Let's be honest. We've all made some regrettable fashion decisions at some point in our lives. But hopefully, if we're like Nicole Richie, we can all laugh at ourselves one day. The former reality star definitely had some questionable fashion choices, but luckily, she now has a sense of humor about it. Nicole Richie sat down with Refinery 29 to discuss her fashion choices in the early 2000s, which got me thinking about how we can update these looks for the modern era.
For most Millennials, Richie included, most of our bad fashion choices occurred in the early 2000s—a time filled with baby T-shirts, Von Dutch trucker hats, and Juicy Couture velvet. Tracksuits and pleated dresses. Denim mini skirt. It was a particularly dark, chaotic time in my life when I thought graphic tees made me smart and platform flip-flops were the epitome of casual sexiness. Yeah, not that much... Thankfully, the social media age hasn't quite arrived on the world yet, so most of the photographic evidence of my shame remains buried. Celebrities of that period, however, were not so lucky.
With all their fashion gaffes immortalized forever on the internet, stars may be trying, but failing, to forget the days of sequined mesh bags and furry boots. Nicole Richie, on the other hand, is proud of her sparkly little T-shirt from the past. She may be a stylish and sophisticated designer these days, but a few years ago, this former party girl was embracing the best trends of the 2000s. And, amazingly, he has no shame. The Candidly Nicole star recently opened up to Refinery 29 about her past fashion choices, and she has a surprisingly good attitude about them.
When you look back on yourself, there's always a moment where you ask yourself, "What was I thinking?" Even though I would never wear this outfit now, fashion and a way to express yourself is in the moment.
Nicole couldn’t be more right! Butterfly hair clips and Baby Phat made me feel good at the time, so what was the problem? It should be celebrated! While the rhinestone overload trend may have been dead before 2009, and old photos from my middle school years may have made me scream "What was I thinking?!", it hasn't diminished my love for glitter, bright colors, and miniskirts love. They just need some updates for 2015! Learn more about Richie's thoughts on her fashion past and how to modernize those early 2000s pieces still hanging in your closet (from WTF to OMG).
Early 2000's Mini
modern mini
"I'm definitely going through a pop star phase," Richie told Refinery 29, "my 'I love Britney and Christina' phase."
Minis from the early 2000s were flirty and fun, but modern Minis are just as sexy. You can easily add complexity by dialing up structure and volume, like with ASOS's tulip-shaped numbers. Less childish, but just as fun to spin!
Denim on denim early 2000's
denim on denim 2015
"Whatever you want to do at the time, you have to do it — don't worry about whether you're going to be terribly embarrassed looking back on it 10 years from now, because you're always going to be embarrassed," Ritchie said.
While I wanted Nicole's breezy attitude, she could have kept her 2003 all-denim ensemble. Today's denim is anything but monochromatic. Break up separates by using different shades of denim and soften the look with a chambray shirt (aka avoid going topless under a denim jacket like my daughter Nicole does).
Asymmetry in the early 2000s
Today's asymmetry
"I guess I really like being trendy," Richie told Refinery of this particular look.
The asymmetry of the past was flowy and choppy, resulting in a scruffy silhouette that made you look shorter and bulkier. Today, asymmetrical pieces are more tailored, like this wrap dress from MissGuidedUS.
early 2000's jeans
2015 jeans
"It's really fun to see how denim has evolved and changed over the years. That was my cut back then, and flared jeans are something I barely wear now," Ritchie said.
Nicole, it's time to dust off those 2004 jeans, because bell bottoms are back! All trends eventually come back, and '70s-style denim flares have always been popular on the runways. My middle school self was screaming. Will we cringe in 10 years when we look back at the photos from 2015? perhaps. But that's not stopping Nicole from expressing her wonderful self in the moment, so why should it stop any of us?
Images: Getty Images, Asos.com , JCrew.com , MissGuidedUS.com , FreePeople.com
