2020s Shopping Guide: Fashion, Home And Tech

Loungewear and Y2K revivals, cookbooks and audiobooks, vinyl outselling CDs, and everything streaming.

Below: what to buy for a 2020s theme, a 2020s birthday or someone who grew up then - clothes, books, records and gadgets, with what to check before you pay.

Straight answer first: we don't sell clothing, books, records or technology. We draw and print cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers in the UK, and we stock party decorations. Everything else here is advice on where the genuine items come from.

Years covered in the 2020s

• 2020 - Lockdown, clapping on doorsteps and a year nobody needs reminding of. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2020
• 2021 - Another lockdown, then a summer of football and reopening. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2021
• 2022 - The Platinum Jubilee, the death of the Queen and three Prime Ministers. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2022
• 2023 - The coronation, Barbenheimer and 'Last Christmas' finally getting to number one. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2023
• 2024 - A July general election, the Olympics in Paris and Gavin & Stacey signing off. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2024
• 2025 - The Lionesses retained the Euros and the Oasis reunion filled the stadiums. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-2025
• That is every 2020s year we have written up so far: 2020 to 2025.

2020s clothing and accessories

• Loungewear and hoodies from the lockdown years, then a full Y2K revival from 2022.
• Wide-leg jeans replacing skinny, cargo trousers, oversized blazers and chunky trainers.
• Second hand as the default - Vinted and Depop rather than the high street.
• Accessories: crossbody bags, bucket hats again, and a phone case that is basically a wallet.

2020s books worth buying

• The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman (2020).
• Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro (2021).
• Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus (2022).
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin (2022).
• Cookbooks sold enormously through the lockdowns and remain the safest book gift.

2020s music and records

• Vinyl outsells CDs again in the UK, so a new pressing is a normal high street purchase.
• Adele, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift reissues, Sam Fender, Central Cee. Shop this card
• Coloured and picture-disc variants are the collectable end; play quality is no better.
• A record token or a voucher beats guessing for anyone who buys their own music.

2020s home and interiors

• Home office kit: a desk in the corner, a ring light and a decent chair.
• Air fryers, the appliance of the decade, and a pod coffee machine.
• Warmer colours after the grey years: greens, terracotta and wood.
• Peel-and-stick wallpaper, panelling and a painted feature wall.
• Robot vacuums, smart bulbs and doorbell cameras.
• Secondhand-first buying through Vinted, Facebook Marketplace and eBay.

2020s tech and gadgets

• Wireless earbuds, tablets and a smartwatch cover most of the decade's gift requests.
• Home office kit from 2020: webcams, ring lights, standing desks.
• PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles from 2020, Steam Deck from 2022.
• Air fryers - the genuine household object of the decade, whatever anyone says.

Where to buy and what to check

• Buy refurbished for anything with a screen; the saving is large and the warranty is real.
• Check what ecosystem someone is already in before buying earbuds or a watch.
• For a themed party, the 2020s theme is really the Y2K revival - shop the 2000s guide instead.

How to shop a decade without overspending

• Set the budget before you start; period shopping is where budgets quietly double.
• Reproduction for clothing, genuine for the small objects - it looks the same in photographs and costs a fraction.
• One real item plus three cheap nostalgic bits beats one expensive present every time.
• Check the year, not the decade. Plenty of what people file under one era actually arrived in the next.
• Music last: a single from their year plus the 2020s playlist covers the whole evening.

Shop prints and posters

Milestone birthday cards

Blank inside, kraft envelope, printed in the UK.

Decorations for a decade party

Banners, balloons, cake toppers and confetti, plain enough to take any era theme.

How to write it so it lands

• Buy for the year they turned eighteen, not the year they were born - that is the era they actually remember.
• Photograph the label or the pressing before you buy online; reissues and reproductions are rarely described as such.
• Leave the clothing to last. The objects are harder to find and the outfit can be sorted in an afternoon.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 2020
• Look back to 2021
• Look back to 2022
• Look back to 2023
• Look back to 2024
• Look back to 2025
• 2020s history: events, politics and culture
• 2020s calendar: year by year
• 2020s music: songs, genres and trends
• 2020s films and directors
• 2020s books, films and TV
• 2020s books: novels and authors
• 2020s art: artists and styles
• 2020s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 2020s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 2020s travel: destinations and holidays
• 2020s technology: gadgets and computers
• 2020s games: board, card and video
• 2020s trivia: fun facts
• 2020s quiz: questions and answers
• 2020s party playlist
• The 2020s: the whole decade
• The decade before: the 2010s
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Viral and TikTok party games
• Phone party games
• How to run a quiz night
• Guess the year quiz
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What 2020s homeware is worth buying?

Home office kit: a desk in the corner, a ring light and a decent chair. The home and interiors section above lists the rest, from furniture to kitchen kit.

What should I wear for a 2020s theme?

Loungewear and hoodies from the lockdown years, then a full Y2K revival from 2022. The clothing section above covers the rest, including accessories and where to buy.

What are the best 2020s books to buy as a gift?

The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman (2020). Every book listed was published in the decade, so the date on the title page does half the work.

What 2020s records are worth buying?

Vinyl outsells CDs again in the UK, so a new pressing is a normal high street purchase. A single or album from the year they turned eighteen is the most personal option and usually the cheapest.

Do you sell 2020s clothing, books or gadgets?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers, and we stock party decorations. For the rest, charity shops, car boots, eBay and independent record shops are the honest answer.