2000s in fashion

Young women in Portugal with straightened hair and thick makeup, 2007.

The 2000s fashion are often described as being a "mash-up", where trends saw the fusion of previous styles, global and ethnic clothing (e.g. boho), as well as the fashions of numerous music-based subcultures, especially hip-hop, emo, and indie-pop. Several late 1990s fashions remained relevant in the early 2000s among both genders worldwide. 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 among women include Ugg boots, High-tops, hoodies, and skinny jeans. Globalization also influenced the decade's clothing trends, with the incorporation of Middle Eastern and Asian dress into mainstream European, American and Australasian fashion. Furthermore, eco-friendly and ethical clothing, such as recycled fashions and fake fur, were prominent in the decade.

The leading fashion designers between 2000–2009 included the late Alexander McQueen, Vera Wang, Christian Louboutin, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, and Karl Lagerfeld. The top supermodels of the decade were Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Karolína Kurková, Miranda Kerr, Izabel Goulart, Selita Ebanks, Christie Brinkley, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Marisa Miller, Doutzen Kroes, Agyness Deyn, Hilary Rhoda, Raquel Zimmermann, Coco Rocha, Lily Donaldson, Chanel Iman, Sasha Pivovarova, Caroline Trentini, and Jessica Stam.

Women's fashion

German woman wearing hot pants, popular from 2001-2008.

Early 2000s

Y2K Era Minimalism

• The 2000s started off with a futuristic twist to fashion, largely stemming from excitement as it was the beginning of a new millennium. The year 2000, and most of 2001, had featured what is known as "Y2K fashion", with metallics, shiny blacks, straps, and buckles becoming commonplace. Silver and black clothing became the norm during this time. When the original iPod was introduced in 2001, the earbuds, as well as the gadget itself, became somewhat of an accessory for early adopters.

• The fashion world changed drastically as 9/11 occurred, perhaps almost overnight. The innovative fashions of the Y2K era had lost it's appeal in favor of more conventional, conservative clothing, such as jeans. This led to the mass acceptance of denim, arguably more so than in previous decades. Around this time, the low rise jean had been introduced in America, and the flare leg remained the most popular pant style, carrying on from the Y2K era. Perhaps in reaction to the glossy, dark, futuristic fashions that were so popular just shortly before, heavily distressed denim became ubiquitous, purposely looking old and worn out.

Casual Chic

• In America, many late 1990s fashions remained popular due to the continued influence of teen pop stars such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. From 2001 until 2005, common items of clothing included bell-bottoms, chunky shoes, pleather pants, backless tops with pointy bottoms, plain t-shirts, capris, turtlenecks, choker necklaces, hip-huggers, bandanas, thong underwear, hoop earrings, and nose stud piercings. In the UK, it was popular for women to wear skirts over trousers, floral print shift dresses, and colors like black, purple and pink. Big, chunky shoes and sandals were popular, with thick wedge heels and imitation leather straps decorated with floral embroidery.

• Overall, European and American women and girls wore low-top sneakers, such as those from Adidas or Reebok, knee-high boots with thin heels and pointed toes (or conversely, low heels and round toes), and chunky black shoes. From 2001 onwards (post 9/11), dressier, more feminine styles were reintroduced into the mainstream, and as a result women wore low rise pants, denim miniskirts, burberry, hip-hop inspired sweatpants, ugg boots, hot pants, ripped "distressed" jeans, flip-flops, ponchos, long-sleeved shirts with bell sleeves, flared trousers, denim jackets, preppy polo shirts with popped collars, and tank tops exposing the midriff (crop tops). Colors both bright and earthy like baby blue, yellow, white, green, silver, black, gray, purple, indigo, brown, tan, cherry red and hot pink were popular. These fashions remained popular well into the late 2000s.

Mid 2000s

Zooey Deschanel wearing 1960s inspired Boho-chic dress.

Boho and Vintage

Main article: Boho-chic

• In 2005, skinny jeans were reintroduced to the mainstream. At first, they were not well received by the public, and bootcut jeans continued to be popular. Skinny jeans were sold exclusively on the internet in their first year of introduction, and were not sold in shopping malls. However, by spring 2006, skinny jeans had increased in sales by 80% from summer 2005. It was around this time that skinny jeans had started to become available in retail, and even more conservative clothing stores had started carrying the jeans. This trend carried well into the 2010s.
• Many women continued to wear the early 2000s fashion trends, though the second half of the decade (2005 onwards) introduced many more diverse and ethnic trends. From 2005 and onwards, European and American women mostly wore low-rise tight jeans such as skinny jeans and hip-huggers, 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.

