Alright, so I decided to give the Aaliyah style a go the other day. Been seeing throwbacks everywhere, plus, gotta admit, I always thought her look was effortlessly cool back in the day. It just felt like a fun thing to try and recreate, you know? See if I could capture even a little bit of that vibe.
Figuring Out the Vibe
First thing I did was just kinda mentally picture her style. Then I did a quick search, mostly scrolling through old music videos and photos online. Didn’t go super deep, just wanted the general feel. What stuck out to me were a few key things:
- Baggy Bottoms: Definitely lots of loose-fitting pants, jeans, sometimes track pants. Comfort seemed key.
- Smaller Tops: Often paired with crop tops, fitted tanks, or sometimes a sports bra look under an open jacket. That contrast, you know?
- Sporty Touches: Athletic wear hints, like jerseys, jackets, sneakers.
- Accessories: Sometimes sunglasses, bandanas, or beanies. Simple stuff.
So, armed with that basic idea, I figured I had enough to work with.
Finding the Clothes
Next step was raiding my own closet. I knew I had some potential pieces buried in there. Found a pair of older, wider-leg jeans that kinda fit the bill. Not perfectly Aaliyah-level baggy, but close enough for a first attempt. Then I dug out a simple black crop top I barely wear. Score. I also grabbed a plain zip-up hoodie, thinking I could wear it open.
I considered looking for a bandana, but couldn’t find one I liked, so I skipped that for this try. Figured I’d keep it simple first time around. Shoes were easy – just grabbed my regular comfy sneakers.
Putting it All Together
Okay, time to actually get dressed. I put on the wide-leg jeans first. They felt pretty good, definitely looser than my usual style. Then the black crop top. Seeing the silhouette together – the loose pants and the small top – yeah, I could see the inspiration. It’s all about that proportion play.
I threw the zip-up hoodie on over it but left it completely unzipped. It added that little bit of layering without hiding the top/bottom contrast. Looked in the mirror… yeah, not bad. It felt like a recognizable nod to the style, without being a full-on costume.
Didn’t do much else. Kept my hair simple, minimal makeup. The vibe felt more laid-back, so going overboard didn’t seem right.
How It Felt
Wearing it out for errands was interesting. Honestly, it was super comfortable. Those looser jeans were great. Felt way less restricted than my usual skinny jeans. There’s definitely something cool about the baggy pants/small top combo. It felt confident in a low-key way. Not trying too hard, just comfortable and a bit edgy.
It definitely had that 90s/early 2000s feel, which was kinda nostalgic. Made me think back to that era of music and style. It’s funny how clothes can do that, right?
Final Thoughts
So yeah, that was my little experiment trying out the Aaliyah style. It was fun! Easy to do with pieces many people might already have, or could find easily thrifting. It’s comfy, it’s got attitude. I’ll probably play around with it again, maybe find some properly baggy cargo pants next time or add some different accessories. Definitely understand why her style still gets referenced today. It just works.
