Make Some Noise
20 Years Ago, Hannah Montana Invented Y2K's Most Chaotic Fashion Trend
It girls like Kim K and Elsa Hosk are leaning into the style today.
As a fashion girl constantly poring over runways or scrolling FashionTok for inspo, I can say with absolute certainty that I learned the best style lessons from watching Disney Channel in the 2000s. Lizzie McGuire taught me that repeating outfits wasn’t something to be ashamed of, while High School Musical made me question why I should settle for boring when I can be fabulous.
The most valuable lesson, however, came from Hannah Montana. In each episode, whether it was Miley Stewart or her pop star alter ego, the outfits proved that fashion should be fearless and fun — style rules be damned.
Hannah’s Fearless Layering
After the show premiered in 2006, Hannah Montana became the poster child for Y2K fashion, which was chaotic and OTT in the best way. Sure, other celebs — including fellow Disney star Ashley Tisdale — had already been leaning into the layering trend on red carpets. (Tisdale wore so many skirt-over-pants combos, I can’t even pick a favorite.) But Hannah Montana scaled it and gave it longevity.
Over four seasons and a movie, Miley Cyrus’ characters often layered tops in unexpected ways. Whether it was a stack of tanks, blouses over contrasting sleeved pieces, or vests over whatever, the show expanded styling possibilities.
Bottoms were the same story. Hannah loved layering skirts or dresses over pants. And if she wasn’t doing that, she was wearing skirts with ruffled tiers. It marked an era of more-is-more fashion. Why choose between two things when you can wear the best of both worlds? (Sorry, had to.) Even her accessories were a maximalist potpourri — you never knew what or how many she was going to wear.
Her Style Still Slaps Today
Two decades later and Hannah’s legacy continues. Apart from TikTok users clamoring to recreate her looks, It girls have also been tapping into the Y2K renaissance. Bella Hadid, Anne Hathaway, and Kaia Gerber have been spotted wearing skirts over pants, while Elsa Hosk, Amanda Seyfried, Sofia Richie, and Gigi Hadid went the dress-over-pants route in recent years.
The main difference: Unlike the colorful, chaotic stylings of yore, their takes were sleeker, more streamlined, and grown-up.
Tops are also being reimagined with a 2000s flavor. Kim Kardashian, for example, leaned into Disney Channel layers in multiple tank tops over a shirt (over a long-sleeved top).
Renaissance? More like Hannah-ssance.
