Sunday Life

‘Jeans and a nice top’ was an early 2000s fashion staple. It’s back – with a twist

December 15, 2024

The early 2000s were a simpler time, when your party wardrobe was laser-focused on a single object. For the past decade, voluminous dresses with sleeves or skirts worthy of their own postcode have stolen the spotlight, but a millennial staple that fits in a mini-handbag is staging a comeback.

This season the going-out top is the style signal that you’re ready to dance the night, and potentially the morning, away. As new millennium pin-ups Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton return to the headlines, the slinky, sparkly, lacy and slouchy tops they wore during their first stab at fame are coming with them.

Frame blouse, $1025, and “The Bubble” jeans, $540.Credit: Steven Chee

This time you don’t need a fake tan or a puppy in your purse to nail the look. Here’s how to get the going-out top right.

Be extra
A white T-shirt is not a going-out top. Even if you’ve bleached and ironed a T-shirt, it is too utilitarian to draw the admiring eye. A going-out top needs a unique feature that wouldn’t work in most offices, such as blinding metallic sparkle, dramatic cut-outs or a crop for navel-gazing. The more flamboyant, the better.

Bottoms count
Complementing the going-out top is the comfortable bottom. Jeans, the baggier the better, are the preferred backdrop for summer nights where you may end up sitting on sand, or a dining chair, before dancing on the table. Let wide-leg styles get to work, providing a contrast to the fitted silhouette of many tops. For extra sparkle, double the drama by investing in going-out jeans with embellishments that transform your legs into portable disco balls.

Bra matters
Pay attention to your underwear. The festive effect of a backless top or slouching style can be dampened by the unwelcome appearance of a beige bra strap. Plunge bras with extra-low underwires are an asset to your assets, and low-backstrap styles won’t upstage exposed shoulder blades.