Going Out Tops of the Early 2000s Are Officially Back Now, Too
Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and company are the new Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.
If the Fall 2017 runways made you feel a little déjà vu, that’s because early 2000s style is back in a big way. We’ve seen it all before: Juicy Couture tracksuits, super cropped crop tops, camouflage pants, bedazzled headbands and chokers, layered tank tops, and silk bustiers. (If you need any more proof that time is a flat circle, just do a side-by-side comparison of Kim Kardashian West circa 2001 with her younger sister, Kylie Jenner, today.) But this season in particular, we’ve noticed a strong revival of the silver sequin halter top—a nightlife favorite of Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson.
The sequin halter has disco roots, but was reinterpreted in the early 2000s as a staple of kitschy glam. It was perfect for a night out at the club or a flash-bulb-friendly red carpet appearance, and showed just enough without being ridiculously over-the-top. Hilton, for example, wore one of the most iconic silver sequin looks to her 21st birthday party in 2002 paired with a bedazzled choker. So iconic, in fact, that Kendall Jenner outright copied her for her own 21st birthday back in November, posting an Instagram with the caption, “Paris Hilton Vibes.” And with some deeper investigation, it’s clear that Kendall and Bella are today’s Paris and Nicole.
Paco Rabanne fall 2017.
Metallics have taken the runways by storm for the past few seasons, but the early 2000s halter top references were uncanny at Paco Rabanne’s spring and fall 2017 shows. Celebrities like Emily Ratajkowski, Kim Kardashian, and Winnie Harlow snatched the looks right off the runway, wearing them immediately for a night out on the town.
See how these eternally iconic party looks compare then versus now, below.
Left: Paris Hilton at her 21st birthday party in New York City in 2002. Right: Kendall Jenner at her 21st birthday party in Los Angeles in November 2016.
Left: Paris Hilton at her 21st birthday party in New York City in 2002.
Right: Kendall Jenner channeling “Paris Hilton vibes” at her 21st birthday party in Los Angeles in November 2016.
Left: Destiny’s Child at the 2000 Source Hip-Hop Music Awards.
Right: Kim and Kourtney Kardashian at the Balmain after party during Paris Fashion Week Spring 2017.
Left: Nicky and Paris Hilton attend a party at Harry Bendel’s in 2001 in New York City.
Right: Bella Hadid steps out in Area at Paris Fashion Week Fall 2017.
Left: Christina Aguilera at the 2000 Grammy Awards.
Right: Kylie Jenner front row at Jeremy Scott during New York Fashion Week Fall 2017.
Left: Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock at the 2002 American Music Awards.
Right: Bella Hadid wearing Fannie Schiavoni to her 20th birthday party in 2016.
Left: Nicole Richie at a Britney Spears concert in Las Vegas in 2001.
Right: Model Winnie Harlow wearing Paco Rabanne at a Paris Fashion Week party.
A Brief History of Paris Hilton’s Front-Row Style at Fashion Week
Nicky and Paris Hilton at the Sean John Fall 2001 show at Bryant Park in New York, February 2001.
Paris Hilton at the Sean John Fall 2002 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Bryant Park in New York City, February 2002.
Paris Hilton at theTommy Hilfiger Men’s Fall 2002 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Bryant Park in New York City, February 2002.
Nicky Hilton and Paris Hilton at the Pierrot Spring 2003 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, September 2002.
Paris Hilton at the Jill Stuart Spring 2003 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, September 2002.
Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton, and Tinkerbell at the Diane von Furstenberg Fall/Winter 2003 show at her West Village Studio during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, February 2003.
Paris Hilton at the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2004 show at the Manhattan Armory during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, September 2003.
Nicky Hilton and Paris Hilton at the Jeremy Scott show during Los Angeles Fashion Week in Culver City, California, October 2003.
Paris Hilton at the Zac Posen Spring 2005 show during Olympus Fashion Week in Bryant Park in New York, September 2004.
Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton at the Betsey Johnson Spring 2006 show during Olympus Fashion Week at Bryant Park in New York, September 2005.
Paris Hilton and Tinkerbell at the Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2005 show during Olympus Fashion Week in New York, February 2005.
Nicky Hilton and Paris Hilton at the Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2004 show after-party during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, September 2003.
Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton, and Serena Williams at the Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2005 show during Olympus Fashion Week at Bryant Park in New York, September 2004.
Nicky Hilton and Paris Hilton at the Lacoste Spring 2005 show during Olympus Fashion Week at the Waterfront in New York, September 2004.
Paris Hilton at the Diane Von Furstenberg Spring 2006 show during Olympus Fashion Week at Bryant Park in New York, September 2005.
Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton during Olympus Fashion Week Spring 2007 at Bryant Park in New York, September 2006.
Paris Hilton and Benji Madden at the Nicholai by Nicky Hilton Fall 2008 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Culver City, California, March 2008.
Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton at the Jeremy Scott show during Spring 2014 MADE Fashion Week at Milk Studios in New York, September 2013.
Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton at the Valentino Spring 2015 show during Paris Fashion Week, September 2014.
Paris Hilton at the Alon Livne Fall 2014 presentation during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Hudson Hotel in New York, February 2014.
Paris Hilton at the Dsquared2 Fall 2015 show during the Milan Fashion Week, January 2015.
Paris Hilton at the Gabriela Cadena Fall 2015 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, February 2015.
Paris Hilton at the Pamella Roland Fall 2016 show during New York Fashion Week at Pier 59 Studios, February 2016.
Paris Hilton at the Jeremy Scott Spring 2017 show during New York Fashion Week, September 2016.
Paris Hilton at the Plein Sport Fall 2017 show during Milan Men’s Fashion Week, January 2017.
Paris Hilton and Sofia Richie at the Fall 2017 Moschino show during Milan Men’s Fashion Week, January 2017.
Paris Hilton at the Chiara Boni La Petite Robe Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week, February 2017.
Paris Hilton at The Blonds Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week, February 2017.
Paris Hilton at the Vivienne Tam Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week, February 2017.
Paris Hilton at the Jasmine fashion show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Industria Studios, September 2018.
Watch Nicky Hilton talk about her childhood with Paris Hilton, below.
