At first I couldn't tell if Jennifer Lopez's latest outfit was taken on December 12, 2004 or December 12, 2024. Option 2 was the correct answer, but the Y2K denim trend she brought out of storage would help us understand the short passage of the space-time continuum.

Lopez spent a mid-December afternoon shopping on Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. The jeans she acquired at the mall were extra low-rise flares with distressing on both thighs and rhinestones on the back pockets. For a top, she chose a sheer lace jacket with a high neck, long sleeves, and strategically placed slits.

I could easily imagine Manhattan maid Lopez out shopping in this look, as could modern-day J.Lo. The distressed flare with a waistband that completely hides the hipbones first saw the light of day 20 years ago. As far as recent outfits go, this was a dramatic change from the boho chic Chloe set she wore this week for the press of Unstoppable and the backless sequined Revenge dress she modeled on Instagram a few days earlier.

Soaring platform heels, colored oversized sunglasses, and a wavy blowout completed the Thursday afternoon throwback photo. The only current detail was a suede Birkin bag, part of a collection she has cultivated as she has become a star.

At the same time Lopez was browsing the designer's shoe department at Saks, Marie Claire's fashion team was releasing a report on denim trends for 2025. Fellow style editors surveyed the runways, but saw no signs of the Y2K low-rise making a comeback. Instead, Bermuda shorts and straight legs were the most popular. We know Jennifer Lopez likes to pair them with skin-tight tops. But the New Year hasn't started yet. There is still time for the singer's one-woman vintage denim renaissance to become a trend again.