Justin Timberlake *Knows* That Denim Suit He Wore in 2001 Will Haunt Him Forever
That outfit is truly iconic...and so, so tacky.
The fashion statements at award shows are usually memorable, but the 2001 American Music Awards goes beyond.
On January 8th, 2001, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears turned the red carpet into their own fashion show after matching from head-to-toe in all-denim outfits. It’s clear that tacky 2000s fashion will never leave our memory, especially when the pop princess is involved. Between his light-wash tuxedo paired with a cowboy hat and her bustier patchwork dress paired with accessories, we can see why Timberlake wants to move past his infamous outfit—even if he has claimed he doesn’t regret it.
The “Can’t Stop the Feeling” artist, now 40, appeared on The Hollywood Reporter’s songwriter roundtable on February 1st and mentioned the 20-year anniversary of this look and how maybe it would be nice to just…move on.
“I confess that there was maybe a period in the ’90s where I could skip over some of the outfits that were public, but the internet will never,” Timberlake said. John Legend, who also attended the roundtable, teased him by saying, “Denim on denim on denim on denim that will never be forgotten!”
Timberlake responded, Thanks, John. Uh, no, the internet won’t allow me to forget them. So it’s all good.
He’s right. The internet and many of its users, like Hollywood auction pro Nate Sanders, won’t let him forget those outfits. Sanders shared an auction with Spears’ one-of-a-kind denim dress in 2016, calling it a high-ticketed auction item. It eventually sold for more than $7,000. And these outfits have inspired new takes, as well: At the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, Katy Perry and Riff Raff paid homage to the Y2K ‘fit by sporting an all-denim look.
Timberlake, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday, isn’t totally fashion illiterate, though. He has a fashion line with his childhood best friend and business partner, Trace Ayala. The American clothing line, William Rast, is named after their grandfathers and includes men’s and women’s jeans, outerwear, knits and more. This clothing line, unlike some of Timberlake’s past fashion faux pas, is right on the money with being cool and timeless.
Although we probably won’t ever see Timberlake recreate his fashionable ‘fit from the 2000s, we can always live in the moment with these memories. Sorry, JT, we won’t be forgetting this one any time soon.
