12 reasons why Zara Tindall should be your style icon of the 2000s

The 2000s are officially back. On the catwalk, designers swapped ’90s grunge, ’80s bold shoulders and ’70s flares for Y2K-era cropped skirts, low waists and flowing fabrics. Blumarine has been delivering the ultimate fairytale fantasy since 2020, Dolce & Gabbana looks back on their millennium heyday for the AW21 collection, and Miu Miu broke the internet with this ultra-mini set for SS22, and continued to riff on it for the new season.

While Paris Hilton blazed the trail for Juicy Couture tracksuits, barely there skirts and denim at the dawn of the internet age, the likes of Mia Regan, Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid hailed the social media superstar in twinkling on the scene in recent months. However, there was another unlikely icon of 2000s trends that many overlooked; Zara Tindal.

Born in 1981, the daughter of Princess Anne and Mike Phillips, Tindall was only 19 at the turn of the century, the ideal age to experiment with the codes of new age style. Tapping into trailblazing trends that resurfaced two decades later, Tindall was an authentic 2000s girl, and here’s why:

The nuances

Shield shapes, translucent styles, and frameless designs; you name it, Tindall wore it. Adding instant chic to any ensemble, Tindall threw some serious shade at the turn of the year and we’re here for it.

fluffy boots

The girls of the year 2000 were all about kitsch, and Tindall was no exception. One of her ultra-cute recurring favorites was a pair of fur-lined, packable boots. In suede, supple, with laces and wedge heels, these remarkable mid-calfs deserve another outing.

The mini bags

Fendi first released the Baguette bag in 1997, but its global popularity came three years later when Sarah Jessica Parker touted the stylish piece, saying, “It’s not a bag, it’s a Baguette! ” to a perplexed aggressor. In turn, handbags everywhere seemed to shrink while remaining elegantly wide, and Tindall had a myriad of bags in this style to boot.

Shearling jackets

Of course, shearling jackets were all the rage at the beginning of the century. Cosy, cute and comfortable, style meets practicality perfectly when you wear a wool-trimmed coat. Tindall’s 2000s winter looks often featured a sheepskin number, whether beige, brown or black, and this royal certainly knew how to wear it when attending the Christmas church service at Sandringham or for cheering on the runners at Cheltenham.

Sewing