Whether he is napping, snarling, or looking sad, Ben Affleck has found himself as solid gold meme material. And we can’t get enough.
The consistent stream of moody paparazzi photos that the internet has been blessed with from the 49-year-old actor has not slowed down as he re-kindled his love with Jennifer Lopez, getting married in Las Vegas with a midnight ceremony at the iconic Little White Wedding Chapel.
However, there was a time when the actor was known for more than his perfectly sculpted grimace on the internet, a time when we stanned him and J-Lo for their couple fashion. And that time was when they first emerged as a couple in the early 2000s.
We might currently be in the golden age of celebrity couples, with A$AP Rocky and Rihanna leading the pack followed by the cringe Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox, the surprising match-up of Zoe Kravitz with Channing Tatum, and the ever-entertaining marriage between Justin and Hailey Bieber; but Bennifer was one of the couples that walked so that these could run.
Covering magazine pages with their paparazzi shots and public displays of affection, they were one of the biggest power couples of the early 2000s. Complete with bad nicknames and an obsessed tabloid following, they come from an era that birthed posh and becks, and Brangelina.
During the first iteration of “Bennifer,” which ended in 2004, the two provided some of the most iconic Y2K fashion moments, and our ongoing obsession with the era has granted a re-examination of the velour tracksuits, tinted sunglasses, and khaki pants that made them style heroes.
Check out our favorite Bennifer fashion moments from the early 2000s below.
Scroll down for the best moments from Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s 2000s style
Sorry, no paparazzi please
If you want visual evidence of the media storm that Bennifer managed to conjure up in the early 2000s, then here you have it. Stepping out from a chauffeur-driven car surrounded by fans wanting autographs and photographers wanting to be featured in tabloid newspapers, this picture looks more like a movie still that belongs on Pinterest.
The happy couple is only adding to the photo with their outfits, Lopez’s combination of a baby blue fur jacket with rimless tinted-lense sunglasses is peak Y2K. Meanwhile, leading in front, Afflecks now-famous snarl is still in the development stage as he side-eyes the surrounding crowd but his full beige look is spot on.
The only acceptable example of a blazer with a hoodie
Maybe I’m too much of a traditionalist, but suits with sneakers or a hoodie are not my bag. However, I’m going to have to let Affleck off with this one. The combination of a tight-fitting hoodie, corduroy blazer, and mid-wash jeans looks so dated that its ghastliness is its appeal.
On the other hand, JLo’s look has aged like a fine wine, pairing knee-high leather boots with a short skirt, and a black leather jacket, we have probably all seen a variation of this look walking around Soho in the spring.
Affleck’s on smoke
Sure, Ben Affleck’s combination of a sheer shirt with a white tank top is sublime; and so are Jennifer Lopez’s low-rise jeans. But the star of the show here is undoubtedly hanging from Affleck’s bottom lip.
Precariously perched at the side of his mouth, his cigarette acts as an accessory that elevates this from being another beige-colored outfit to an image regularly circulated on mood board Instagram accounts.
A duplet of bootcuts
The tide has officially turned on bootcut trousers and Bennifer has reached the point where they are back in fashion with this look. If anyone is able to source those cargo pants that Affleck is wearing, please get in touch (for now, I’m making do with the Gramicci pair linked below).
Despite his cargo pants winning me over due to their pocket placement, JLo steals the show in this picture with her matching bucket hat and cropped jacket.
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