Celebrity 'Designers'
Which celeb in the '00s didn't have a fashion line to hawk? From Jessica Simpson's shoes to Charlie Sheen's kids' wear, actors and singers pumped out new offerings every year. A few of the celebs hit it big with clothing that appealed to the masses and to fashionistas, like Gwen Stefani's cool L.A.M.B. line. But many, like Sarah Jessica Parker's ill-fated Bitten line, either tied themselves to the wrong retaulers or simply didn't have the right stuff to pull off a successful fashion line.
Retro Overload
Maybe it's all Marc Jacobs' fault: he revisited every decade and put his own unique twist on it. In his hands, even the '80s looked modern. But in the hands of fast fashion retailers or less gifted designers, the past looked, well, like the past. Hippie trends, shoulder pads, neon brights, twinsets, high-waisted pants, tracksuits, babydoll dresses: if the '00s were about any one trend it was that it relied too heavily on past decades for inspiration.
Ugly Shoes
First came the wooly Ugg boot that popped up in Hollywood and spread to comfort-lovers everywhere. Then gardening clog Crocs caught on for men, women and kids. Later in the decade, designers hopped on the ugly shoe trend with gaudy gladiator sandals. But the most ubiquitous shoe trend of the decade had to be the flip-flop, as women tried to wear the beachy shoes everywhere, including the White House.
'It' Bags
Status handbags were nothing new, but the '00s became the decade of must-have handbag mania. From the Chloe Paddington (pictured) to the Fendi Spy bag, each season brought a new wave of ridiculously expensive collectible bags along with a wave of new handbag designers. The clamour for status bags became so competitive, that the internet spawned sites like Avelle.com where for a fee you could simply rent out fabulous bags you could never afford to buy.
Forty became the new 30 during the decade, so middle-aged women everywhere flaunted their still-fit bodies and Botoxed faces. They passed on typical Mom jeans and opted for sexy contemporary cuts, tight tees and slim-fitting track suits. TV shows like "The Real Housewives of Orange County/New York/New Jersey/Atlanta" showed older moms trying desperately to look younger by wearing tight, sexy clothes and the latest trends. The question of the decade became not whether you could still wear the same things teens did -- even 50-something Madonna had the body to wear anything -- but the question was should middle-age women even want to still dress like teens?
With her fake-bake tan, blond hair and long legs, socialite Paris Hilton became the biggest of the bimbo style icons in the '00s. She walked the runways, she had her own reality TV shows, she was photographed with everyone, everywhere. While fashion experts turned up their noses at her silly short skirts and girlie style, the masses couldn't get enough of her. At one point, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears teamed up with Paris to form a trifecta of bimbo style icons. Fortunately, by the end of the decade the bimbo trend had lost its steam as stars like Nicole Richie gave up icon status for motherhood.
Which celeb in the '00s didn't have a fashion line to hawk? From Jessica Simpson's shoes to Charlie Sheen's kids' wear, actors and singers pumped out new offerings every year. A few of the celebs hit it big with clothing that appealed to the masses and to fashionistas, like Gwen Stefani's cool L.A.M.B. line. But many, like Sarah Jessica Parker's ill-fated Bitten line, either tied themselves to the wrong retaulers or simply didn't have the right stuff to pull off a successful fashion line.
Retro Overload
Maybe it's all Marc Jacobs' fault: he revisited every decade and put his own unique twist on it. In his hands, even the '80s looked modern. But in the hands of fast fashion retailers or less gifted designers, the past looked, well, like the past. Hippie trends, shoulder pads, neon brights, twinsets, high-waisted pants, tracksuits, babydoll dresses: if the '00s were about any one trend it was that it relied too heavily on past decades for inspiration.
Ugly Shoes
First came the wooly Ugg boot that popped up in Hollywood and spread to comfort-lovers everywhere. Then gardening clog Crocs caught on for men, women and kids. Later in the decade, designers hopped on the ugly shoe trend with gaudy gladiator sandals. But the most ubiquitous shoe trend of the decade had to be the flip-flop, as women tried to wear the beachy shoes everywhere, including the White House.
'It' Bags
Status handbags were nothing new, but the '00s became the decade of must-have handbag mania. From the Chloe Paddington (pictured) to the Fendi Spy bag, each season brought a new wave of ridiculously expensive collectible bags along with a wave of new handbag designers. The clamour for status bags became so competitive, that the internet spawned sites like Avelle.com where for a fee you could simply rent out fabulous bags you could never afford to buy.
Forty became the new 30 during the decade, so middle-aged women everywhere flaunted their still-fit bodies and Botoxed faces. They passed on typical Mom jeans and opted for sexy contemporary cuts, tight tees and slim-fitting track suits. TV shows like "The Real Housewives of Orange County/New York/New Jersey/Atlanta" showed older moms trying desperately to look younger by wearing tight, sexy clothes and the latest trends. The question of the decade became not whether you could still wear the same things teens did -- even 50-something Madonna had the body to wear anything -- but the question was should middle-age women even want to still dress like teens?
With her fake-bake tan, blond hair and long legs, socialite Paris Hilton became the biggest of the bimbo style icons in the '00s. She walked the runways, she had her own reality TV shows, she was photographed with everyone, everywhere. While fashion experts turned up their noses at her silly short skirts and girlie style, the masses couldn't get enough of her. At one point, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears teamed up with Paris to form a trifecta of bimbo style icons. Fortunately, by the end of the decade the bimbo trend had lost its steam as stars like Nicole Richie gave up icon status for motherhood.
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