15 of Kelly Clarkson’s American Idol looks, ranked by ’00s-ness

On American Idol season 1 finale night, Kelly Clarkson sang “Before Your Love.” She hadn’t won the show yet but it’s pretty clear that she was the leader of the entire show in terms of competition. Kelly sang three songs on finale night, changing up her look for each song in subtle ways.

When it came to “Before Your Love,” Kelly wore her hair down and curled. Her chunky blonde highlights weren’t as obvious because of the hairstyle but they were still there in all their ’00s trendy glory. Her makeup also gave away hints about the era, especially her dark lips with even darker liner.

As far as Kelly’s outfit was concerned. the American Idol winner went casual for the finale night performance. She paired a fitted black tank top with faded black boot leg jeans, further proving that there was no other cut available for those who bought pants during that time.

Considering the incredible popularity of skinny jeans now, the comfort and extra material involved in a pair of boot cut jeans seem comforting. It’s hard to see exactly what Clarkson is wearing on her feet but her shoes are dark. Given the insane popularity of chunky soled, mid-calf boots back then, it’s a safe guess that she had a pair on that night.

Kelly sang two other songs on finale night. Each time, she took the bare bones that were this outfit and added or took away, transforming just a little bit but still very much rocking the hottest trends of 2002.