Have you ever looked back at a picture of yourself as a teenager and wondered, ‘What on Earth was I wearing?’ I know I have. But the ’00s were a strange time, weren’t they? If you’re anything like me, your early Facebook pics are probably filled with outfits that you now have some serious questions about. However, today, I strongly believe that there’s no such thing as a fashion mistake of the ’00s, or any era for that matter. In fact, I don’t think fashion mistakes exist at all, and I’ll tell you why.
Taking a fashion risk knowing perhaps that it might not go down well with everyone you encounter is, I think, the most important and vital part of being fashionable. In my teens that was sometimes my Guido and Mary jeans with a veeeeery low waistband and my beloved Parasuco long sleeve with Velcro letters and obviously my Von Dutch trucker hat. Every time I take a dalliance down the danger filled alley that is memory lane, I look back screaming “why?!” into the universe.
I remember 16 years ago when I was 13, I went to England to visit my cousins. Everywhere I looked girls were wearing boxing style boots which were just about the most dope things I had ever seen. Nobody I knew at home had them. So, when I got back home to Canada I went on ahead and begged and begged and was lucky enough to get a pair. Back and white Puma boxing high tops.
Well in suburban Thornhill, Ontario circa 2002, that was not the case. I carefully laced them up, the way I had seen them worn in England with my jeans tucked in. They were the jewel in the crown of what was (probably) an otherwise horrific outfit. I left my house, strutting my stuff and was high on life. I don’t think my high school was ready for these babies just yet and I suddenly didn’t feel so in love with them as I had that morning.
So I went home, my step sadly with less of a spring, carefully unlaced the my boots, and put them back in their box, along with my confidence to wear what I actually wanted to. You see, the fact is, all that really matters is that you perceive your look to be good. Fu*k the haters. They are wrong. These morons thought my shoes sucked, even though they were clearly super lit.
Did those shoes ever come out of their box again? Of course they did. About a year later when suddenly everyone had a pair. I wore them until the leather had been cracked and the white turned a gross grey and the soles had both worn down on one side the way they always do. Of course, this was not the riskiest fashion risk I ever took. There were countless others that have since made me wince. But the important thing is that I took those damn risks and I continue to do so today.
Combining all sorts of bright hues with the occasional lick of lippy and my signature sliver rings is something that is my daily routine, today. Thanks to the decisions (not mistakes) I made back then, I have muddled together some sort of a reasonably OK look that gets me by, that sometimes even gets some nice compliments.
But when I look back at the girl in the photos, desperate to fit in and look like everyone else but standing out like a sore thumb, I can’t help but think, any previous fashion “mistakes” were super important. Those decisions that I made, that you made, that everyone you know made, are so flipping important.
Ditch the rules that say you can wear this or you can’t wear that. They are just plain wrong. The key to looking good is feeling good and if you feel good in those questionable outfits that others might think too risky, then honey, you look a million bucks.
What was your favorite outfit from the 2000’s? Who were you style icons?
I had a serious love affair with Juicy Couture, Von Dutch, Parasuco and basically anything Paris Hilton, Hilary Duff (did anyone else rock the Duff Puff 2/47?) or Beyoncé wore. I can’t lie, I still wear UGGs and you know what? I LOVE them and will never let them go!
I can’t find the exact image anymore but there was a photo from this ad campaign that Juicy did that I had as my desktop background forever!
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XOXO.
B.
I don’t think so what-so-ever! Who says there are rules when it comes to the things we wear? Makes NO sense to me!
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I had a lot of moments like this in middle school and high school! I read tons of fashion magazines and the city girls were wearing ties a la Avril Lavigne and legwarmers so I tried both. Nobody else at my tiny country school appreciated this and I got soooo made fun of.
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OMG yes!! I remember that also!! I never rocked the tie but I was so into the baggy pants and pin straight hair like Avril!!
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OMG the super-low waistbands…can you believe it was actually considered cute and trendy to have your thong showing? UGH!!! What was I thinking?!
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OMG yes but it HAD to be a Victoria Secret thong!!
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Not necessarily an outfit, but I did get on board with the whole bleach your hair fad in the early 2000s. I can’t even believe my parents let me do, because they always shut down other ideas I had like this, and looking back on it, I looked horrible, lmao!
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HAHAHA I begged and begged for permission to do mine but my parents never let me!!
But wait… were you full bleach blonde or did you have a black or pink streaks mixed in or like Christina?
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Oh gosh, the earlly 2000s was an emo nightmare for me. I shudder when I think about it…
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LOL,it really was a confusing time for us!
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I’ve probably worn many things over the years that probably should have stayed in the closet or the shop. I’m still here and doing fine. I say, wear what makes you happy 🙂
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honestly, I don’t remember anything too crazy. Maybe give it another 10 years but I feel like I was pretty normal. Of course, after reading this it has me trying to think harder lol.
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I definitely have had these moments when looking back on pictures. I once wore a pink and purple shell suit and thought I looked super cool!
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Amazing!!! The shell suits were big in the 80s but you brought it back in the 2000s, impressive!!! While you were strutting your shell suit I was in neon colored velour and terrycloth tracksuits!
What were we thinking?!
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This is true. looking back, it’s like fashion never go out of style and some are coming back.
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Looking back there are SO many styles coming back right now. It’s like future is repeating itself, though hopefully in mostly good ways.
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So true – there are a few things I would be ok with if they stayed in the past!
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I dont think there is any so called fashion mistake. We can dress whatever we like according to the generation that time. There is always no regret! However, we can laugh about it when we see back the old pictures! LOL
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I had no fashion sense in the 00s (and some argue I don’t have it still). I was in middle school from 2000 to 2002 and all I care was pants, no jeans. And turtlenecks.
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I really think that no matter what the style genre you should be able to wear whatever makes you comfortable. No such thing as a mistake if you are rocking it and loving it.
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The low-wait trend — YUP! I did it. Now I try to use high-waisted bottoms as often as possible.
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LOL absolutely!! High waisted everything is just so much more comfortable and flattering!! We’ve come a long way!!
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I’m the classic style woman, although I do add a little on-trend accessory here and there when I go out. I don’t like too bright colors and I know everyone has their own style, but that’s just me. 🙂
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