Twisted halter tops and all the other Christina Aguilera Noughties trends we don’t want to see back

We can’t help but think it’s best to leave those leather chaps in 2002.

Prudence Wade
Friday 28 May 2021 09:52 BST
Christina Aguilera in the Noughties
Christina Aguilera in the Noughties

There’s no doubt five-time Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera is impressive – you probably know all the words to songs like Dirrty and Beautiful without even realising it.

While we can’t argue with her musical resume, there is one thing we can nit-pick: Aguilera’s Noughties fashion choices (not that she was alone in rocking these now-questionable options, of course!). With ultra low-rise jeans, scarf skirts and velour tracksuits, the 2000s was a dark time for fashion, and Aguilera was at the forefront of pretty much all these trends.

However, not everyone is so convinced Noughties fashion should be left in the past, and there’s a growing trend on Instagram for twisted halter tops – a la Aguilera at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards (paired with a baker boy hat and miniscule denim skirt, of course).

Christina Aguilera at the 2002 VMAs

Now aged 40, Aguilera’s style has moved with the times, and she’s known for sleek, modern fashion choices. However, we can’t help but worry Gen Z will mine the Noughties for more of her favourite looks, like these ones…

Low-rise leather pants

Christina Aguilera American Music Awards January 2000

This outfit really has it all: snakeskin! Leather! Low-rise trousers! And not to mention Aguilera’s signature look for the early Noughties: a whole lot of midriff on show.

Assless chaps

Singer Christina Aguilera performing on stage during the MTV Europe Music Awards 2002, at the Palazzo Sant Jordi.

Once Aguilera tired of leather pants, she levelled up to assless chaps – so-called because of the big cut-outs on the butt! Paired with a skimpy bikini top, this was the defining look of the Dirrty era – and is now a go-to Halloween costume for celebrities like Kylie Jenner. Let’s just hope it doesn’t make its way into mainstream fashion.

Baker boy hats

Christina Aguilera in 2002

Aguilera wasn’t picky when it came to her baker boy hats: leather, striped, denim, she would wear them all. Please also appreciate how Noughties this make-up look is, with thin eyebrows, blue eyeliner and lots of frosted lip gloss.

Velvet dresses

Christina Aguilera in 2001

It’s hard to know where to begin with this outfit from 2001: not only does the crushed velvet dress have a bizarre amount of cut-outs, but we’re not sure her hairstyle would be well received nowadays.

Chunky highlights

Christina Aguilera in 2002

This is more of a beauty choice, but we can’t ignore Aguilera’s defining hair look of the early Noughties: chunky black highlights against her white-blonde hair. Were you even around in the Noughties if you didn’t beg your parents for this look? In retrospect, we’re quite glad they said no…

Big ties

Christina Aguilera at the Palazzo Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain, for the MTV Europe Music Awards 2002.

Popstars in the 2000s were obsessed with schoolgirl looks, with Britney Spears’ 1999 hit …Baby One More Time sparking the trend. Aguilera gave us her take on the look at the 2002 MTV Europe Music Awards, wearing white flared culottes, a striped shirt crop top, and a long, fat tie.

String ties

Christina Aguilera at the My VH1 Awards 2000

Noughties fashion wasn’t about subtlety, which probably explains why so many of Aguilera’s outfits were held together by complicated arrays of string. And yes, that is crimped hair – could it get any more retro?

Cargo pants

Christina Aguilera at a photocall in 2002

We might be too late on this one – thanks to style stars like Bella Hadid and Rihanna, cargo pants are already back in fashion.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in