The early 2000s were a confusing time in fashion. It was the age of the trucker hat, velour tracksuits, and cargo pants. But one place that never disappointed in terms of trends was the red carpet. The 2005 Golden Globes gowns thankfully skipped over the layered polo looks so many of us were experimenting with and instead kept it classy as the world was trying to figure out the defining trends of the noughties.
The '20s had the flappers, the '70s had its mini skirts and platform boots, and the '90s had a lot of melancholy teens in plaid. But what would the '00s host? We were undecided. And just like we lay-people were slightly confused as to what was in vogue in the new millennium, the red carpet hosted a stream of different looks that brought a nice array of tastes and vibes to the table.
The 62nd Annual Golden Globes strutted deep copper silk dresses next to pastel, chiffon gowns. We saw deep gem hues with mermaid skirts, and princess-like dresses with ruffled tiers. Hems both trailed far behind actresses, or were cut right at their shins for a sweet tea-length look. There was lace and there were cut-outs and elaborate draping and twisting — and there were also simple and sleek looks that called for a more minimalist vibe.
While all that might sound like a hodge-podge of styles, there is one dress that I think is the dress to perfectly sum up all the looks of 2005: Kate Hudson's silk Roberto Cavalli gown.
My reason is that it hits all the notes that made the early 2000s memorable in fashion — everything from the material, to the color, to the details and draping is spot on. For example, satin was a big "yes" during 2005's award seasons, where stars like Nicole Kidman and Mariska Hargitay also followed suit and wore the water-like body-hugging material. The color is also a huge factor, since brown and bronze shades were making their way over to the red carpet. The more shiny and silky the dress, the bigger the wow factor.
Hudson was killing it with the chocolatey-brown hue, but I'd also like to bring some attention to a super-popular red carpet trend of the era: The Xena Warrior Princess boob plate. Dresses that year had a little extra support in the chest area with bra-like outlines, creating a chic gladiator-like vibe. Charlize Theron and Hilary Swank were fans of the glamour-warrior look that year, too, propping their cleavage behind satin Hercules-esque shields.
And last but not least, let's talk about that cut-out. Take a quick (and painful) gander back to your teenage clubber days and think back to the dresses and empire-waist shirts you wore. The majority of them probably had little circle cut-outs right between the boobs, because that was risqué without being too risky. Enter Ms. Hudson, with her Roberto Cavalli gown and her tasteful cut-outs that look just like our club gear. When a trend is strong, a trend is strong. It'll make it all the way to haute couture and award season.
While this look is a little over 10 years old now, it's pretty fun to see that it doesn't feel very outdated. And isn't that the true marker of a good outfit?
