Celebrity Style
The Early Bachelor Outfits Are My 2000s Fashion Moodboard
The best trends of the early aughts.
When watching The Bachelor, you likely tune in to look at the dresses almost as much as the drama. Each outfit is so indicative of every woman’s personality, but also a true sign of the times. After all, if you’re going to be vying for your future love interest, why not pull out all the stops when it comes to the most alluring dress or most eye-catching top?
And since fashion is cyclical, the going-out pieces that were all the rage in the early seasons — I’m talking 2002 — are back with fervor in 2021. Yes that’s right, The Bachelor has been around long enough that the 2000s looks that trended when it started are officially back in style.
As The Bachelor first premiered on ABC in 2002, you’d better be sure that some of the most popular after-hours trends of the early-aughts were in full swing among each cast of ladies. And while some have long since fallen by the wayside, there are several that took a hiatus from our lexicon but are back with a vengeance today.
What am I referring to exactly? Well, think, slip dresses, strappy platform sandals, cut-out agains, attached chokers, halter necklines, and more. Essentially, the old Bachelor outfits are my 2000s fashion mood board.
Ahead, take a trip down memory lane with all the best throwback looks from The Bachelor’s early days. Embellished gowns, deep-V halters, slip dresses, and more await.
2002: The Bachelor Season 1
The first season of The Bachelor brought with it all the favorite early-aughts trends when it came to evening wear. The ladies turned it out with slip dresses, sequins, strappy platform sandals, and more.
2002: The Bachelor Season 2
Towards the end of the year, the second season of The Bachelor aired on ABC bringing with it all the trends you might see at a prom back in the day. The ladies proudly lined up in floor-length gowns boasting cutouts, sweetheart necklines, and embellishments, to name a few.
2003: The Bachelor Season 3
Season 3 of The Bachelor was all about the necklines. In simple silhouettes, all the most popular styles were in attendance, episode after episode, including the attached-choker, off-the-shoulder, and high-neck halter alike.
2003: The Bachelor Season 4
Though some opted for color during the fourth season of The Bachelor, most went for the little black dress, which seemed straight off the Calvin Klein runway, paired with strappy sandals and choker necklaces.
2004: The Bachelor Season 5
Red was the name of the game when it came to Season 5 of The Bachelor with more women choosing the tone than any other.
2004: The Bachelor Season 6
Come season 6, the ladies really started to embrace the slinky silhouette trend of the decade, be it with a cotton jersey construction, classic slip dress, or tailored satin number.
2006: The Bachelor Season 8
Though he never proposed, Travis Lane Stork handed Sarah Stone the final rose of season 8 as she stood before him in a totally sequined deep-V gown that was very indicative of the early-aughts.
2006: The Bachelor Season 9
Jennifer Wilson was presented with the final rose on season 9 by Prince Lorenzo Borghese wearing a halter V-neck gown made of embellished black mesh that checked nearly all the boxes of 2000s eveningwear trends.
