Early 2000s Fashion Is Back. Here Are 7 Things We Don’t Hate.
Not low-rise. NEVER low-rise.
Image: Only Murders in the Building | Hulu
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by The Candidly Team
It’s easy to get cynical about the questionable fashion choices of our our high school/ college years. And if those years happened to fall in the early 2000s, there are oh so many questionable fashion choices to choose from.
Short pleated skirts with UGG boots. The word juicy spelled out in rhinestones on the seat of our pants. The pants themselves so low that strangers at the mall interrupted you reading a book to tell you your thong was showing.
Are we over-personalizing here?
You bet we are. Because unlike fashion trends that existed before our heyday, early 2000s fashion trends ARE personal. They’re accompanied by visceral memories of constricting corset tops and bellies spilling over our hip-hugging waistbands. (Yeah, we’re not letting the low jeans thing go guys - it keeps threatening to come back.)
But the point of ALL this qualifying is to say that there is actually some good that came from our very own Y2K style era. And as we see it creeping back into the fashion zeitgeist, we find a part of us quietly cheering, “I'm sexy, I'm cute. I'm popular to boot.” (Only our fellow early 2000 ladies will get that.)
You ready to see what we’re going on about? Let’s begin.
Images: Friends | NBC
1. CARGO PANTS
The Most Flattering Fitted Pair
WHAT: Madewell The Slim Straight Utility Pant*
Why we love it: Back when Thursdays on NBC were our Sundays on HBO, Jennifer Aniston/ Rachel Green created a deep lust in us for a perfect-fitting, casj cargo pants. You can also call them utility or army pants; they’re all the same breed where a glorious-fitting pair can be the missing piece in your closet - the pants you reach for constantly because they’re more comfortable and flattering than jeans but equally classic and cool.
We admit, this pair looks sort of unimpressive in product photos, but we can vouch for the fact that they fit REMARKABLY on curves. Every inch of our lower bodies feels smoothed and shaped jussst right in them. Here they are on one of us non-models:
We’ve been recommending these pants for a while now, and those wise enough to take our advice have taken the trouble to thank us on DMs once they tried them on. We say this not to brag; we say it because you need to experience these pants.
Price: $110
The Blissfully Spacious Pair
WHAT: Free People Charmer Utility Pants*
Why We Love It: Leaning into wide, wide leg things has probably been our best sartorial decision of the past 20 years. Not only does it make us feel our most comfortable at all times, it also creates our best proportions, accommodating all our glorious curves while making our waists look whittled down. If you love the idea of complete coziness, unassuming coolness, and a killer hourglass, you will love these pants.
Price: $128
Image: Sex and the City | HBO
2. GOING OUT TOPS
If You’re Classic-Chic
WHAT: Marcella Cabrini Top*
Why We Love It: We wrote a whole article that’s basically a love letter to the going-out top. It was just so easy, relying on one single item to make us look dressed up to go out. But for years, tops have been sort of dull and disappointing, forcing us to “style” everything else with impeccable focus and care. But there are now some brands making some real stunners, and we start with this one which is the epitome of chicness. Wear it with anything, ANYTHING, and you will look perfect. It sizes up to XXXL and also comes in white.
Price: $78
If You’re Cozy-Chic
WHAT: Nation Geni Cowl Top*
Why We Love It: Nation is at the forefront of this going-out top category, especially if your taste is classic with a twist. Every piece they make has something original that makes it stand out, and everything we’ve tried on from them fits like a glove. This cowl-neck tee has just the right amount of drama to make it one of our go-tos for an evening out.
Price: $61
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If You’re Sexy-Chic
WHAT: Favorite Daughter The Date Blouse*
Why We Love It: Ugh, the low neckline and draping adds so much allure, we want to throw on a deep red lip and style our hair in a Hollywood wave. And yet, the whole thing is perfectly draped to cover your arms and tum, so you can feel alive and finish the whole bread basket without wanting to crawl home and reunite with your PJs. Oh, and the best part? It’s a bodysuit, so no tucking and retucking and driving yourself insane.
Comes in other colors. And we have a code for you. Use THECANDIDLY15 for 15% off.
Price: $198
If You’re Romantic-Chic
WHAT: Sézane Annie Shirt*
Why We Love It: We would say it’s hard to pick just one of Sézane’s gorgeous, original, detailed, ultra-feminine, and French-lady chic tops as our favorite going-out top, but this printed blouse is flawless. That said, it really is worth perusing their whole selection.
