Not all 2000’s style stands the test of time equally well (dresses over pants, capri tights under skirts.. basically any Nickelodeon awards show red carpet). Devon Aoki is one of our favorite style icons from the aughts whose outfits and general fashion sense continue to hold up decades later.
Devon got her start in modeling at just 16, and quickly grew to become one of the most recognizable faces in the industry. In the 2000s she acted in various films, including 2 Fast 2 Furious, further propelling her to stardom. Oh and her dad founded Benihana AND Steve Aoki is her half-brother – who knew?
The great thing about Devon Aoki’s style, it’s generally simple enough to recreate in your own way, while still being incredibly chic. Below are 8 (of many) looks we adore from Devon which hopefully you can emulate using pieces in your wardrobe!
V-Neck Tee and Leather Mini Skirt
Here Devon is seen in a yellow v-neck in a knit, sweater-like material, with a leather mini skirt. We love playing with textures and a great way to style any leather with a contrasting texture, like a soft knit.
Jeans + Tank + Chain Belt
While we’d like to leave some things firmly in the 2000s (“freak dancing”, Twilight, cell phone “minutes” to name a few) there are other things I can get on board with bringing back. One of these is belly chains. Another is Nelly. Anyway, here we see Devon in simple jeans-and-tank look, elevated with the addition of a low hanging waist chain
Maxi Dress + Chain Belt
Another way to wear a chain/metal belt is over a maxi dress. As you can see here with Devon’s outfit, throwing a chain belt over a column dress is a great way to give it some shape
Sweater Dress + Boots + Chain Belt
Aaaand another belted outfit. Is this why Jibbs sang “Chain Hang Low” (sorry, Gen Z.. you’re just going to have to look that one up). Anyway, we absolutely adore this pairing of a sweater dress with a chain belt over it, worn with knee-high black boots
Boot Cut Jeans + Brown Leather Jacket
It wouldn’t be a 2000s outfit if there wasn’t a pair of jeans involved with a waist lower than my energy levels after dealing with people for more than 5mins.. which is to say – extremely low. We love the dark brown leather jacket as a softer alternative to black, and this is something you can likely thrift fairly easily if needed
Tank + Bootcut Jeans
Again with the low-waisted jeans. Trust me, you haven’t experienced discomfort until you’ve had to sit through an hour-long class desperately pulling these up so everyone doesn’t see straight through your buttcrack and into your soul. Okay, I know I’m not selling this outfit very well.. but ultimately fashion is discomfort and this look is hot
