2000–2009 in fashion

The 2000s are often described as a "mash-up" decade, where trends saw the fusion of previous styles, global and ethnic clothing, as well as the fashions of numerous music-based subcultures, especially indie pop. Many 1990s styles continued into the 2000s, and many in the industry have noted the lack of divide between the late 1990s and early 2000s. For the most part, the mid-late 2000s did not have one particular style but recycled vintage clothing styles from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1980s.

Despite the numerous and mixed fashion trends of the 2000s, items of clothing which were predominant or popular throughout the decade include Ugg boots, High-tops, hoodies, and skinny jeans. Globalization also influenced the decade's clothing trends, with the fusion of fashions from around the world being popular. Furthermore, eco-friendly and ethical clothing, such as recycled fashions and fake fur, were prominent in the decade.

Women's fashion

Early 2000s

In the early 2000s, women and girls wore shoes and boots with rounded or flat toes. Dressy, feminine styles were reintroduced over the course of the decade, as women's fashion moved away from the more unisex styles of the 1990s. From the early 2000s onwards, women wore denim miniskirts, burberry, hip-hop inspired sweatpants, Daisy Dukes, ripped "distressed" jeans, flip-flops, ponchos, flared trousers, denim jackets and tank tops exposing the midriff. Colors like baby blue, yellow, and hot pink were popular.

Mid 2000s

From the mid 2000s and onwards, European and American women wore lowrise skinny jeans, lycra yoga wear, knee-high boots with pointed toes, 1960s style trenchcoats and peacoats, tunics worn with wide or thin belts, capri pants, longer tank tops worn with a main blouse or shirt, 1940s inspired New Look dresses and sandals, leggings, and "vintage clothing" including hippie and Boho inspired dresses with paisley patterns. Crocs were a brief fad for both sexes in the summer of 2006, despite their kitsch connotations.

Late 2000s

In the late 2000s, headbands, denim-print leggings, knitted sweater dresses, Nike Tempo shorts, wonderbra and sloggi underwear, ballet flats, acid wash skinny jeans and light, translucent tartan shirts worn with a camisole underneath were popular among young women. Long, baggy shirts were taken in at the bustline and often paired with a belt. Leather jackets and fur coats (previously avoided due to their association with animal cruelty) made a comeback. In Britain Middle Eastern shemaghs were worn as scarves as a protest against the Iraq War and demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Men's fashion

Early 2000s

In the early 2000s, Argyle socks, khaki slacks, bootcut jeans, tracksuits, light-colored polo shirts (sometimes striped), white Adidas or Nike trainers, baggy carpenter jeans, rugby shirts, Oxford shoes, loafers, brown, grey, burgundy, rust, maroon, or forest green turtleneck sweaters, camp shirts (often in fancy metallic patterns for clubbing), corduroy pants, and baseball caps were popular. Practical hiking jackets (of the type made by Berghaus), fleeces, puffer jackets, and padded tartan lumberjack-type shirts were worn as winter outerwear, and sportcoats fastened with three buttons.

Mid 2000s

In the mid 2000s, retro fashions inspired by British indie pop groups and the 1960s counterculture became popular, including Converse All-stars, winklepickers (taken to extremes by individuals within the Mexican cholo and lowrider subcultures), cartoon print hoodies (in contrast to the designer brands worn by the chav subculture), vintage Classic rock T-shirts, throwback uniforms, T shirts bearing retro pre 1980 advertisements or street art, flat front charcoal chinos, striped purple dress shirts, army surplus dress uniforms, Mod-style velvet sportcoats, beige cardigans, Argyll pullovers, houndstooth tweed jackets, parkas and fitted 1970s style Western shirts with pearl snaps (popularised by blues-rock band the White Stripes).

Late 2000s

In the late 2000s, 1950s and 1980s fashions became popular: Letterman jackets, black leather jackets like the Perfecto, windbreakers, Hawaiian shirts, ski jackets, slim and straight leg jeans, slim-fitting jeans Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses, wool topcoats, Ed Hardy T-shirts with low necklines, retro Patek Philippe, Casio G-Shock and Rolex wristwatches, neon colors inspired by rave music, geek chic inspired horn rimmed glasses, roll sleeve tartan flannel shirts worn with white T-shirts, cardigans and knitted V-neck sweaters. Popular footwear in Europe and America included Sperry Top-Siders, Keds, motorcycle boots, Nike Air Jordans, checkerboard pattern Vans, and Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars. In the European workplace the cut of suits changed as the three buttoned jackets popular in the 1990s were replaced with suits comprising a two-buttoned blazer and matching trousers while in the US the power suit made a comeback. Single-breasted European suits sometimes featured contrasting Edwardian style piping on the lapels and were often worn with slim ties and waistcoats.

Youth fashion

Youth fashion was strongly influenced by many music-based subcultures such as Emo, Indie kids, scene kids, Psychobilly, Preppy, Skater, Goth, Nu-Metal (known as Moshers in the UK), ravers and Hip-Hop, including the British chav, US gangsta rapper and Mexican Cholo styles of the early 2000s.

Early 2000s

In the early 2000s, the most common British subcultures were the chavs and skate punks. Chavs favored hip-hop fashions like tracksuits, burberry baseball caps, white trainers, and cheap sportswear, while the skaters (nicknamed greebos or moshers) had long hair or dreadlocks and wore grunge inspired padded flannel overshirts and baggy pants as these were less likely to rip when skateboarding. Black leather jackets, cowboy boots and Levi's jeans were popular in Scandinavia, Russia and Germany among the psychobilly and raggare subcultures. In America, common subcultures included the nu-metal fans and goths who wore black leather duster coats and tripp pants. Their rivals were the jocks and preppies: wealthy teenagers who wore expensive designer clothes by Hollister, Old Navy, Abercrombie and Fitch, and American Eagle. Another common American subculture were the cholos and chicanos who wore baggy khaki slacks, gold chains, white T-shirts, and slicked back hair or shaved heads in imitation of Mexican prison gangs.

