In recent weeks, I’ve done fashion experiments where I dressed like Taylor Swift Eras and Bridgerton characters. This week, I threw it back and dressed like iconic ’90s and ’00s TV characters.
Read on to see how it went!
Table of Contents
’90s and Y2K Fashion Today
For the past few fashion seasons, we have seen 90s and especially Y2K fashion trends reappear on the runways and in stores.
On the one hand, we have the more 90s trends, like high-waisted bottoms, chunky loafers and boots, preppy items with casual wear, slip dresses, and T-shirts.
For the Y2K trends, we’ve seen capri pants, ultra miniskirts, layering tank tops, funky tie dye, halter tops, platform sandals and low-rise bottoms.
As someone who lived these trends while they were happening, there are some, especially the low-rise bottoms, that I will not come back to, ever. But I like taking inspiration from that time, especially when it comes to wearing prints, colors, and sequins.
Iconic ’90s and ’00s TV characters: A Fashion Guide
Raven Baxter (That’s so Raven)
That’s So Raven is an American television fantasy teen sitcom that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between January 2003 and November 2007. The series centers on Raven Baxter (Raven-Symoné), a teenager with hidden psychic abilities.
Episodes show Raven experiencing visions of future events; she must also deal with the social and personal issues of her youth. She uses her skills in fashion design to create elaborate disguises she wears during these schemes. The series explores supernatural elements, family, friendship, and adolescence.
Raven’s style is, to put it mildly, loud and eccentric. She *is* an OG Y2K maximalist. As a fashionista, aspiring fashion designer, and seamstress, Raven creates and wears incredibly colorful, textured, and coordinated looks.
Raven favors purples, reds, and pinks in bright and warm tones. Some of her most worn items are long, furry coats, flared jeans with matching jackets, heeled booties, and big floral hair accessories.
For my Raven look, I started with one of my favorite thrift finds of the year: this pair of burgundy and navy tie-dye flared jeans. Then, I wore a navy blue knit top layered with a suede burgundy jacket.
For shoes, I matched the burgundy of the jacket with burgundy suede booties. Since I didn’t have big hair accessories, I decided to style my hair with braids and a couple of purple and blue butterfly clips.
I really liked this look! I know it’s not as maximalist or big as I would’ve wanted to go for Raven, but I just didn’t have the items to do so. In general, Raven is very matchy-matchy, so this type of look would be right up her alley, and personally, I loved wearing it. It was so comfortable, and thanks to the tie-dye, it had a bit of edge, so it didn’t feel boring.
Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire is an American comedy television series created by Terri Minsky that premiered on Disney Channel on January 12, 2001.
The series stars Hilary Duff as the titular character who learns to navigate the personal and social issues of her teenage years. Duff also voices an animated version of Lizzie that performs soliloquies to express the character’s inner thoughts and emotions.
Like Raven, Lizzie is also a Y2K queen, but in a more subdued way. This shows her shy, sweet nature.
She gravitates towards greens, pinks, and blues, but she honestly wears all colors, mostly in bright tones, pastels, and neons. Boat-neck long-sleeve shirts, bedazzled jeans and jackets, butterfly clips, bandanas, and wedges are some of the items Lizzie wears most.
To create my Lizzie look, I wanted mesh and bedazzled items. I started with a snake print mesh top in sky blue and paired it with blue jeans with a bedazzled butterfly cut-out.
For shoes, I added denim booties that perfectly match the jeans. Hair accessories are important for any Lizzie look, so I put on a blue bandana and blue butterfly clips.
This outfit is both cute and eclectic, just like Lizzie. In the show, Lizzie wears completely matching or contrasting items, nothing in between, so I think I achieved her vibe here.
This look was comfortable, but not as much as I would’ve liked, especially not for a rainy day like the day I wore this. I normally like to wear this top with looser bottoms or an oversized tee or button down over it.
My favorite part of this look is the hairstyle. I don’t usually do my hair, but this one was funky and cute. In general, I do see Lizzie wearing something like this.
Fran Fine (The Nanny)
The Nanny is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens who becomes the nanny of three children from an Anglo-American upper-class family in New York.
Oh, Nanny Fine, the fashionista that you are! If it’s eye-catching, sexy, and fun, Fran will most certainly be wearing it. She wears all colors, but her signature color is red. It’s even in the theme song!
The Nanny goes for mini skirts and dresses more often than not, but she does wear high-waisted mom jeans and other bottoms. All of them fitted and cinched at the waist.
Flashy and fun patterns, sequins, vests, tights, high heels and boots, shoulder pads, and blazers are some of her favorite items.
For my Nanny Fine outfit, I knew one thing: it had to be red.
