Ah, the early 2000s. The golden days. The days that millennials might consider to be the days of the "classics." The days when Britney Spears was thriving, green ketchup was hip, and Amanda Bynes hadn't lost her freakin' marbles yet (RIP Amanda circa "What A Girl Wants"; may you never be forgotten). The prime of the '90s babies -- our peak, if you will. We may have tried to push these days to the back of our minds or eliminate them from our memory completely, but we need to start embracing the days when everything flipped, from our mobile phones to our platform foam flops.
Well, maybe not fully embracing our early 2000s days, but at least reminiscing for a minute -- because I don't know how long I can picture myself in gaucho pants carrying around my Lisa Frank covered notebooks. These days were hella cool and majorly grool (I would have hashtagged those terms, but hashtags weren't even born yet). If you aren't already thinking to yourself "as if," and exiting out of this article faster than you can say "oh, snap," then let's break it down by my top three favorite aspects of the 2000s and review my top three favs for each:
The Fashion
Fashion was probably one of the most defining factors of the 2000s. From ridiculous clothing fads to absurd hair and make-up 'dos, the 2000s fashion scene is practically impossible to forget. Here are a few of my most memorable (and embarrassingly enough, actually worn) style trends:
• Skorts - These are probably the most functional of all the 2000s trends, and honestly, I wish they were still in style. Seriously, who doesn't love the look of a skirt with all of the mobility of shorts underneath? Uh, I do! Considering I was not (read: still am not) the most ladylike, these were a great option for me. Thankfully, the rompers that are highly in trend right now are kind of like a full-body extension of skorts -- though much less convenient because standing completely naked in a public restroom stall after having to remove your entire romp to use the bathroom is not a fun task.
• Graphic tees and multicolored polos - Between the two, I think I lived in these bad boys throughout my entire middle school career. They were super versatile -- you could dress them down with a pair of boys' basketball shorts and Converse, or dress them up with a rainbow pearl necklace and a denim miniskirt. From Aéropostale to Delia's to Hollister, these tops were all the rage.
• Flared and/or distressed jeans - I will never forget my parents and grandparents teasing me for buying my jeans like that when referring to all the rips and tears in my pants. It may have been seen as a waste of money to the older generations, but to us early 2000s tweens, it was an investment well made. And who could forget the flared boot-cut fit? Those went well with everything from Uggs to jelly sandals.
The Slang
Most of the 2000s slang words can be derived from pop culture -- movies, shows, and songs alike. The rise of the cult classic "Mean Girls" might be to blame, or perhaps it was Snoop Dogg's hit "Drop It Like It's Hot," but either way I'm not complaining and still use all of these words and phrases throughout my everyday life.
• "That's what she said" - Apologies in advance to all the parents reading this (especially you, Mom), but your child most likely threw around this phrase in middle or high school. And, yes, it means exactly what you think it does. However, your kids probably weren't exactly sure what it meant (unless you had boys, then they absolutely were aware). And if they were anything like me and pretty damn naive, then they had no idea what it meant until they were literally 18.
• "Grody" - I love this word. This was my all-time favorite slang word. Everything was freakin' grody. The couple holding hands in the hallway? Uh, gro-dy. Touch gum under the desk? Super grody. Sometimes I still catch myself silently whispering "ew, grody" when I see something that is just plain... grody.
• "Cray cray" - OK, so this one is just plain embarrassing. Like, I am embarrassed to even think back to the days when I used to utter this phrase with all the confidence in the world to my best friend when she decided she was going to dye her hair the next shade of hot pink. Or to my parents when they tried to enforce my 9:30 p.m. bedtime (which never went over well). I am more than happy to just use the actual word "crazy" instead of throwing around an "abbreviation" that just sounds plain ridiculous. I hope this one never makes a comeback.
The Music
The 2000s were quite the time for music. Popular music and the top-40 scene consisted of several different genres. Rock, alternative, pop, hip-hop, R&B -- it all had a place on any 2000's radio station. Here are my top three favorite songs during that time:
• "Oops!...I Did It Again" by Britney Spears - What would my list of top favorite 2000's songs be without Brit? Ok, so maybe I was only five years old when this song was released, but I can clearly recall my later elementary school years of trying to imitate her dance moves in my braided pigtails and plaid skirt. And to be completely honest, this song still finds its way onto every party playlist of mine.
• "Umbrella" by Rhianna - One of Rihanna's top hits and forever one of my most-played songs on iTunes. I'll never forget the middle school day of trying to actually dance with an umbrella. Yet again, another 2000s jam that has yet to die and probably never will, so long as those "hits of yesterday and today" radio stations never go away. And I can't say I'm complaining.
• "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day - If you were any kind of angsty 2000s preteen then you are probably very familiar with this song. It somehow felt synonymous to our black clothing, attempted eyeliner use, and way-too-side bangs. I definitely don't miss my fashion choices during that time, but I really do miss jamming out to this tune.
