2000s in fashion

General trends

High fashion

The rise of fast fashion

Ethics

Socio-economics and the logo purse

Women's fashion

Early 2000s (2000–03)

Y2K fashion

• When the 2000s kicked off, the fashion was profoundly influenced by technology. From late 1999 to late 2001, there was a monochromatic futuristic approach to fashion, with metallics, shiny blacks, heavy use of gray, straps, and buckles becoming commonplace. This was called "Y2K fashion". The apparel was made to be as dark, reflective, technological, and as sexy as possible. When the original iPod was introduced in 2001, the earbuds, as well as the gadget itself, became something of an accessory for early adopters.
• Particular pieces of Y2K clothing included mesh tops, wraparound sunglasses, wireframe rectangle glasses, box-pleated skirts, handkerchief tops, satin skirts, leather skirts, concert t-shirts with rhinestones, sparkling shoes, halter tops, sequinned pants, and embroidered and sequinned tops, along with the famous pearl printed black cocktail dress by Karen Walker, which was successful worldwide.
• In the year 2000, some of the casual women's and girl's fashion trends were oversized sunglasses, aviator sunglasses, oversized hoop earrings, jeans worn for numerous occasions, wedge flip flops, hot pants, denim jackets, chunky sweaters, pashmina scarves, Skechers, belly shirts, and tube tops.

  Casual chic

• In Africa, Europe, North America, East Asia, South America, and Oceania, the early 2000s saw the continuation of many mid and late 1990s fashions due to the continued influence of teen pop stars such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, such as the military look, while introducing newer more vaguely dystopian post modern trends. From 2001 onwards, women wore long-sleeved shirts with bell sleeves, cowl-neck tops, crop tops, Burberry, hoodies, flare jeans, hip-huggers, low rise pants, white jeans, whale tails, cargo pants hip-hop inspired sweatpants, daisy dukes, thong underwear, and solid bright-colored tights.
• 9/11 and the mortgage crisis of 2001 impacted fashion by bringing in a new wave of conservatism. This created a rise in denim, the American fabric of the working person. Jeans became acceptable in every situation, from the supermarket to the red carpet. It was a slow shift to conservatism, seen in how jeans started low-rise in reflection of the sexy Y2K style and moved through various waistlines and leg widths. As mentioned with the social classes, logos became a form of stability and comfort in fashion. There was a sense of unity in the country because all kinds of people were buying the same brands and sporting the same logos.
• Perhaps in reaction to the streamlined, futuristic, outer space-themed Y2K styles of the year 2000, distressed denim became popular in America from 2001–08. Pants became lower waisted and significantly more flared than they were previously, and often featured elaborate embroidery rather than the utilitarian, no-frills style of before. 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, while previously successful sneaker brands like Sketchers declined in popularity.

  First-wave 1980s revival

• Although the 1980s fashion revival was not in full swing until 2001, the first movement had started in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. This first wave primarily focused on the early 1980s. Such trends that emerged during this period included denim miniskirts, ripped "distressed" jeans, denim jackets, tracksuits, trenchcoats, puffy jackets, and preppy polo shirts with popped collars. These remained popular until about 2008 when the revival of late 1980s fashions occurred.
• Overall, European and American women and girls wore low-top sneakers, such as Skechers, Heelys, Adidas shoes, Reebok shoes, and Nike, as well as knee-high boots with spiked heels and pointed toes. Popular accessories of the early 2000s include white belts, aviator sunglasses, trucker hats, hoop earrings, block heeled mary janes, leg warmers, ugg boots, flip-flops, jelly shoes, lace-up sandals, newsboy caps, ponchos, and jelly bracelets.

  ''Sex and the City''

Mid 2000s (2004–06)

It items and 1960s revival

• It items were very popular in the 2000s, particularly the early and middle years. Examples of some highly sought-after It items of the mid 2000s included Kate Spade wallets, Prada sneakers, Christian Dior saddle bags, designer-brand jeans such as True Religion low-rise boot-cut jeans and 7 for all Mankind skinny jeans, Juicy Couture velour tracksuits, Balenciaga cargo pants, Von Dutch trucker hats, and Takashi Murakami's collaboration with Louis Vuitton for their iconic It bag.
• Popular mid 2000s trends for women were embroidered low-rise jeans, yoga pants, thong underwear, cowl-neck tops, tube tops, denim jackets, bell-sleeved shirts, jean shorts, crop tops, whale tails, tracksuits, cargo pants, capri pants, trenchcoats, puffy jackets, longer tank tops worn with a main blouse or shirt, infantile dresses, 1940s inspired New Look dresses and sandals, leggings, 1960s style peacoats, tunics worn with wide or thin belts, and "vintage clothing" including hippie and Boho inspired dresses with paisley patterns. Crocs were a brief fad for all sexes in the summer of 2006, despite their kitsch connotations, and in 2006 the minidress made a comeback with the hemlines being unusually short.
• Introduced in 2005, skinny jeans became popular in 2006. High heeled shoes were replaced with ballet flats, Sperry Top-Siders, Converse Chucks, and the Keds popularized by Mischa Barton.
• Popular accessories included trucker hats, aviator sunglasses, small red glass or pearl drop earrings rather than the large hoop earrings of the early 2000s, jelly bracelets, knee-high boots with pointed toes, uggs, Heelys, platform boots, ballet flats, mary janes, studded belts, shutter shades, crucifixes and rosaries, large silver belt buckles with rhinestones, black nail polish, fairtrade African bangles, Native American beaded jewellery, Indian and Middle Eastern slave bracelets, purity rings, small leather handbags, small scarves, and simple jewellery made from recycled eco friendly materials like hemp, wood, sea shells, glass, seeds, and white metal.

