20 Disney Stars' Style Evolutions That Will Make You Miss The '00s
From Hilary Duff to Raven Symone, Miley Cyrus, and beyond
By Harper’s Bazaar Singapore Team - published
Butterfly clips, scrunchies, all the looks of our tweenage fashion dreams: Hilary Duff won us over as Lizzie McGuire in the early 2000s. From the super expensive bedazzled jeans she bought without her mom's permission to her matching bandanas and leather jackets, the teen's Disney show was filled with plenty of must-copy fashion moments—but her off-screen outfits were just as defining.
Currently the star of TV Land's Younger, Duff's style has come a long way from her Lizzie McGuire days. While the actress still favors trend-forward ensembles, she's managed to perfect the effortlessly chic West Coast look over the years.
Though starring on Disney's That's So Raven in the mid-aughts was hardly Raven Symone's introduction to television, the teen managed to capture all our attention with her eclectic and over-the-top fashion choices both on and off the screen. Colorful fur trim? Check. Endless bucket hats? Check. Crazy colorful animal prints? Of course. Raven helped pioneer Disney's more-is-more outlook on teen fashion.
And coming full circle, Raven returned to her Disney roots a decade later in the That's So Raven reboot, Raven's Home, which premiered in the summer of 2017. The actress has stuck to her eccentric fashion choices on the new show and in real life on the red carpet.
Miley Cyrus first burst onto the scene in 2006 as Hannah Montana. During her Disney days, she fully embraced the quintessential teen pop star look with plenty of tulle dresses, bubblegum pink, layered t-shirts, and many a denim skirt.
Since leaving Disney, Miley has infamously gone through several out-there style transformations. But currently, she's settled upon more of a tamed-down, classic look mixed in with some of her signature southern roots.
From graphic t-shirts to ultra-baggy jeans, Shia LaBeouf's Disney days were cemented by his typical early 2000s teenage boy fashion.
Now a normcore style icon, Shia LaBeouf's aestheic has won over the internet, hypebeasts, and even Kanye West's heart. His penchant for military-inspired gear, ironic sweatshirts, and dad wear is a swift departure from his Disney days.
All hail the teenage QUEEN of bad early aughts fashion. Ashley Tisdale took notes from both Paris Hilton and Barbie herself with all her over-the-top pink fashun. Tisdale committed to her ultra-girly style persona both on-screen with her roles in High School Musical and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and off-screen on the red carpet.
Tisdale has come a long way from her Disney style today. Now, the actress has found a more refined personal style, fusing together West Coast ease with East Coast glam.
At the start of Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena Gomez and BFF Demi Lovato went through the same slightly emo/punk-infused style phase. From Converse to studded belts and Avril Lavigne-inspired looks, the actress's off-screen style differed from the ultra-girly looks her character rocked on TV.
Today, Selena's look has become known for her sleek, feminine, and sexy style choices. With a Coach contract and countless magazine covers, she's more involved in the fashion world now than ever before.
A fan of menswear-inspired pieces, layering, and an emo/punk-inspired aesthetic, Demi's early Disney style was a little more edgy than her BFF Selena Gomez's. Along with her sitcom, Sonny With A Chance, and Camp Rock movie alongside the Jonas brothers, Lovato also juggled her own singing career—which seemingly influenced her emo/rocker style further.
The singer's look has since matured and now, she tends to wear sexy, body-hugging pieces that show off her curves.
Dylan and Cole Sprouse had already been acting for years before landing their own Disney show, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, as tweens. But during their time on the kid's channel, their signature matching style evolved more into each of their own personalities. On the red carpet, however, they started off strictly wearing matching button-downs, t-shirts, jeans, and of course—their on-trend shaggy haircut.
Fast-forward to life post-Suite Life of Zack and Cody and the Sprouse twins have each really gone their own way when it comes to personal style. Cole, who currently stars on CW's Riverdale, went brunette and upgraded to a more fashion-forward, dapper sense of style. Dylan, who has kept a lower profile, has instead stuck to more classic wardrobe pieces like white t-shirts, jeans, and button-downs.
During her High School Musical style era, Disney's It girl stuck to an ultra-girly uniform of ruffled dresses, lots of pink, and the graphic t-shirts that ruled the mid-2000s.
Now, Hudgens has adopted the ultimate Californian girl wardrobe filled with ethereal sundresses, straw hats, and all the West Coast cool-girl-approved brands.
Flip flops, tropical shirts y0ur dad used to wear, and faded jeans defined Zac Efron's style during his Disney years and High School Musical.
Now, the actor's style has matured to classic suits and tuxedos in neutral colors on the red carpet.
The sidekick to Miley Cyrus's Hannah Montana, Emily Osment starred as Lily on Disney's hit show in the mid-2000s. Her style at the time was tomboy meets trendy teen.
Now starring on Freeform's Young and Hungry, the actress has upgraded her style to include more classic pieces and little black dresses on the red carpet.
Inspiring screams from every teenage girl in the country, the Jonas Brothers (Nick, Kevin, and Joe) hit the scene with a skater-inspired, wannabe punk-rock sense of style in 2006. From band tees, to Converse, and yes, studded belts, the trio's look was full-on angsty teen meets boy-next-door.
Fast-forward to now and the three have all gone their separate ways (music and Disney-show wise)—but their style is still similar. Leaving behind their angsty teen era of looks, Nick, Joe, and Kevin's style has all matured to classic two-piece suits, sleek leather jackets, and elevated basics.
Starring as Disney's teen version of Paris Hilton (aka London Tipton on Suite Life of Zack and Cody), Brenda Song had the early 2000s heiress look down pat. From denim skirts, It designer bags, and trendy fads, the teen's style was the look to covet.
Since her Disney career, the actress has kept a pretty low-key profile—and toned down her style too. Now favoring minimal pieces and a neutral palette, Song's aesthetic has transformed into a more streamlined look over the years.
Zendaya's Disney years kicked off in 2010 as she landed the lead role starring in the sitcom, Shake It Up. Just 14 years old at the time, the teen's style included lots of layering while channeling the quintessential girl-next-door look.
Though her second Disney show just wrapped up this year, Zendaya's style has skyrocketed to new levels over the years. Now working with celebrity stylist Law Roach, the 21-year-old has become celebrated in the fashion world for her bold and risk-taking sense of style.
Thorne first burst onto the Disney scene in 2010, starring alongside Zendaya in the show, Shake It Up. At the time, the actress' style was very much Disney's typical bubble-gum princess look—with tutu dresses, girly ruffles, and of course—a heavy dose of pink.
Since then, the 20-year-old has already gone through several fashion phases—testing the boundaries with her risk-taking style. From lingerie-as-clothing to sleek buttoned-up suits, she's been experimental with finding her personal style and constantly pushing the envelope.
With several TV show and movie appearances under her belt, Debby Ryan first came into the Disney world in 2008. Her style was just like that of many other teens at the time: tunics over leggings, ballerina flats, and done-up curls.
A decade later, the 25-year-old's style has matured to sleek little black dresses and chic suit separates.
And Disney's most-recent alum, Rowan Blanchard, has had quite the style transformation already, despite her young age. She was just 12 years old when she began starring on Disney's Girl Meets World reboot in 2014—opting for dresses, tops and jeans, and all the wardrobe essentials of your every day girl-next-door.
Just a few years later, however, Rowan's style has elevated to budding fashion star. She's become a fixture on the front row and mastered the art of dressing like an It girl at just 16 years old.
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.