Dress Up Like a Grown-Up

The going-out top, a skimpy Y2K go-to, gets a chic makeover for the over-30 set

Fashion Victim or Victor?

Five chic women remember their Y2K party tops

“My most-loved top from the 2000s is a custom blue-and-white cropped baseball shirt. It’s the epitome of fashion at the time. I refuse to give it away.”—Christina Milian, 41, actress, Los Angeles

“We dressed like that because we didn’t know any better. We didn’t have access to every fashion reference on our phone like kids today. If I had, would I have worn a backless silver lamé cowl-neck halter top? Maybe.”—Lauren Santo Domingo, 47, co-founder of Moda Operandi, New York City

“I’d prefer to forget most Y2K fashion, but I loved tube tops. I used to go to Tube Top Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin. I had them in almost every color.”—Katie Sturino, 41, Founder of Megababe, New York City

“I still have all of my going-out tops. I have every sequin top, every vintage Saint Laurent and McQueen top. I don’t get rid of my favorite things. I would style them similarly to how I did back in the 2000s, with a pair of jeans and tall platform heels.”—Rachel Zoe, 51, co-CEO of Rachel Zoe Inc., Los Angeles

“My favorite was an antique fringed silk paisley scarf I found at a flea market. I wore it as a strapless top by folding it into a triangle and tying it in the back. It made me feel like Gisele.”—Rachael Wang, 38, stylist, Ojai, Calif.

—Edited from interviews by Jessica Gibbs