• The canary yellow dress Reese Witherspoon wore to the Golden Globes helped establish that hue as a signature color in 2007. Around this time, it was also popular for women to wear short 1960s style cocktail dresses, especially the LBD.

Eastern and Fairtrade Fashion

• Summer 2007 saw a resurgence of interest in ethnic fashion from India and the Middle East, including harem pants, silk sashes, sarongs, gypsy tops, and the saree as young British and American women discovered Bollywood cinema and belly dancing, popularized by Shakira.

• Popular accessories included aviator sunglasses, small red glass or pearl drop earrings rather than the large hoop earrings of the early 2000s, shutter shades, crucifixes and rosaries, large silver belt buckles with rhinestones, fairtrade African bangles, Native American beaded jewellery, Indian and Middle Eastern slave bracelets, purity rings, small leather handbags, and simple jewellery made from recycled eco friendly materials like hemp, wood, sea shells, glass, seeds, and white metal.

Late 2000s

Young woman wearing sundress and Christian Louboutin shoes.

1980s Revival

• Beginning in 2006, men and women's fashion was influenced by 1980s punk, especially acid wash skinny jeans, bright neon colors, fishnet stockings, and jackets customised with metal studs. Shirts and jeans featured ripped fabric held together by an array of safety pins and leather jackets made a comeback. Celebrities sporting the look included singers, Madonna and Mariah Carey. By 2008, this look had gone mainstream due to the popularity of indie pop influenced by rave and New Wave music. This second, larger wave incorporated more general items of 80s streetwear, like animal print headbands, denim-print jeggings, knitted sweater dresses, Nike Tempo shorts, wonderbra and sloggi underwear, geometric pattern tops, slap bracelets, ballet flats, black spandex leggings, and light, translucent tartan shirts worn with a camisole underneath. Long, baggy empire line shirts were taken in at the bustline and often paired with a belt. Fur coats made a comeback, although many women used "fish fur" due to real fur's association with animal cruelty.

Activist Chic

• In Britain and Australia, Middle Eastern shemaghs were worn as scarves as a protest against the Iraq War and demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians.

• In 2007, Che Guevara chic was popular in Europe and Latin America, with olive green fatigue jackets, boonie hats, berets, and T-shirts featuring red stars or the face of the famous revolutionary.

Men's fashion

Early 2000s

Three button business suit commonly worn in the UK, France and the US until the late 2000s.

Y2K Era and Leisurewear

• At the very beginning of the decade, the excitement of entering the new millennium had become evident in the fashion in the first couple of years. This became known as the "Y2K Era", where normal articles of clothing (pants, shirts, jackets, tracksuits, etc.) were made in slinky blacks, metallics, silvers, and whites. It lasted until late 2001.
• Generally, the early 2000s saw the continuation of the late 1990s fashion of wearing sportswear as everyday clothes, including tracksuits, light-colored polo shirts (sometimes striped), white Adidas or Nike trainers, cargo pants with zip-off legs, rugby shirts, and baseball caps bearing the logos of football, soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. Practical hiking jackets (of the type made by Berghaus), fleeces, puffer jackets, and padded tartan lumberjack-type shirts were worn as winter outerwear, with functionality taking precedence over aesthetics.

Mass Acceptance of Denim

• After the events of 9/11, fashion became more conservative, effectively forgoing the futuristic styles of before. The general public had started to yearn for American-made clothing that they were going to wear more often. Distressed denim made a comeback, with sandblasted highlights and whiskering becoming extremely popular. A lower rise jean had become popular during this part of the decade, forgoing the high waisted styles of the 1990s.

Business-casual

• In the early 2000s, suits had largely gone out of fashion except for formal occasions like church, job interviews, weddings, funerals, and proms due to the popularity of Casual Fridays. In the workplace, many young men wore Argyle socks, khaki chinos, bootcut jeans, Oxford shoes, loafers, brown, grey, burgundy, rust, maroon, or forest green turtleneck sweaters, camp shirts (often in fancy metallic patterns for clubbing), corduroy pants, belts rather than braces, and (when required) odd navy blue, stone grey, beige, or natural linen sportcoats that fastened with three buttons.

