Revisit the Style of 2005 With Missy Elliott, Hilary Duff, Fall Out Boy, Rihanna & More Music Stars

From Mariah Carey‘s iconic gold Emancipation of Mimi gown to Destiny’s Child‘s grown and sexy Destiny Fulfilled… and Lovin’ It tour looks, 2005 was stacked with memorable fashion moments across pop culture.

As the midpoint of the ’00s decade, 2005 housed the last vestiges of Y2K style before the culture slowly began its transition into more ’10s-adjacent looks. Hip-hop icons like Missy Elliott and 50 Cent loved a velour tracksuit moment, R&B/pop sirens like Jennifer Lopez, Ciara and Beyoncé routinely tore up stages with booty-teasing low-rise jeans, and beloved rock bands like Fall Out Boy and Green Day preferred to contrast their arena-rocking headbangers with formal attire.

2005 was also the year of the statement belt. Kelly Clarkson — who boasted two top 10 entries on that year’s Year-End Hot 100 in “Since U Been Gone” (No. 4) and “Behind These Hazel Eyes” (No. 10) – loved flaunting her pop-rock leanings with a studded belt, while fellow pop princess Hilary Duff would use oversize belts to add dimension to her form-fitting dresses. And how could we forget the endlessly long necklaces and rich earth tones of the boho-chic movement that ran through Hollywood like Lara Croft.

Of course, there are always a few stars who stick to their unique lanes. Queen of Pop Madonna kept her Confessions on a Dance Floor fashions consistent with a constant rotation of vibrant leotards, and Pharrell Williams was rarely seen without his blindingly bright N.E.R.D. character pendant chain.

While there were certainly a few dominant fashion trends in 2005, one striking throughline is the individuality our biggest and brightest stars brought to their fashion.

Check out Billboard’s handy gallery of some of the most memorable style moments of 2005.

Jenny Regan

Billboard