A Trip Down Early '00s Fashion Memory Lane With One Tree Hill's Hilarie Burton

"I don’t know if anyone came out of the early 2000s unscathed.” 

Hilarie Burton is a great sport. While most people might shy away from the idea of looking back at their early aughts fashion choices, the actress was totally game, laughing off some of her more questionable looks (a Levi’s denim-on-denim moment that is not to be missed) and sharing some pretty amazing stories along the way. 

If you were a teenager or in your early 20s during the year 2001, chances are you remember Burton from her days working as an MTV VJ interviewing celebrities for TRL and Spring Break. If that doesn’t ring a bell, fast-forward to the year 2003 when One Tree Hill premiered on the WB. The high school drama series—cue Gavin DeGraw’s hit single "I Don’t Want to Be”—catapulted the actress and her co-stars to fame at a time when low-slung jeans reigned supreme.

While these days, Burton leads a more wholesome lifestyle on a farm in upstate New York, she hasn’t strayed too far from the spotlight. This month alone, Burton is celebrating the release of her book, The Rural Diaries; co-hosting a weekly video chat–based series for AMC with her husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan; and recently premiered her new NBC scripted comedy Council of Dads. So what better time to catch up with the star and revisit some of her memorable fashion moments throughout the years for our latest episode of Would You Wear It Now—At-Home Edition

Check out the episode below. 

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Executive Director, Entertainment

Jessica Baker is Who What Wear’s Executive Director, Entertainment, where she ideates, books, writes, and edits celebrity and entertainment features.