Noughties Trends: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

1/28

Then: In 2004, we all wanted a pair of distressed, embroidered cowboy boots, thanks to Sienna Miller, who was often photographed in Primrose Hill wearing her studded versions. They weren’t just her walking boots either—here, she wore them to the premiere of Layer Cake.

2/28

Now: We weren’t so sure about the return of cowboy boots initially, but now they’ve once again become the leading boot trend. Calvin Klein created sleeker city versions, while Ganni has gone all-out Western, creating boots in Dolly Parton pink and with Texan touches.

3/28

Then: We reached peak It bag in the ’00s, and before the Olsen twins began carrying tote bags bigger than their heads, it was all about micro logo-flashing bags. Mini over-the-shoulder rainbow-coloured logo-print bags by Louis Vuitton were particularly sought after; remember when Lindsay Lohan wore one with her aqua Juicy Couture hoodie in Mean Girls?

4/28

Now: Micro bags small enough to fit an iPhone or credit card in are on the rise, and the Hollywood set has latched onto the trend once again. One of the key supporters of the ’00s revival trend, Bella Hadid, has been championing this look of late like the true style icon she is.

5/28

Then: In the ’00s, preppy, zip-up knits without hoods were an essential item if you were looking to re-create the cool Californian style in the cult TV show The O.C.

6/28

Now: Sporty tops like Mischa’s have now become a street style essential, as Veronika Heilbrunner proved at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Note that zips with circle zipper pulls have also made a big comeback. 

7/28

Then: Another Kate Moss staple in the ’00s was the floral tea dress, which was a focal point of her Topshop collaboration. 

8/28

Now: Last summer, it was all about floral tea dresses once again, so much so that fashion folk have been trying to buy Kate’s original Topshop tea dresses on eBay.

9/28

Then: In the mid-noughties, if you were going out, you’ld wear your shiniest, strappiest top with a pair of boot-cut jeans and heels. Think Marissa Cooper and Summer Roberts at the Bait Shop.

10/28

Now: Kim Kardashian West proved that the going-out top is still going strong with this boob-tube look.

11/28

Then: In the boom of the Kitson era, the Von Dutch trucker hat was in more paparazzi pictures than the red Kabbalah string bracelet. Kylie Jenner has been supporting the revival of the trucker, wearing hers in a number of her pouty selfies.

12/28

Now: Kylie Jenner has worn Von Dutch caps, such as this black-and-white trucker, in a number of her Instagram pictures.

13/28

Then: While bubble skirts certainly reference the ’80s, they were the height of fashion in the early ’00s. Marissa Cooper wore a satin purple Marc Jacobs bubble-skirt dress in The O.C., and Carrie Bradshaw wore a dramatic puff-ball bubble skirt in The Sex and the City movie in 2007.

14/28

Now: Bubble-hem skirts made a surprising return on the runway at Louis Vuitton in 2015, and Selena Gomez wore a white puffball version to the InStyle Awards in October 2015. Since then, Alicia Vikander wore a yellow Louis Vuitton gown with a bubble hem to the Oscars, and cult label Monse created the classically ’00s bubble miniskirt for Amal Clooney to wear to Cannes.

15/28

Then: The likes of Britney Spears and Carmen Electra often wore rose-coloured sunglasses, and they were often frameless with a large, curved lens. 

16/28

Now: The young Hollywood set—including Bella and Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner—has now adopted tiny pink sunglasses as part of their uniform. The key is to opt for round styles with defined frames.

17/28

Style Notes: Largely thanks to Kate Moss, many of us spend most of the ’00s in a pair of black ballet flats. They were an essential part of Kate’s Primrose Hill uniform in 2005, and brands like French Sole and Repetto skyrocketed in this decade.

18/28

Now: Ballet pumps have made a comeback, but they’re a little different, as the key to wearing ballet flats now is to opt for flats with plenty of personality.

19/28

Then: Paris Hilton’s The Simple Life uniform—the velour Juicy tracksuit—might seem like the last thing that would make a return to our wish lists. But Vetements gave it full backing by showing a crystal-encrusted velour Juicy jumpsuit during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, and model Hanne Gaby wore them with her bridesmaids at her hen do.

20/28

Now: A model wore a red velour Juicy Couture tracksuit on the catwalk at Vetements at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in July—a look that even prompted Carine Roitfeld to raise her iPhone.

21/28

Then: Back in the days when all we wanted were a pair of Miss Sixty jeans, it was essential that the waistband was as close to your knicker line as possible. So after years of being able to take comfort in high-waisted mom jeans, the low cut is slowly making a return, and you only need to look to Emily Ratajkowski for proof.

22/28

Now: Emily Ratajkowski pairs her super-low-rise jeans with an embellished crop top… She couldn’t be more noughties if she tried.

23/28

Then: Paris Hilton’s crystal-embellished minidress she wore to her 21st birthday party in 2004 is a quintessential ’00s look, with its cowl neckline, spaghetti halter-neck straps and completely open back. She topped off the look with sticky gloss and a diamanté choker, of course.

24/28

Now: For Kendall Jenner’s 21st birthday she copied Paris Hilton’s ’00s birthday look, wearing a replica of her chainmail dress to her own L.A. party. Paris Hilton said to Vogue: “Kendall, I was just at her birthday party the other night, and when I was saying hi to her, I looked down at her dress, and I’m like, ‘Oh my god that dress is stunning.’ That was actually my dress for my 21st birthday as well. We were laughing about how the dresses look exactly alike, and she looked stunning in it, it was such a beautiful dress.”

25/28

Then: When Sienna Miller was photographed at Glastonbury in 2004 in a pair of Uggs with the tops rolled over, we all wanted a pair (along with her neon-green sunnies). Ugg boots were one of the standout items of the ’00s, worn by everyone from Kate Moss to Britney Spears.

26/28

Now: Uggs were deemed “over” by the late ’00s, but they’ve been returning over the past few years thanks to the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid.

27/28

Then: Britney Spears had a soft spot for lace-up trouser fronts, such as these striped low-rise jeans with white laces and a leather waistband from 2002. Gigi Hadid has been trying to revive this classic Britney look recently, wearing “Oops!… I Did It Again” red-leather trousers with a lace-up front.

28/28

Now: Gigi Hadid wore her red leather lace-up skinny trousers in February last year, and she upped the noughties effect with a twisted hairstyle reminiscent of the time. All that’s missing is a scented lip gloss to stick to those curls.

Next up! The biggest trends for spring/ summer 2019 you need to know now.

Opening Image: Getty Images