Mid 2000s

1960s revival

Winklepicker boots fashionable in England, Italy and Mexico from 2005 onwards.

• 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), bootcut jeans with a light wash, 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, army surplus dress uniforms, paisley shirts, Mod-style velvet sportcoats, parkas, windbreakers Harris tweed jackets, and fitted 1970s style Western shirts with pearl snaps (popularised by blues-rock band the White Stripes).

Business Suits

• In the UK workplace, black, navy blue or pinstripe three-buttoned office suits remained common, but Nehru suits or mandarin collar shirts inspired by the Beatles, James Bond, and science fiction movies like the Matrix, were a popular alternative from 2003–2006. In the US, men favored the smart casual look, with striped purple dress shirts, flat front charcoal chinos, beige cardigans, Argyll pullovers, black or brown leather blazers, and houndstooth sportcoats.

Late 2000s

Example of the two button slim-fit suit popular from the late 2000s onwards in the UK, US and China.

Converse All Stars with Ed Hardy style graphic, popular in the US from 2008 onwards.

Throwback fashions

• In the late 2000s, 1950s and 1980s fashions became popular: Letterman jackets, black leather jackets like the Perfecto, windbreakers, dashiki or Hawaiian shirts, ski jackets, slim and straight leg jeans, slim-fitting and loose-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.

Ed Hardy

• Due to the mainstream acceptance of body modification, T shirts, baseball caps and hoodies featuring vintage tattoo designs were desirable items in the US, Britain and India, where they were worn with black leather jackets, gold chains, and dark slim-fit jeans. V neck Ed Hardy T-shirts, often embellished with rhinestones, were fashionable from 2008 until the mid-2010s, when they fell out of favour due to their unintended popularity among young clubgoers stereotyped for being thugs, jocks or guidos.

Slim-fit suits

• 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.

Hip-Hop

Main article: Hip hop fashion

• The clothing of American hip-hop fans underwent an evolution from the sagging baggy gangster jeans of the 1990s to a more retro look by the end of the decade. Popular items of clothing included baseball jackets, Nike Air Jordans, tracksuits, sweatpants, bucket hats, stunna shades, fur-lined puffer jackets, and flat-brim trucker hats or baseball caps (often retaining the store label).

• During the early 2000s, many wealthy white jocks and preppies imitated the gangsta lifestyle, eschewing the semi-formal conservative look of the 1980s and 90s in favor of gold bling, expensive designer clothes, sneakers, dark jeans, and sweatpants.

• 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.

Chavs and Moshers

Main article: Chav

• In the early 2000s, the most common British subcultures were the chavs and skate punks who had a (sometimes violent) rivalry. Chavs favored hip-hop fashions like tracksuits, burberry baseball caps, white trainers, and cheap sportswear. Common haircuts included spiky hair, a fauxhawk, a heavily gelled quiff, or (for girls) a Croydon facelift.

• The skaters (nicknamed grebos 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. Popular clothing included No Fear T-shirts, webbing belts, army surplus patrol caps, camouflage cargo pants, carpenter jeans, tuques, and fingerless gloves in dark colors like black, olive drab, burgundy, and navy blue.

Nu-Metal, Rave and Goth

Main article: Goth subculture

• In America, common subcultures of the early 2000s 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.

• From the mid-2000s onwards, ravers favored spiky hair and phat pants, while members of the cybergoth and rivethead subcultures opted for shaved heads, synthetic neon dreadlocks, camouflage, tight leather pants, chains, platform boots, stretched body piercings, sleeve tattoos, goggles, corsets, PVC or leather skirts, and black trenchcoats decorated with metal studs.

Psychobilly and Rockabilly

Main article: Raggare

• From the early-mid-2000s, black leather jackets, cowboy boots and Levi's jeans were popular in Scandinavia, Russia and Germany among the hot rod, psychobilly and rockabilly subcultures. Common hairstyles included the quiff, pompadour, and psychobilly mohican.

• Later in the decade, it was popular for women to dress like 1950s pin-up girls in polkadot dresses, pencil skirts, sheath dresses, capri pants, platform heels, 1940s style sandals, retro lingerie like garter belts, stockings, babydolls, petticoats, slips, and corsets, and (real or fake) old school tattoos. This trend, popularised by models like Dita Von Teese, gave rise to the popularity among both sexes of Ed Hardy clothing which lasted from 2008 until 2012.

