From all the low-rise jeans to the chainmail tops, the 2000s were a wild time in fashion. Yet there may be no trend that better defines that lawless era than layering a dress over jeans.
At the height of the aughts, stars like Anne Hathaway and Miley Cyrus would routinely pair a fun summer dress with their best bootcut jeans—plus huge bangles and even huger shades—for an instantly quirky outfit. And while the look may seem dated now, a new crop of red carpet stars is reviving that styling trick in a way that feels surprisingly fresh.
This week alone, we got two different takes on the trend. Last night, for the Los Angeles premiere of Ella McCay, star Ayo Ede…
From all the low-rise jeans to the chainmail tops, the 2000s were a wild time in fashion. Yet there may be no trend that better defines that lawless era than layering a dress over jeans.
At the height of the aughts, stars like Anne Hathaway and Miley Cyrus would routinely pair a fun summer dress with their best bootcut jeans—plus huge bangles and even huger shades—for an instantly quirky outfit. And while the look may seem dated now, a new crop of red carpet stars is reviving that styling trick in a way that feels surprisingly fresh.
This week alone, we got two different takes on the trend. Last night, for the Los Angeles premiere of Ella McCay, star Ayo Edebiri wore a long, embroidered vest over a classic white tee and jeans, all from Chanel’s pre-fall collection. Was it actually a dress over jeans? No—but the layered silhouettes felt in the same spirit.
Photo: Getty Images
Elsewhere in LA, at a SAG-AFTRA event, Gwyneth Paltrow also embraced the look: the Marty Supreme star and Goop founder wore a long, gray sleeveless polo dress over a pleated pair of gray dress pants, both from Marni. The outfit nodded to early aughts dressing while hewing to the more polished, stealthy-chic vibe of right now.
Other stars who have worn their dresses over pants on the red carpet this year? Elle Fanning, who styled a black sequin tank dress by Simone Rocha over trousers at the BFI London Film Festival, and Michelle Williams, who wore a white asymmetric Proenza Schouler dress over dress pants to the 2025 CFDAs in New York. Jennifer Lawrence has also worn the skant—skirt-slash-pant—in an off-duty way.
Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Given the runways have been slowly reintroducing the dress or skirt-over-pants silhouette for a few seasons now, it’s safe to say the trend is worth considering this winter. For one thing, double the layers mean double the warmth—and who doesn’t want to be bundling up right now? And anyway, if these style stars have proven anything, it’s that the Y2K-inspired look can feel sophisticasted and even dressy in the present tense. Less Ashley Tisdale in High School Musical, more catwalk star.