What are some of the key elements of early 2000s fashion? Lace-up jeans, bandage dress silhouettes, and corsets are just a few of the popular items that made the decade so fun to watch. In addition to these pieces, there are a variety of other essentials you can pick up to add some of that era’s fashion flare to your wardrobe.
Baby tees
Since the ’90s, baby tees have become the cool girl’s go-to outfit. A perfect blend of glamour and tomboy sensibility, baby tees are easy to wear, comfortable, and versatile. While the AIDS pandemic has frozen our awareness of growing older, the trend is a great way to express a youthful spirit in a stylish way.
Baby tees are also becoming more mainstream, with more hippie and band merch-inspired options popping up at retail stores. One such store, Urban Outfitters, carries a huge line of baby tees. “These baby tees are perfect for growing kids who want to look cool at the same time they’re enduring their growing pains.”
The popularity of baby tees in the ’00s has been reborn, and these days, you can find baby tees that flatter every figure. From boxier cropped hoodies to muscle crop tank tops, there’s a style to fit every babe. In the ’00s, brands like Fiorucci ruled the midriff-baring scene.
Lace-up jeans
Lace-up jeans are a retro style that’s making a comeback. This style of pants was popular in the early 2000s, and the Kardashian family has taken notice of the trend. They have added three new cropped lace-up pants to their Good American line, including some with regular holes.
In the early 2000s, the brand of jeans you wore became a status symbol. The hottest stars of the time were wearing designer jeans, which were selling for hundreds of dollars per pair. That made them a highly desirable status symbol. The sexy singers of the time, such as Britney Spears, Ashanti, and J. Lo, were known to rock the hottest jeans.
Bandage dress silhouettes
During the ’90s, bandage dresses were the ultimate red carpet and party look, but today, the style has a more accessible price tag. This dress style is made from stretchy knit fabric that creates a skin-tight silhouette. It’s a great choice for anyone looking to dress up without overdoing it.
This trend has also been revived recently by Herve Leger, whose collaboration with celebrity stylist Law Roach – who styles the likes of Ariana Grande and Brandy – led to an edgy interpretation of the classic bandage dress silhouette. Herve Leger’s Resort 2023 collection combines the iconic silhouette with modern details like combination fabrics and separates.
The bandage dress silhouette was made popular by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Kate Winslet. While Herve Leger has since stepped down from its status as a powerhouse brand, the style still has an appealing figure-hugging silhouette. Many other popular styles of the early 2000s included argyle sweaters, sequins, ugg boots, tiered mini skirts, furry jackets, and bubble dresses.
The bandage dress style surpassed the expectations of many designers by incorporating vintage elements. A cut-out under the bust and puff sleeve were key features of this style. The shape and size of the dress made it a perfect fit for many celebrities, including Hilary Swank.
The bandage dress silhouette ushered in the era of “body-con.” Originally designed by Herve L. Leroux – a similar designer – the bandage dress was first seen in the early 1990s. The bandage dress was originally known as Herve Peugnet, but Lagerfeld considered this a clunky name.
Corsets
Corsets made from decorative fabric have been popular in women’s fashion for centuries. They can be highly expensive investment pieces. Originally used as a means of medical support, corsets have been worn by both men and women for many years. Corsets have also been used as an expression of extreme body modification.
Today, corsets are no longer only worn by women to help with shape, but also as a statement of style and individuality. They have become very popular on social media, with almost three million posts on Instagram featuring corsets. Fashion designers from luxury brands like Gucci to fast-fashion brands like PrettyLittleThing now make stylish corsets. Amazon has even released a corset that was so popular that it became the number one best-selling bustier in a matter of hours.
Corsets came back to the spotlight during the youthquake movement. Part of this movement was the anti-bra movement. The movement helped establish the sexy youthful figure, a concept exemplified by Twiggy and Brigitte Bardot. This new style of dress was popularized by designers like Vivienne Westwood, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Thierry Mugler.
Corsets are popular amongst young women. They were originally created as undergarments to help women define their body curves. Later, fashion designers adapted the corset to become an upper-body garment. Today, designer corsets serve as lingerie and tops at the same time.
The early 2000s fashion era was full of questionable trends. It went from minimalism to sex-and-pop glamour. Beyonce was on her way to becoming a worldwide superstar, while J.Lo and Christina Rossetti were just beginning to shock the press. Hillary Duff, meanwhile, was in her Lizzie McGuire phase and wearing capri pants and crimped hairstyles.