REWIND

RARE AESTHETIC: 2000S RED CARPET

A reflection on the most questionable celebrity wardrobe moments of the aughts.

words by Annie Labarca | illustration by Sloane Sexton

Everyone with a working Nokia remembers the absolutely heinous choices made by designers and celebrities in the early 2000s. The goal was to wear the most flamboyant, over-the-top outfits that screamed from the depths of hell, and most of the time, they succeeded. Anything that could be layered was layered, and any accessory that could be worn in a bigger size was given immediate priority. Unlike fashion from other decases, we're not to eager to recreate that of the 2000s thanks to the lack of cohesiveness in every style, and everyone is thankful for that.

Jeans under everything or too much denim

More is more was the spirit behind the denimon-denim trend, with Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake leading the way in their iconic matching set at the 2001 American Music Awards. From Justin’s hat to Britney’s bag, everything was just... excessive, though it was a step up from Destiny’s Child's look honoring Janet Jackson from the same year, with Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle dressed more like they were showing up to high school than a black-tie runway event. The same could be said about NSYNC, but at least they had colors to tell them apart.

Neon color or colors that could be neon

Nothing screams “early 2000s fashion” more than the combination of outrageous colors that hurt to look at. In 2001, Jessica Simpson made quite the statement when she rolled up to the AMAs dressed head to toe in red leather. The brown smudges that were supposed to be flowers near the bottom of her pants looked more like shit than a delicate detail. At the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, Paris Hilton wore a two-piece neon blue outfit that resembled an inverted flamingo. The fact that it was low-rise didn’t help, either.

Outfits that simply were clothing

We can thank Bjork’s swan dress at the 2001 Oscars for giving us the anything but clothes party theme we know and love today. Nothing shouts attractive like the head of a swan lying on your shoulder as if it was just shot a few minutes prior to hopping onto the red carpet. Gwen Stefani decided to ditch clothes altogether when she wore a literal fishnet as a shirt at the 2001 Vogue Fashion Awards, and Paris Hilton struck again with the ugliest excuse for a neon pink skirt at the Teen People x Universal Records party in 2003. I’m serious, the skirt looked like it was intentionally chewed up by some rabid dogs.

Cringe aside, the 2000s red carpet looks have made it acceptable to dress however you want. The red carpet today shows that the line between complete absurdity and style has been refined, although recently the

Y2K style has been making a return, so perhaps we missed the era more than we thought.

Thank you, 2000s, for giving us some of the best laughs and unforgettable choices.