  Military influences

• From 2005 until the end of the decade, more elaborate military inspired clothing became a unisex trend in Britain. Due to the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, and a resurgence of interest in 1980s fashion, teen and college age women frequently wore cavalier boots, Greek fisherman's caps, jewelry with anchor motifs, leather look drainpipe trousers, frilly satin poet shirts, sashes, harem pants, braided hussar jackets, and dress uniforms with epaulets inspired by female pop stars, British indie/garage rock band The Libertines and MCR's The Black Parade.

  African clothing

• Throughout the mid and late 2000s, women's clothing in Africa comprised either brightly colored kente cloth or mudcloth traditional dress such as the boubou, pagne, and doek, or secondhand Western dress donated and distributed by British and American charities. Mitumba clothing had been imported into Tanzania and Kenya since the economic liberalisation of the early 1990s, and was more desirable than newly made Chinese textiles due to its higher quality of construction and recognisable brand labels.

  Late 2000s (2007–09)

Carry over styles

• Many early and mid 2000s fashions remained fashionable in 2007; This included items such as denim miniskirts, whale tail, hip-huggers, boot-cut jeans, tank-tops, ripped jeans, hoodies, cargo pants, white belts, cropped jackets, capris, infantile dresses, boho-chic, and Crocs.

  Second wave 1980s revival

• In early 2009, there was a large scale 1980s revival in Europe and the US, which incorporated general items of late 1980s and early 1990s streetwear, such as neon colors, gladiator sandals, animal print or polka dot headbands, knitted sweater dresses, Nike Tempo shorts, wonderbra and sloggi underwear, sundresses, geometric pattern tops, slap bracelets, ballet flats, black spandex leggings, pale denim jeggings, light, translucent tartan shirts worn with a camisole underneath, kinky boots, riding boots, ripped acid wash skinny jeans, and neon leg warmers worn with bare legs and a dress or skirt. In America, the crop tops that exposed the navel were replaced with longer camisole tops, boat neck blouses and mid rise pants, and miniskirts were replaced with longer dresses like the babydoll, bubble skirt, skater dress, and sweater dress. 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.
• The canary yellow dress Reese Witherspoon wore to the Golden Globes helped establish that hue as a signature color in 2007.

  Eastern and fairtrade fashion

• Summer 2007 saw a resurgence of interest in ethnic fashion from India and the Middle East, including harem pants, embroidered kurti, silk sashes, sarongs, gypsy tops, and the saree as young British and American women discovered Bollywood cinema and belly dancing, popularized by Shakira.
• In Britain and the US, some younger women and teen girls, especially those affiliated with the scene subculture and geek chic, became influenced by Japanese street fashion due to the media coverage of Japanese popular culture and J-pop music from 2005–09. Although a small minority wore anime or manga inspired sailor dresses, kawaii or full gothic lolita outfits, most incorporated a single garment such as striped neon knee socks, petticoats, rainbow dresses, knitted leg warmers, hair bows, silk floral kimono pajamas, unisex brands like A Bathing Ape, and cupcake, cherry or Hello Kitty jewellery for an ageless, child or doll-like appearance.

  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 (2000–03)

Y2K fashion

• At the very beginning of the decade, the excitement of entering the new millennium had become evident in fashion in the first couple of years, although this was only prominent in nightclub and "going out" attire. Clothing was mostly made in black, though silver was also fashionable. An example of this would be a tracksuit, Rockport boots, a dress shirt, a pair of pants, a camp shirt, or a jacket in a fancy metallic pattern for going out; while also including of items such as leather coats and pants, puffy vests and jackets, ribbed sweaters and shirts, and chunky dress shoes, usually in futuristic colors such as black, silver, light gray, and white. It lasted from late 1999 until late 2001.

  Leisurewear

• After the events of 9/11, fashion became more conservative, forgoing the futuristic styles of before. Distressed denim made a comeback, with sandblasted highlights, frosted jeans, ripped jeans, and whiskering becoming commonplace. A lower rise jean had emerged during this part of the decade, effectively getting rid of the high-waisted styles of the 1990s.
• Generally, many fashion trends from 1995 onwards continued to be worn in the early years of the decade. Newer fashion trends in the early 2000s included wearing sportswear and military wear as everyday clothes. This included tracksuits, light-colored polo shirts, cargo pants, khaki chinos, bootcut jeans, corduroy pants, and rugby shirts. Practical hiking jackets, fleeces, puffer jackets, and padded tartan lumberjack-type shirts were worn as winter outerwear along with brown, grey, burgundy, rust, maroon, or forest green turtleneck sweaters, and odd navy blue, stone grey, beige, or natural linen sportcoats that fastened with three buttons. These fashions continued into the mid and late 2000s.
• Men's Accessories of the early 2000s included white belts, Aviator sunglasses, trucker hats, flip-flops, oxford shoes, argyle socks, Rockport boots, sneakers from brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma, baseball caps, and jelly bracelets.

