7 Early '00s Outfits That Didn't Need Leggings

Of all the sartorial crimes we have committed over the years, the misuse of leggings in the early 2000s is undoubtedly among the worst. Worn for no particular reason — and usually layered into an outfit that really did not need them — this trend kind of screamed, "My mom just wants me to stay warm!" Seeing celebrities succumb to this look, even now, is something I refuse to comprehend. But then again, do any of us really understand what early millennium fashion was supposed to be about?

With this in mind, it was easy to compile a list of all the outfits that unnecessarily included leggings for no reason, because all outfits with leggings during this period were arguably unnecessary. Back then, the cardinal rule for leggings was that they couldn't be worn as pants. They had to be more. These days, serving as pants is (rightfully) the main use of leggings in fashion. I can only wonder what early '00s fashionistas would have thought about style in 2016.

One could, of course, argue that most ensembles of the early 2000s were fashion disasters in and of themselves. But regardless of where you stand on leggings as pants, I truly hope that we continue to show leggings some dignity and not add them into our outfits as we did back then (unless you're under five years old, in which case I guess it's OK). Here are seven outfits that definitely didn't need leggings back in the not-so-glory days of style.

1. With Shorts

Please, people. Wear leggings. Wear shorts. Maybe even venture into the world of trousers. The world is your oyster. But don't ruin things with an unnecessary pair of leggings.

2. With Denim Skirts

Denim skirts are genuinely an entirely different ball park of style than regular ones. There's a sense of casualness that the addition of leggings was meant to evoke here. Instead, we achieved a weird childlike effect.

3. With Long Skirts

Just why? If you're trying to avoid chub rub, there are a hell of a lot more stylish ways to go about it.

4. With Denim Shorts

If you ask me, there's an inherent sexy casualness to denim shorts. But I guess ruining the Daisy Dukes vibe with some thick leggings is also cool, right? Wrong.

Want more fashion and beauty? Check out the playlist below, and be sure to subscribe to Bustle's YouTube page for more hacks and tricks!

5. With Short Dresses

C'mon Christina. You should've known better.

6. With Short Skirts

In my eyes, this outfit sort of screams, "Mom dressed me," and it's infuriating because I'm sure that's simply not the case for most celebs who were rocking the leggings-with-everything aesthetic back in the day. If you're going to wear a short skirt, my advice is to commit to the short skirt look.

7. With Long Boots

These boots are covering half the leg, anyway! Just show us a little thigh. It would've looked a million times chicer.

Maybe I'm being harsh, but as a teenager in the early '00s, I hated this look. Reminiscing about the early millennium hasn't made me like it any more. There's a reason this trend hasn't been revived. And if it ever is, you can be sure to catch me writing an angry think piece about it.