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.