First, I wore a fitted, mock-neck black top and a red corduroy mini skirt. Following Fran’s steps, I threw on a red blazer with black velvet details in the collar and cuffs.
She is a big tights-wearer, so I put on a red pair of tights and matching red suede booties. I let my hair curly and fluffed it up a bit to make it bigger. Finally, I wore red lipstick.
I love this look! I think it might be my favorite one of the week. I was hesitant to wear something like this because it is still technically summer, but since it was raining, it was sort of perfect.
If there’s someone I love to look to for fashion inspiration, it is Fran Fine. I usually go for big prints in bright colors, so she is perfect for seeing how to wear certain things together. This red ensemble is both sexy and fun in a world full of neutrals. I will definitely wear this one again!
Tia & Tamera (Sister, Sister)
Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom starring Tia and Tamera Mowry as identical twin sisters separated at birth who are reunited as adolescents. But just because they’re twins doesn’t mean Tia and Tamera are identical in any way other than looks — Tia is intelligent and from inner-city Detroit while Tamera is the boy-crazy twin from the suburbs.
Tia and Tamera have different styles throughout the series, but they’re usually in sync with each other. You can see that with similar items, color schemes, accessories, or patterns, no matter how different the items are. There’s almost always a connecting thread through their looks.
They both wear earthy tones, like brown, mustard yellow, rusty red, and olive green. Baggy jeans, vests, chunky shoes, big hats, overalls, plaid skirts, oversized sweaters and plaid shirts comprise a big part of both of their wardrobes.
For my Tia and Tamera-inspired look, I went with another lucky thrift find: this pair of corduroy pants that have an olive green, blue, and burgundy pattern. Then, as a base, I put on a white, long sleeve top and layered with a long, mustard brown vest.
Next, I wore white socks and black chunky loafers. Finally, I accessorized with a burgundy beret.
This look is perfect for me. It blends everything I want to wear more of in my closet and layers it perfectly for Fall. These pants are so comfortable, yet so different from other pants I currently wear. The color palette is perfect for Fall.
In general, this outfit is easy to dress up if I need to, or layer on top of if it gets colder.
Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)
Sex and the City is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO.
Set in New York City, the series follows the lives of four women—three in their mid-thirties and one in her forties—who, despite their different personalities and evolving sex lives, remain inseparable and confide in one another. The show explores the contrasts between friendships and romantic relationships, with Carrie Bradshaw narrating the series as it chronicles the better portion of the four women’s early adult lives.
I feel like Carrie doesn’t need an introduction. She *is* the ultimate TV fashion icon. Carrie has been referenced as such for decades now, and it’s not hard to see why. Carrie’s style is eclectic and full of life. It’s a style that clearly reveres fashion as an art. Most of the time, it seems she throws unconnected pieces on, and it somehow works.
She seems to favor pink, white, green, and brown. For items, she uses many low-rise bottoms, camisoles, and slip dresses. For Carrie, accessories are the most important part, as seen by her love of heels and purses.
Finally, there was Friday and my Carrie outfit. There were so many Carrie looks I wanted to recreate, but in the end, there was no other choice but her iconic tutu one from the opening credits.
First, I wore my pink tutu skirt and folded it up to make it a mini skirt. Then, I put on a white tank top and tucked it into the skirt. Finally, I accessorized with a silver belt and a pair of silver heels. I also styled my hair to emulate her styling.
God, do I love this one! It is so cute and flirty. I inverted the colors of Carrie’s look since I don’t have a pink tank top.
I wore this outfit for date night, and it was perfect for it. Since it was raining, I wore a white leather blazer to cover up a bit and took a pair of silver boots to change out of if it rained too much.
If it were colder, I might add a pair of tights or just wear the skirt full length. Either way, I’ll wear this again!
Final Thoughts
This week was so fun! I rewatched some of these series for this post, and it was like being a little kid again. My sister and I loved That’s so Raven and Lizzie McGuire, especially. We even had Lizzie McGuire’s school supplies when we started middle school.
As I’ve grown older and found my style, I can trace some of the things I love to wear and seek out to things I loved as a child. While watching these series, I could see certain patterns, items, colors, and especially styling that I gravitated towards as a little girl and have rediscovered now as an adult.
These series and so many others, like Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, and Pretty Little Liars, are a great source of inspiration for Fall and Winter. They do so much layering it makes them perfect for the colder months of the year.
Also, there are so many trends from the ’90s and ’00s making a comeback that these shows will give you all the inspiration you need.
What Do You Think?
Do you know all these iconic TV fashionistas? Did you like any of these shows? Which of these outfits is your favorite? Which one will you wear? Do you have any styling questions or inspo you want me to cover?
Let me know in the comments below!