  Asian fashions

• From 2001 onwards, Astrakhan caps, kufis and the pakol were fashionable among Muslim men in Afghanistan, Pakistan, France and Italy. In India, traditional rustic male attire such as the dhoti and Lungi declined in popularity among the younger generation in favor of Westernised fashions such as Levi Strauss or Arvind Mills jeans, cargo pants, shorts, tracksuits, and sneakers.

  Mid 2000s (2004–06)

1960s revival

• In the mid 2000s, retro fashions inspired by British indie pop, garage rock revivalist groups, and the 1960s mod culture gained mainstream popularity. From 2004 to 2006, common items of clothing in the US and Europe included bootcut jeans with a light wash, wide-leg pants, cargo pants, cargo shorts, camp shirts with elaborate designs, 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.

  Retro movie inspirations

• In 2004, men's fashion was inspired by movies from the 1960s and 1980s. Of particular inspiration were the movies Top Gun, Bullitt, and Midnight Cowboy. The clothes which were derived from these movies included Henley shirts, muscle shirts, hoodies, cargo pants, American football shirts, aviator jackets, cable-knit sweaters, khakis, seersucker suits, western shirts, blazers, and peacoats.
• Popular men's accessories of the mid 2000s included black brogue shoes, square-toed Steve Madden ankle boots, Adidas sneakers, loafers, casual shoes, Oxford dress shoes, Converse All Stars, winklepickers, flip-flops, chokers, puka shell necklaces, shell bracelets, hemp jewelry, charity bracelets, trucker hats, and earrings.

  Business suits

• In the UK workplace, black, navy or charcoal 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 2003–06. 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 (2007–09)

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, wool topcoats, Ed Hardy T-shirts with low necklines, neon colors inspired by the rave scene, roll sleeve tartan flannel shirts worn with white T-shirts, cardigans and knitted V-neck sweaters.
• In the late 2000s, common accessories worn by men included retro Patek Philippe, Casio G-Shock and Rolex wristwatches, Ray Ban Wayfarers and Aviator sunglasses, and geek chic inspired horn rimmed glasses. Desirable footwear in Europe and America included Sperry Top-Siders, Keds, motorcycle boots, Nike Air Jordans, checkerboard pattern Vans, and Converse 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, oversized belt buckles, gold chains, and dark slim-fit jeans by celebrity trendsetters such as Jon Gosselin or the cast of Jersey Shore. V-neck T-shirts and graphic printed hoodies became popular among younger British men, in contrast to the designer brands with prominent logos previously worn by the chav subculture. Ed Hardy T-shirts, often embellished with rhinestones, were fashionable from late 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 1950s inspired 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

• The clothing of American hip hop fans underwent an evolution from the sagging baggy gangster jeans of the late 1990s to a more retro look by the end of the decade. Popular items of clothing included wide leg jeans, baseball jackets, Nike Air Jordans, tracksuits, sweatpants, bucket hats, stunna shades, fur-lined puffer jackets, and flat-brim trucker hats or baseball caps.
• 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. Rich girls who dressed this way were known as Queen Bees, plastics, or airheads, and believed their designer clothing was key to being popular.
• 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.

• In the early 2000s, the most common British subcultures were the chavs and skate punks who had a rivalry. Chavs favored hip hop fashions like tracksuits, burberry baseball caps, white Nike or Adidas trainers, and cheap sportswear made by Reebok or Puma. Common haircuts included spiky hair, a fauxhawk, a heavily gelled quiff, or a Croydon facelift.
• The skaters 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, band T-shirts, dog tags, shark tooth necklaces, camouflage cargo pants, carpenter jeans, tuques, and fingerless gloves in dark colors like black, olive drab, burgundy, and navy blue. From 2001–2007, brands favoured by British skaters and their American counterparts included Quiksilver, Inc., Bape hoodies, Volcom, Element Skateboards, Billabong International Limited, Zoo York Skateboard Company, O'Neill, Bullhead jeans, Vans sneakers, Pacific Sunwear and Journeys.

• In America, common subcultures of the early 2000s included the nu metal fans and goths who wore black leather duster coats and tripp pants.
• In the rave subculture, fashion trends that had developed in the 1990s persisted. Some 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.

• 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 old school tattoos. This trend, popularised by models like Dita Von Teese, gave rise to the popularity among all sexes of Ed Hardy clothing which lasted from 2007 until 2012.

• 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 rock bands like Fall Out Boy, 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 or fringe, usually dyed black.

• By early 2009 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, and pop punk fashion, 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.

  2000s beauty trends

Hairstyles

Women

Men

Children and teenagers

Makeup and cosmetic trends

Body care and grooming

Tattoos and piercings

Gallery