So Nostalgic
25 Years Ago, Jennifer Lopez Wore Her Most Underrated Look
Credit where credit is due.
Jennifer Lopez served many iconic looks in her decades-long Hollywood tenure — especially in her early years. I mean, who could forget the tropical-print Versace dress she wore at the turn of the millennium? Or the sultry brown Gucci gown she wore alongside Ben Affleck at their Gigli premiere? Even the cowboy hat-and-bra she wore at the MTV VMAs in 1998 got mileage.
Though these ensembles have gone down in fashion history, one of J.Lo’s best red carpet looks ever (IMHO) has, somehow, been slept on for over two decades. Let me take you back to the year 1998.
Before she was “Jenny from the Block,” Lopez actually got her start as an actor. In 1998 — one year after her she starred in the 1997 biopic Selena— a lesser-known Lopez attended the MTV Movie Awards wearing what I believe to be one of her best-ever ‘fits. The glitzy ensemble would foreshadow her future as a style star — and, boy, was it bright.
Donning a crop top and skirt combo (a hit even then), Lopez walked the carpet in a metallic, chainmail halter top and a low-rise leather maxi skirt. Tying the metallic look together were her silvery heels and matching jewelry.
While her ‘fit was decidedly saucy (especially for that era), her hair was much more playful. She crimped her hair and styled it in an updo, punctuating the look with crystal-encrusted clips. And I’d be remiss not to point out her ‘90s-style brows.
After this moment, chainmail was cemented as a celebrity favorite, soon appearing on every early-aughts style star in the game. In 2000, Britney Spears wore a look-alike top to a pre-Grammys party. Two years later, Paris Hilton famously wore a chainmail dress for her 21st birthday, with a similar cowl neckline.
Over a decade later, siblings Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian would both revive the chainmail dress. Meanwhile, celebs like Emily Ratajkowski, Bella Hadid, and Lenny Kravitz have all worn nearly identical versions of J.Lo’s original top.
Ratajkowski wore a similar ‘fit to a New Year’s Eve party, while Hadid wore a silver top and matching skirt look for her 20th birthday. More recently, Kravitz duped the look in a cowl neck top and leather pants at the 2022 Grammys.
Her impact.
