“On Wednesdays We Wear Pink”: Our Favourite 2000s Movies That Inspired A New Generation of Fashion
From Mean Girls to 13 Going on 30, the 2000s brought us an array of iconic movies that not only highlighted our childhoods, but defined the fun and sometimes questionable fashion of the era. From tiny pink cardigans to sexy leather low-waisted trousers, these movies represented many areas of fashion during the 2000s. They’ve had a huge role in inspiring the return of Y2K in many modern wardrobes, bringing a nostalgia to everyday fashion for those who remember the style from their childhoods. These movies are not only my childhood favourites, but they also perfectly represent the versatility of fashion during the era and the influence they’ve had on Gen Z.
Image Source, Paramount
Mean Girls (2004)
Although the fashion in Mean Girls is a sexier adaption of teen fashion during the 2000s, the insanely popular film has defined Gen Z’s fashion choices when it comes to the Y2K resurgence. Perfectly telling a tale of millennial teenage angst, the movie showcases many popular 2000s trends, from slogan baby tees to tiny plaid skirts.
With an essence of femininity and domination of pink, the clothes worn by ‘The Plastics’ are an exaggeration of high school fashion and 2000s trends. The Plastics are known not only for their iconic phrase: “On Wednesdays we wear pink,” but also for perfectly representing Y2K fashion for Gen Z teens who barely experienced the era. Their wardrobes show they ‘rule the school’ whilst also representing each, individual personality. Looking at The Plastics, we see each of them embodying different sections of 2000s fashion; Gretchen’s style is preppy, Karen’s is childlike and Regina’s is sexy. As new girl Cady Herron ventures into the world of popularity and turns into a plastic, her style becomes a combination of each of their styles, visually representing the cliché popular girl of the 00s. Her wardrobe changes to include more pinks and typically feminine colours whilst also becoming more revealing and trendy to reflect her new role in the school. This movie has had a huge role in the resurgence of Y2K, particularly when it comes to the revealing, feminine side of the trend.
Image Source, MGM
Legally Blonde (2001)
Entering the lives of many young women in 2001, this movie inspired them to embrace their interests and sense of style and is continuing to do so now. With an expensive, put together and most importantly very feminine sense of style, California socialite Elle Woods shows throughout the movie that she is more than a stereotype. She proves that she could be both incredibly smart and fashionable which is heavily reflected in her style. Elle brought many iconic looks to the movie, from her pink driving suit, to her professional internship outfit and her sparkly pink bikini. From halter neck summer dresses to lilac eyeshadow, Elle’s fashion played a huge role in the resurgence of 2000s fashion. Her iconic court room dress in her signature colour, pink, not only shows her ability to combine both parts of her life, but it’s paved the way as fashion inspiration for a lot of women when combining professionalism with their personal style. Despite being seen in pink and girly outfits for most of the movie, on her first day at Callahan’s internship we see her in a ruffle blouse and red lip. This 1940s inspired look shows the versatility of her style which brings a level of professionalism whilst still staying true to her love of fashion. Although Elle was the fashion focus of the movie, other characters like Vivian also dress in ways that now define Y2K fashion. With her sweater vests, argyle prints and pearls this is clear, showing just another area of the popular fashion trend.
Coyote Ugly (2000)
From tiny, tight halter necks, to low-waisted leather trousers perfect for bar dancing, Coyote Ugly was incredibly famous for its fashion choices during the 2000s and continues to inspire Y2K fashion today. The movie follows Violet as she moves to New York where she gets a job dancing at a cowboy themed bar, Coyote Ugly. At the beginning, Violet’s style is very innocent but as she begins working at the bar, she starts to experiment with her fashion. Wearing tight tops, lots of fringe and snakeskin print, the movie is full of classic 2000s styles with a huge western theme that reflects the bar and stand out against other movies from this era. The clothes are fun, sexy and playful which largely reflect Coyote Ugly, the characters and the era. The colour red and leopard print in particular are prominent parts of Violet’s wardrobe and they’re often paired with skirts to maintain femininity in her style. This movie represents a different side of fashion to the others on this list but is still a perfect representation of 2000s fashion with the low rise trousers and tank tops. The movie showed that by combining rock and roll to classic trends of the era, you can do 2000s fashion in a feminine way without being saturated in pink.
Image Source, Universal
Bring It On (2000)
A classic cheerleader series from our childhoods, the first Bring It On movie paved the way for not just the popular series but for a bunch of iconic 2000s styles and trends. Following two rival cheer groups: The Torros and The Clovers, the outfits consist of cycle shorts, chunky trainers and tie-dye tees. Over the past year we have seen all of these items come back into fashion, bringing a level of comfort to everyday outfits. This movie stands out from other 2000s movies because it not only had a more diverse cast, but this reflects in the fashion with a use of trends that were started by the Black community. Mary Jane Fort, the costume designer, tried to make it as authentic as possible for that time, meaning the film features all the classic 2000s styles, even the ones we hated.
Because of this, we often saw cheer captain of the Torros, Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) wearing some very classic Y2K trends such as tied up pastel cardigans and tiny heart print cami tops.
With a style that was very reflective of the classic 2000s ‘girl next door’, her wardrobe consisted largely of floral dresses and capri trousers, both of which came back into style this summer. Fashion also plays a really big role in the movie, representing the two different teams. Although the Torros carry a more beachy look mirrored in Torrance’s style, the Clovers were seen in more trendy items, both of which can be seen in modern fashion.
Image Source, Columbia Pictures
13 Going On 30 (2004)
When 13-year-old Jenna Rink wakes up in 2004 as a 30-year-old, we get an insight into a crazy and experimental wardrobe that is surprisingly very stylish. Making a wish on her birthday that she didn’t know would change her life, throughout the movie we see Jenna learn to grow into herself and embrace her youth. Her loud outfits reflect her identity crisis and they become a way for her to hold onto her teenage self. With chunky open-toed heels, slip dresses and low-rise jeans, Jenna’s style is perfectly representative of Y2K fashion. When she first wakes up aged 30, we see her throw a trench coat on over a slip dress and this has since become an incredibly popular trend representative of the era. From this, we also see her famous rainbow dress which has recently been trending on TikTok. This dress is clashy, experimental and perfectly representative of Jenna’s style and the era. We see the sparkly mini dress paired with a classic pink baguette bag and spiky buns that all together is an iconic look. From this, throughout the movie we often see classic styles associated with the era, including her pitch outfit at work that shows a rose cardigan with a floral skirt, speaking to the feminine time of fashion.
by Tia Janowski (Staff Fashion & Beauty Writer)
Follow Tia’s Instagram
❀