Mid 2000s

From 2003-2007 indie culture went mainstream in both Britain and the US, prompting a revival of 1960s British Invasion fashions, vintage clothing, and the popularization of activist fashions like the keffiyeh. Other subcultures, including American preppies and even rappers like Kanye West, imitated indie fashions or combined them with elements of Japanese street style, like the Harajuku and Lolita fashion popularized by Gwen Stefani. The other notable youth group of this period were the emo kids, identifiable by their black hoodies, band T-shirts, skinny jeans, lip piercings, silver jewellery, and long bangs dyed black.

Late 2000s

By 2008, the most conspicuous subculture was the "scene kids." They originated in Britain during the late-1990s when some members of the chav subculture began to experiment with alternative fashion, incorporated elements of indie pop, emo, rave music, and Japanese glam rock style, and spread to America and Australia in the mid-2000s. The style, originally comprising tripp pants, stripes, tartan, spiky hair, Chucks, Vans, and trucker hats derived from grunge and skate punk fashion, evolved to incorporate androgynous, brightly dyed big hair, skinny jeans, cartoon print hoodies, shutter shades, promise rings, checked shirts, and lots of bright colors. The name was originally derived from "scene queen", a derogatory term within the 1970s glam rock scene for a heterosexual musician who pretended to be gay and later applied to poseurs within the UK goth, heavy metal and punk subcultures. Later, "scene queen" itself was adopted by leading female members of the modern subculture who were unaware of its original meaning, like supermodel Audrey Kitching.

Hair and makeup of the 2000s

Womens hairstyles

In the early 2000s, women's hair was long and straight. From 1996 until 2005 it was fashionable for women to have dyed highlights and lowlights (Rachel haircut) with red, blonde or light brown streaks. In mid-late 2000's, dark haired women (and even light-haired ones) favored the jet black hair, as worn by Katy Perry or Amy Winehouse with her trademark beehive hairstyle. By the late 2000s, textured hair with volume, natural wavy hair, side-parted hair and shorter styles like the bob cut and pixie cut made a comeback. Side-swept bangs become popular from 2007 onwards in both Britain and the USA. For black women cornrows, dreadlocks and curly weaves were popular until the late 2000s, when tamed-down versions of the Afro, Jheri curl and short pixie cuts were popularized by artists like Janet Jackson and Rihanna.

Mens hairstyles

For men over 25 in the early 2000s, shorter hair styles that usually took the form of a quiff were fashionable, although collar-length centrally parted curtained hair (as worn by Tom Cruise) was also briefly popular in the US and remains so in Japan. Another common haircut was the spiky hair popularized by boybands in the late-1990s and into the early millennium. Dark haired men often had dyed-blonde weaves and streaks until 2005 where dark natural hair became the norm again. In America the fauxhawk and Buzzcut were popular among young men emulating their favorite hardcore punk bands. Long, shaggy Mod or surfer hair and Bed head became popular between 2003-2006 as many bands moved away from punk rock and rap metal in favor of a 1960s inspired indie or garage rock sound pioneered by groups like The Strokes, Jet, The Killers, The Hives, The Vines, Coldplay, and The White Stripes. By the late 2000s, shaved and bald hairstyles along with beards, moustaches, stubble, sideburns and the goatee became popular in reaction to the effeminate early 2000s metrosexual look, with charitable events like Movember further increasing their acceptability.

Teenage hairstyles

For teenagers, short haircuts like spiky hair, dyed hair, the buzzcut and Caesar cut were popular in the early 2000s. In the mid-2000s, longer hair became popular, including the wings haircut inspired by surfers and British indie pop stars. In the late 2000s the androgynous Harajuku inspired scene hairstyles (often dyed bright colors) and eyeliner were popular among girls and boys alike. As an alternative to the scene hairstyles, teenage girls opted for a preppy hairstyle that involved long, straight hair, side-swept bangs and a side part, while boys wore side-swept surfer hair in imitation of Justin Bieber.

Gallery

A selection of images related to the period.

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  Haute couture dress from spring 2006

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  Paisley handbag associated with the boho look

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  Modern leggings came into fashion in the late 2000s

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  Japanese teenagers on Harajuku Bridge

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  English "Chav" wearing tracksuit and baseball cap

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  Trucker hats became popular in the early-mid 2000s

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  Irish youth fashion, early 2000s

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  Swedish Raggare, 2005

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  In late 2008, especially in Italy, the denim waistcoat was a popular feminine fashion accessory.

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  Japanese girls wearing Lolita dresses, mid-2000s

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  Slim-fit tweed jackets have gained in popularity since early 2006.

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  Vintage printed tees worn across Indie, Scene and Nu-Rave fans.

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  Slim-fitting plaid Western shirt gained popularity in the UK from 2008 onwards.

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  American Scene Kids, late 2000s

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  Chinese pop singer wearing vintage military jacket, 2007

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  German Mosher, the more punk-like incarnation of scene, early-mid 2000s

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  Mexican rapper in fur-lined parka, 2008

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  Tattoos and extreme body piercings went mainstream in the late 2000s

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  Italian skater, 2009

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  Ecuadorian emo kids from the late 2000s

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  Girl wearing skinny jeans, 2008

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  Italian teenagers, 2007

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  Indian men usually wear Western clothing but women are often seen in traditional dress

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  Boots and shoes with pointed toes were worn throughout most of the 2000s

See also

• 1990s in fashion
• 2010s in fashion
• Fashion design