise, boot-cut, fabric accents down