Price: $145
Image: Mean Girls | Paramount Pictures
3. BOOTCUT JEANS
The Increddddddible Splurge
WHAT: Paige Marlow Skimmer Flare Jean*
Why We Love It: We need our jeans to smooth us out and give us shape, but so many make us look simultaneously bumpy and flattened. That’s why a bootleg is magic. It gives curvy gals and straight-as-an-arrow gals alike their best silhouette. If you have bigger hips, the flare balances them out. If you have no hips, the in-and-out cut gives the illusion of them. Take a look at this before and after of what’s probably our favorite flared jean out there today:
* Gifted
Because we reach for these Paige jeans more than any other pair, we feel the price is worth it. And we do have a code for you to help out. Use CANDIDLY15 to get 15% off.
Price: $258
The Excellent Steal
WHAT: Quince Luna Stretch Flare Jeans*
Why We Love It: Have you tried Quince jeans? You must! They’re soft and stretchy but every style keeps its flattering shape. This flared version is no exception. Comes in lots of washes. Oh, and every pair costs $50.
Price: $50
Image: Sex and the City | HBO
4. SLOUCHY BOOTS
The Increddddddible Splurge
WHAT: Beek Crow Leather Boot*
Why We Love It: These are the dream boots. OUR dream boots. And we imagine maybe yours too? The key thing about the slouch is that the leather is soft, so they glide on beautifully with no pull or digging, even if you have thicker calves. Beek is a breathtaking, luxury shoe brand, but the reason we’re remotely willing to write about boots this expensive is because the comfort is on a whole other galactic level. Truly! We could walk for miles and feel like we’re on clouds. They’re our lifetime tall boots.
* Gifted
Use the code CANDIDLY10 to get 10% off.
Price: $475
The Excellent Steal
WHAT: Vince Camuto Skylar Bootie*
Why We Love It: We could show you some $80 pair of plastic boots that look shiny and cheap and fall apart after a year. Or we could show you these stunning booties that come in real suede and 3 perfect hues and cost less than $200.
Price: $179
Image: Sweet Home Alabama | Touchstone Pictures
5. DOUBLE DENIM
The Denim Shirt
WHAT: Aritzia The ‘80s Comfy Denim Shirt*
Why We Love It: There’s something very classic and “cool girl” about wearing denim on denim. And since we know you already have the denim bottoms, let’s talk about the tops. This shirt has the fit we’re always looking for, the drop shoulder leaving us weak. But it also comes in so many shades so we can wear it with all different jeans, and it will look intentional. It also happens to look great with black pants.
Price: $98
The Jean Jacket
WHAT: J.Crew New Classic Denim Jacket*
Why We Love It: If you want to hear us go off on our unhinged obsession with jean jackets as the most critical, classic, effortlessly cool staple in our closet, go HERE. But this one has our favorite fit. The cropped length is beyond flattering on curves and a belly pooch. And the fade makes it look good with other denim.
Price: $79.50
The Quilted Jacket
WHAT: Z Supply Boulder Quilted Knit Denim Jacket*
Why We Love It: The softness immediately won us over. It genuinely feels like a sweatshirt, but the added texture makes whatever we’re wearing THAT much cuter. And it matches e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.
* Gifted
Price: $178
Image: Gilmore Girls | The WB
6. LEATHER BACKPACKS
The Increddddddible Splurge
WHAT: Cuyana Leather Backpack*
Why We Love It: We actually fell in love with the leather backpack when we first watched Meg Ryan in this 90s rom-com. We’ve been looking for the perfect one ever since. This one is an organized (or an aspiring to be organized) lady’s dream. Business on the inside, but so understated and chic on the outside.
Price: $498
The Excellent Steal
WHAT: Quince Italian Leather Convertible Backpack*
Why We Love It: Again, this is genuine leather so it’s not $30 at Target. But for such incredible quality and the way it elevates an outfit, the price is pretty wild.
Price: $150
7. TRUCKER HATS
One of Our Faves
WHAT: Clare V. Trucker Hat*
Why We Love It: One of life’s biggest styling hacks Is mixing casj with formal, high with low. And caps are just so wildly useful in adding a little zhuzh to the mix. Plus, we’ve lived too long with too many hours spent on our hair, and we will just never stop loving a cap. Clare V. has some of our favorite.
Price: $50
Another Of Our faves
WHAT: Gigi Pip Saddleback Ranch Trucker Hat*
Why We Love It: For the horse girls … and the vintage girls.
Price: $48
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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