Jennifer Lopez Revives a Long-Lost Y2K Denim Trend With a Sheer Lace Jacket and a Suede Birkin
Is the silhouette back, or is J.Lo just being J.Lo?
I couldn't at first tell whether Jennifer Lopez's latest outfit was photographed on Dec. 12, 2004 or Dec. 12, 2024. Option two was the correct answer, but you'll understand the brief lapse in the time-space-style continuum when you see the Y2K denim trend she brought out of storage.
Lopez spent her mid-December afternoon shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Her mall hang came with an equally early aughts-coded pair of jeans, an extra-low rise flare with distressing along both thighs and rhinestone detailing on the back pockets. Up top, the singer selected a sheer lace jacket with a high neckline, long sleeves, and a strategically-placed slit to show off her midriff.
I could just as easily imagine a Maid in Manhattan Lopez wearing this look to go shopping as present-day J.Lo. Distressed flares with hipbone-skimming waistbands had their first moment in the sun two decades ago, after all; so did their styling with skintight lace tops. As far as recent outfits go, this was a dramatic turn away from the boho chic Chloé set she wore for Unstoppable press this week, or the backless sequin revenge dress she modeled on Instagram days before that.
Towering platform heels and tinted oversize sunglasses, along with a wavy blowout, completed the Thursday afternoon throwback picture. The only of-the-moment detail was her suede Birkin bag, a slice of the collection she's cultivated as her star has risen.
At the same time Lopez was browsing the designer footwear section at Saks, Marie Claire's fashion team was publishing a report on 2025's denim trends. My fellow style editors studied the runways and didn't see any tell-tale signs of Y2K low-rises making a comeback. Instead, it's Bermuda shorts and straight-legs that gained the most traction. There were also puddle-hem, baggy jeans present and accounted for—a style I know Jennifer Lopez likes to pair with skintight tops. But the new year hasn't started yet; there's still time for the singer's one-woman vintage denim renaissance to become a trend yet again.
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Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”
Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.
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