A 2000’s Guide to Dressing like Your Favorite Disney Channel Star
I remember turning on Disney Channel and continuously wishing that I had Hannah Montana’s sparkly scarf collection or any of Raven Baxter’s signature jackets! If you were a Disney Channel kid/ teen, I’m sure you might have grown out of some of the tacky Y2K styles that were showcased on some of our fav characters. However, TikTok creators have been serving the nostalgia, and recreating the best Disney Channel looks to take us back to our sequin roots and re-inspire us all.
The reign of early 2000’s fashion has been upon us for quite a while now. Thanks to Instagram and TikTok, the fashion inspo has been nonstop, and has been reminding us of the Disney Channel trends we used to love.
When I was between the ages of 6 and 11 years old, I always referenced Disney Channel stars and some of my Y2K idols when dressing up for any occasion. There were definitely certain trends that I rocked more often than others, but the ones I did wear were solely based on what I watched on Disney Channel! Here is a list of the Y2K/Disney Channel trends that will make you remember why you fell in love with the tacky yet stylish trends the first time around, and why TikToker’s, celebrities and other influencers are so inspired to recreate the looks.
Sequins
Starting off strong we have a fan favorite—sequins. Sequins were everywhere and everything back when we were still learning the ropes of fashion do’s and don’ts. Disney Channel icons like London Tipton and Hannah Montana showed us just how fashionable sequins actually are! I was definitely a huge sequin gal. I had sequined bags, hats, shirts, and even pillows! Recently I thrifted a silver sequined newsboy cap from Justice, and I honestly cannot wait to style it.
I styled my silver sequined bag with a graphic Y2K tank top, low-rise jeans, chunky flip flops, and of course, matching pink shades from Dollar Tree. For my sequined Justice hat, I went for a 2000’s popstar off-duty look with an aquamarine short sleeve sweater and capri bottom Juicy Couture tracksuit.
Low rise, low rise, low rise
sources: POPSUGAR & InStyle
Obviously, low-rise pants were a must-have essential in the early 2000s, so it is no surprise that some of our favorite Disney stars wore this type of bottoms on and off-screen! This style of pant has been a recent trend a part of the Y2K revival in fashion. Now, I have to be honest, I just hopped back on the low-rise bandwagon and so far- I’m loving it!
My obsession with low-rise jeans has spiraled—and that’s totally fine with me! Some of my favorite TikTok and Instagram influencers, like Chloe Felopulos have shown admiration towards the low rise Y2K jean trend.
Fur-trimmed coats and cardigans
This has got to be my favorite trend that I saw on the iconic fashion-forward Disney character, Raven Baxter. Fur-trimmed coats and cardigans are such cute staples for the colder seasons, and back then they came in so many colors. Brands like H&M and Pretty Little Thing have created some that are similar to the vintage ’70s and Y2K era jackets, but you can totally look for these at your local thrifts and secondhand shopping apps like Depop.
Olivia Rodrigo is a fashion icon in the making. She has also been a pioneer of revamped Y2K fashion this year. Her modern and slightly toned-down take on her That’s So Raven-inspired fur-trimmed cardigans is so cute and perfect for transitioning into the fall season.
layering. . . Everything
If layering your clothes on top of clothes does not scream early 2000’s Disney Channel then I honestly don’t know what does. You may still be thinking—why on earth would we want to bring this trend back? Well, the answer is, why not. I mean sure the layering-a-dress-over-pants-thing is so 2005, but with some modern pieces, it could be cute. If Alex Russo can pull off boots over knee-high socks, over tights under a skirt—then who says we can’t experiment a little bit more when we decide to layer our outfits.
Surprisingly a lot of people partake in this layering trend. Two of my favorite style inspirations on Insta, Chloe Pearl and Chloe Felopulos are both queens of layering! Their outfits look put together and are reminiscent of the 70s’ and the early 2000s’. Layering summer transition pieces are perfect for your style this September.
vests and loose fit ties
Vests/waistcoats and ties have slowly but surely been resurfacing back onto the fashion scene. Models and pop stars like Bella Hadid and Olivia Rodrigo have been spotted styling these 2000’s trends. Vests and ties are super easy to wear and perfect for a fun fall look in seconds whether you’re inspired by an old Disney Channel icon or a new one.
Vests and ties are so fun and versatile and are also great pieces for layering. I styled my black and white pinstriped vest from H&M with a thrifted hot pink tie and some super baggy jorts. Bella Hadid is of course a major style icon, layered a dark wash denim vest with matching jeans and a long sleeve shirt.
Animal Print
Last but not least we have animal print. This one for me is a trend that I actually did not like too much as a kid, but as I started getting older and experimenting with my style, I learned that animal print can make a simple outfit more fun. Whether you start off small with animal print accessories or decide to go big with an animal print jacket straight out of The Cheetah Girls wardrobe, it is never too late to try out something new especially as we enter into the fall season.
Animal print is probably the easiest out of these trends to try and style because there are so many prints to choose from and they go great with denim and solid colors. You can wear a cheetah/leopard print coat like Bella McFadden aka Internet Girl, or a bold tiger-striped sweater like Bella Hadid!
More TIKTOK INSpo
TikTok has sparked inspiration in many areas of fashion, and I am so glad that the tacky yet cute early 2000’s fashion from Disney Channel made it to that list. Most if not all of these trends are super easy to thrift, and are even coming back to some of our favorite retailers including H&M and Zara, which makes the nostalgia even sweeter! I hope by reading this you have been inspired to give your besties a call and tell them that your in need of a Disney Channel stylist-approved wardrobe.