A Look Back At The Tragically Hilarious Fall Fashions Of The Early 2000s

Uggs galore. Crazily low low-rise jeans. Anything went in the wild west of the early aughts.

The early 2000s were a wild, arguably tragic time for fashion: Some of the “greatest” hits of the era included embroidered low-rise jeans, Von Dutch hats, cowl-neck tops, dresses over jeans and Ugg boots in every color of the rainbow.

Anything went in the early aughts ― and the chill of fall gave celebrities even more of an opportunity to let their fashion freak flag fly: So much ugly fur! Head-to-toe jean outwear! Those long, stringy scarves everyone seemed to have bought in bulk!

But words are getting in the way here. Instead of telling you, we’ll show you. Below, we present a visual ode to zany fall fashion that could only come from the early aughts.

Jean outerwear had a moment. (Even better when you could complement your denim with Timberland heels.)
KMazur via Getty Images
Jay-Z and Beyonce, 2002
Fur that looked like you killed a "Sesame Street" character. Also: JNCO-style jeans.
Vince Bucci via Getty Images
Britney Spears, 2003
WHEW.
Arnaldo Magnani via Getty Images
Lil' Kim, 2000
Seriously, how many "Sesame Street" animals had to DIE FOR FASHION!?
Ron Galella via Getty Images
Pink, 2000
If you wanted to wear a summer dress in the fall but it was chilly, you'd just slip jeans underneath and called it a lewk.
Robert Mora via Getty Images
Kelly Clarkson, 2002
Did you even live if you didn't own a pair of Uggs?
Derek Storm via Getty Images
Eva Longoria, 2004
Uggs were life.
Carlos Alvarez via Getty Images
Beyonce, 2004
Everyone seemingly had a Juicy Couture velour tracksuit (or knockoff), and long skinny scarves were the height of fashion.
Frazer Harrison via Getty Images
Lindsay Lohan, 2002
Chunky highlights, stringy scarves, can't lose.
Amanda Edwards via Getty Images
Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, 2003
Seriously, the stringier the scarf, the better. (Also, Ewan McGregor in eyeliner -- also very early aughts -- how *you* doin'?)
Kevin Winter via Getty Images
Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, 2001
Even J.Lo fell prey to skinny scarf-mania. (Also, please enjoy this Bennifer 1.0 sighting.)
Mario Magnani via Getty Images
J.Lo and Ben Affleck, 2002
People wore oversized newsboy caps to New York Fashion Week! (And Britney Spears' pal wore a Confederate flag tee -- what a difference 20 years makes!)
Mark Mainz via Getty Images
Britney Spears, 2002
Abs -- especially Usher's abs -- were the ultimate fall fashion accessory.
Ron Galella via Getty Images
Usher, 2000
Ashlee Simpson understood the assignment. (The assignment here: "Kid Rock After-Party for the American Music Awards.")
Amanda Edwards via Getty Images
Ashlee Simpson, 2003
So did Kaley Cuoco.
Amanda Edwards via Getty Images
Kaley Cuoco, 2003
The movie "Wild Wild West" was still very much the aesthetic. (Did you recognize RuPaul here?)
Jeff Kravitz via Getty Images
RuPaul, 2000
Again with the loose Western wear.
D. Kambouris via Getty Images
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, 2001
Steven Seagal made this leather jacket happen because of course he did.
Mark Mainz via Getty Images
Jamie Foxx and Steven Seagal, 2004
You know that fashion axiom, "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off"? The early 2000s never did!
Frederick M. Brown via Getty Images
Ashley Tisdale, 2004
A lot going on here: Frosted tips! Lots of leather. Fur! Bedazzled denim!
Nick Elgar via Getty Images
'N Sync, 2000
Little-known fact: Paris Hilton in "The Simple Life" era was the fashion inspo for Tom Hardy's Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises."
New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images
Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, 2004
The "Lord of the Rings" dudes give a demonstration on how regular dudes dressed in the early '00s.
Jon Kopaloff via Getty Images
Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and Orlando Bloom, 2002
From Sean Jean to Rocawear, hip-hop clothing brands were in. Here's Dr. Dre in Phat Farm, narrowly escaping death by Eminem clones. (The worst kind of death!)
Jeff Kravitz via Getty Images
Dr. Dre, 2000
It was OK to look like straight Pepto Bismol on national television.
Stephen Lovekin via Getty Images
Vanessa Minnillo Lachey and Raven Symone, 2004
Sexy capris were definitely a thing.
Theo Wargo via Getty Images
Sean “Diddy” Combs and Mya, 2003
And lastly, a greatest hits of '00s fashion! Fedora: check. Fancy capris: check. Belted look: check. No conceivable color scheme evident: CHECK.
Carmen Valdes via Getty Images
Christina Aguilera, 2002

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