The forgotten 2000s wardrobe staple having a well overdue renaissance
For millennials, the last few years in fashion have been dizzying, to say the least.
After being shamed out of our skinny jeans, we've watched in bewilderment as the styles we wore to death in our childhoods and teen years, long ago banished from our wardrobes, have crawled back into vogue.
Low-rise jeans! Capri pants! Enormous handbags! Bucket hats! Tiered skirts!
A lace-trimmed cami *and* low-waisted jeans... remind me what year it is...? Getty
Many of these have left us collectively cringeing (are we really doing coin belts again...?), but as someone who came of age in the early noughties, I have to say the latest mini-revival is bringing me nothing but warm, fuzzy nostalgia.
Enter stage left: the lace-trimmed camisole.
For those not old enough to remember its halcyon days, the 'cami' was an inescapable wardrobe staple circa 2003-2008 – but compared to its more out-there contemporaries (velour tracksuits, etc) it's largely slipped under the nostalgic radar.
Plain versions were popular, but it was the camisoles trimmed with lace and/or fancy embroidery that really had our hearts.
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'Jeans and a nice top' for 2025. Getty
Whether it's slinky or a cotton basic, the cami is well and truly back. Getty
Trends are said to operate in 20-year cycles, so its return in 2025 has arrived smack-bang on time.
If you were there the first time around, you likely owned a few camis – perhaps a slinky, silky version for your 'jeans and a nice top' occasions, and cotton ones for daily wear.
You see, the cami's versatility well and truly shone when it came to that other oh-so-2000s aesthetic: layering.
Oh, how we loved to layer. Was there anything more chic (in our minds) than a lace cami peeping out from under a V-neck top, bolero or cropped cardigan?
Or maybe you were committed to layering multiple camis, allowing the contrasting lace hems to stack up over your flared jeans or denim miniskirt?
(Suffice to say, there was only one way to complete the look: a completely non-functional belt worn nowhere near your waistband, and a statement necklace.)
Millennial TikTok creators @overthemoonfaraway, @fancypantz707 and @itskatesteinberg have immortalised the lace cami layering of the early 2000s. TikTok
In a development I find strangely comforting, fashion girls are also layering the lace camisoles of 2025 – some things never change, etc – though the look is slightly different.
In many cases, the cami 2.0 is designed with a long aymmetrical hemline that flows out from under a jumper or t-shirt, adding visual interest to an otherwise simple outfit.
Camis have already emerged in stores, and the garment's presence in street style photos from Fashion Week in New York, Paris, Copenhagen and Milan in recent weeks indicate it'll soon be on its way to peak saturation.
Millennials, it's our time to shine.
An example of how the lace cami is being layered in 2025 - note the long asymmetric hem. Getty
Getty
Shop the lace cami trend:
Witchery lace trim camisole, $129
Atmos & Here Tiana Lace Trim PJ Cami Set, $59.99
Decjuba Bella Lace Cami, $59.95
Lover Liora Linen and Lace Cami, $40
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