Indie and Emo

Russian hipsters wearing vintage clothings influenced by indie rock and rockabilly, late 2000s.

• In 2005 Indie-pop fashions went mainstream in Europe and North America, prompting a revival of 1960s Mod and British Invasion fashions, vintage or thrift store 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 the mid-2000s were the emo kids, identifiable by their black or purple hoodies, T-shirts featuring bands like My Chemical Romance or Taking Back Sunday, lowrise skinny jeans, snakebites, silver jewellery, and checkerboard pattern Vans. Hair was thin, flat and straight, with long, matte bangs (US) or fringe (UK), usually dyed black.

Scene Kids

Main article: Scene (subculture)

• 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, matted, flat and straight hair sometimes dyed bright colors, tight 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

Bob cut popular in Europe from 2003-2009.

Women's 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, approximately reaching its peak in 2000. During this time, bold, unblended highlights called "chunky highlights" burst onto the scene. This style was popular from 1997-2003. Notable women for sporting this style include Ginger Spice and Kelly Clarkson. The trend for highlighted hair became so popular that men actually adopted the look.

In mid-late 2000s, 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. Textured hair with volume, natural wavy hair, the bob cut, and 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.

Men's hairstyles

File:Dave Patten.jpg

1950s inspired haircut worn by many British men from 2008 onwards.

For men aged 25–40, shorter hair styles that usually took the form of a quiff were fashionable in the early 2000s, 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 and pop punk bands from around 1997 to about 2006.

Dark haired men often had dyed-blonde weaves and streaks until 2005 where dark natural hair became the norm again. In America, the fauxhawk, Buzzcut, and spiked hair were popular among young men aged 18–25 emulating their favorite hardcore punk bands.

In the UK, long, shaggy Mod or surfer hair and Bed head became popular among many young men 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, many young British men opted for a clean-cut 1950s inspired hairstyle, kept in place with pomade. Shaved and bald hairstyles along with beards, moustaches, stubble, sideburns and the goatee became popular in Europe and North America 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. Girls favored straight hair extensions, large hoop earrings and fake tan makeup.

In the mid-2000s, longer hair became popular in the UK and America, including the wings haircut inspired by surfers, the 1960s Mod subculture, and British indie pop stars. Many girls favored straight or wavy hair in natural brown, often tied into a ponytail and incorporating long bangs or a fringe.

In the late 2000s, the androgynous Harajuku inspired scene hairstyles (often dyed bright colors) and eyeliner were popular among girls and boys alike: first in Japan, and later in the US and Europe. As an alternative to the scene hairstyles, many teenage girls in the US and Australasia opted for a preppy hairstyle that involved long, straight hair, side-swept bangs and a side part, while boys wore side-swept surfer hair.

Gallery

A selection of images related to the period.

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  Boots and shoes with pointed toes were popular among both sexes from the mid 2000s until the early 2010s.
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  Jamaican woman with cornrows, 2002
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  British "Chav" wearing tracksuit and baseball cap
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  Irish youth fashion, early 2000s
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  The flared jeans of the late 1990s remained fashionable throughout the early and mid 2000s.
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  Trucker hats became popular in the early-mid-2000s
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  Swedish Raggare, 2005
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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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  Senegalese rapper wearing tracksuit, oversized shirt and baseball cap
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  Haute couture dress from spring 2006
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  Paisley handbag associated with the boho-chic look
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  Modern leggings came into fashion in the late 2000s
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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, mid-late 2000s
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  German Mosher, the more punk-like incarnation of scene, early-mid 2000s
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  Chinese pop singer wearing vintage military jacket, 2007
• Mexican rapper in fur-lined parka, 2008
  Mexican rapper in fur-lined parka, 2008
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  Amy Winehouse with black beehive hairstyle
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  In late 2008, especially in Italy, the denim waistcoat was a popular feminine fashion accessory.
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  Tattoos and extreme body piercings went mainstream in the late 2000s
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  Chinese skaters, 2007
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  Ecuadorian emo kids from the late 2000s
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  Italian girl in 2008 wearing skinny jeans, which had gone mainstream by 2005, and remained popular as of the mid 2010s.
• Indian family, 2009. Indian men usually wore Western clothing, but Indian women were often seen dressed in traditional attire.
  Indian family, 2009. Indian men usually wore Western clothing, but Indian women were often seen dressed in traditional attire.

See also

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