Cuntee Confession: Things I Wore, Wanted, and Maybe Regret: A 2000s Fashion Throwback

If you were a teen (or dreaming of being one) in the early 2000s, you know the struggle; flipping through magazines, watching TRL, and wishing with every fiber of your being that you could pull off the latest trends. Some were iconic, some were...questionable. But back then? I wanted all of it, here's a look back at the fashion dreams I had, and the one's I'll never forget.

 

 

Space buns were the ultimate cool-girl hairstyle. Whether they were messy, sleek, or bedazzled with glitter, rocking two buns on top of your head instantly made you feel like a pop star! I remember every time I tried to re-create this hairstyle I could never get that damn part straight, especially in the back.

 

Nothing said "I'm effortlessly cool" in the early 2000s like stickin' a pencil (or two, or even three) through your messy bun. Whether you were actually doing homework or just pretending to be artsy, it was the cutest thing to do to stand out. Me on the other hand, never seemed to get them secure enough to stay in place. Once my head moved, it was over.

 

This one here is really a 2 parter. The butterfly clips were of course a Y2K staple. Growing up I called this hairstyle "twisties". You could secure them with butterfly clips or those rubber bands you'd have to cut out of your hair. I would beg my older sister to put these in my hair (she was the best at it). Let me tell ya one thing though, she would make them so damn tight your eyebrows would end up on the top of your head. The headaches were well worth it.

 

 

In the early 2000s, carrying a Dooney & Bourke bag was basically a teenage rite of passage. Those bright, colorful prints or the classic logo on leather were everywhere — and owning one meant you had made it. I unfortunately never had one but now that I have adult money, I'm just preying for the day they re-do this exact print! Maybe I should write them and give them the idea?

 

My head was too big for this style to work for me but bandanas were the go-to accessory for bad hair days and good ones. Bonus points if you matched it to your outfit or paired it with giant hoop earrings. It was casual, it was cool, and it definitely made you feel like you were one music video away from being discovered.

 

If you didn’t want a Von Dutch trucker hat, did you even live through the early 2000s? These hats were everywhere — perched on the heads of every pop star, reality TV celeb, and wannabe-cool kid at the mall. Yet again, I wanted a bunch of different ones but was never able to get one.

 

 

This must be where I got my love for statement tees came from. Cause if your t-shirt didn’t have a sassy slogan or a slightly inappropriate message on it, were you even trying? Tiny baby tees with bold sayings like ‘That’s Hot’ or ‘Spoiled’ were basically a whole personality. I'm here to keep this trend alive!

 

 

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were the ultimate style icons of the early 2000s. Every time they showed up in matching outfits with their own little twist. Watching their movies and seeing them in magazines, you always liked one twins outfit more than the other. It was fun day dreaming of which outfit you would wear or try to recreate it with what you had in your closet.

 

 

 

There's really no words needed for the Juicy sweatsuits. Nothing — and I mean nothing — screamed early 2000s luxury like a Juicy Couture tracksuit.

 

Seeing these now, all I can think of is "what the hell were we thinking"? I mean...ew. But back in the day these were the "it" shoes. PHAT FARM shoes came in many colors and pink was the ultimate in my school. Etnies were more of a "skater" shoe. I remember seeing these in magazines and I was ready to become the ultimate skater girl. These shoes and some Avril Lavigne is all you needed, and you could just carry the skateboard.

 

 

 

Looking back, it’s wild how much these trends shaped our teenage years — from the butterfly clips we wore with pride to the Juicy tracksuits we dreamed of owning. Even if some of these styles make us cringe now, they were a huge part of growing up in the early 2000s. Honestly, I wouldn’t trade those memories — or those fashion disasters — for anything. Here's to the glitter, the low-rise jeans, the sassy tees, and the era that made us who we are today