‘Wild child’. It’s the kind of word that sticks to a woman like a playground nickname: never chosen, always repeated. In the 2000s, the tabloid press made a speciality of reducing Lindsay Lohan’s nights out to that label, forgetting a little too quickly that she had started on a film set at twelve.

Young Black woman in a 2000s outfit, low-rise jeans and square sunglasses, on the street
The 2000s paparazzi look, all velour and oversized sunglasses
Young Asian woman on a sofa, remote control in hand, watching a film
The streaming comeback: sofa, rom-coms and all

Twenty years on, the adjective sounds dated, almost unfair. Born in July 1986 in New York, the actress is now in her forties, a mum, and one of the most cited figures whenever a moodboard summons 2000s style. What an odd path, when you think about it.

Empty old cinema, red velvet seats and a projector beam
Twelve years old, a first lead role, and the spotlight already on her

From Disney to magazine covers

Nothing really predestined this New York kid to become a phenomenon. From the age of three she went through TV commercials and then auditions, and at twelve she landed the lead in The Parent Trap (1998). Disney spotted her potential and installed her in its stable of young talent, as it had with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake before her.

Then came Freaky Friday, Mean Girls and Herbie: Fully Loaded. Her career took off, and so did her fame — with all the spotlights that come from being aimed at a teenager too soon.

Backstage at a shoot: rail of sequinned dresses, steamer and softbox
From auditions to covers: how an image is made

2000s style: the blueprint for a generation

This is where the fashion story really plays out. Von Dutch cap, low-rise jeans, velour tracksuit, oversized dark glasses and a coffee cup as an accessory: she embodied the 2000s paparazzi look, the one today’s moodboards recycle without a hint of embarrassment.

Product photo inspired by Von Dutch cap
Generated illustrative image

Her auburn mane, her freckles and her wry half-smile are as much a signature as her roles. The scandals — drink-driving, rehab stays, legal troubles — feed the wild-child legend, yet never quite erase the fascination she inspires.

Back view of a young woman in a plum velour sweatshirt and low-rise jeans in a bright room
Glow rather than matte: skin that breathes

The ‘Lohanissance’: a comeback via streaming

The real shift is more recent. After a period away from the spotlight, a marriage to Bader Shammas in 2022 and a move to Dubai, she returned to filming. Her son Luai was born in 2023.

Living room at dusk, laptop open on the coffee table, throw and mug
At home, the screening starts whenever you want

Netflix then handed her several romantic comedies — Falling for Christmas, Irish Wish and Our Little Secret — before she returned to her iconic role in Freakier Friday in 2025, alongside Jamie Lee Curtis. The media dubbed this comeback the ‘Lohanissance’, a portmanteau of her name and the word renaissance.

A calmer wardrobe, far from the sparkle

The change is most visible in her wardrobe. Silhouettes are more understated: oversized blazers, fluid trousers, neutral palettes — beige, off-white, camel, black. Logos fade; fabric speaks.

Her hair colour follows the same path: after years of blonde, brunette and red, she now wears a luminous gold, often with a curtain fringe. A transition in tune with the times, where quiet luxury has replaced flashy logos.

Woman from behind in an oversized beige blazer and loose trousers on the street
Oversized blazers and fluid drape have replaced logos

Beauty: glow rather than matte

When it comes to make-up, the lesson is clear. Over-powdered skin? Forget it. You work with light, let skin breathe and define brows without setting them in place. As for texture, a fine formula beats a full-coverage foundation: the move is to tap highlighter onto the tops of cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and the Cupid’s bow, not to spread it everywhere.

Product photo inspired by light highlighter
Generated illustrative image
Cream highlighter in a frosted glass pot and brush on beige linen
A fine texture, tapped on with fingertips over the cheekbones

Freckles, long airbrushed away by retouching, are now among the details the public tries to recreate.

Three pieces to inspire your Lohan look. An oversized blazer worn over a white T-shirt; straight or slightly loose jeans, which you’ll prefer over low-rise for a more contemporary feel; a pair of square tortoiseshell glasses. For the complexion, go for a light highlighter rather than full-coverage foundation, and keep freckles visible. When buying second-hand, check the composition label: a wool that drapes well or a thick cotton ages far better than a synthetic blend.

Stack of celebrity magazines tied up in a recycling bin at dawn
What the celebrity press was saying about her twenty years ago
Woman in a camel cardigan standing by a window in a bright flat
Public perception has changed, not just the wardrobe

Budget

Good news: recreating the overall look costs less than the original head-to-toe outfit. Expect to pay around £45 to £130 for an oversized wool-blend blazer, or £18 to £55 in a charity shop or on a resale platform, where the drape can sometimes be better. Straight jeans start at around £35 to £90; beyond that, you’re mainly paying for the cut and the fabric.

For glasses, a square acetate frame starts at around £25 to £55 at a fashion retailer, versus £90 to £220 at an optician with prescription lenses — the extra depends on your prescription and the lens coatings. For highlighter, budget £13 to £30 at a beauty counter or pharmacy, and more like £18 to £35 for a formula with certified natural-origin ingredients such as COSMOS Organic or Ecocert, in a refill or glass bottle where possible: these certifications guarantee a precise set of standards on composition, not superior efficacy. In health food shops and online, prices don’t move much, but keep an eye on the size.

The final item is colour: a luminous gold with a lived-in patina usually costs between £70 and £180 in a salon, depending on length, density and city — and you’ll need to allow for maintenance every six to eight weeks.

The ‘wild child’ label: a relic?

At forty, Lindsay Lohan is still carrying a reputation built by others. But public opinion has shifted: where the tabloids saw a lost child, many now see a woman who has weathered media overexposure, motherhood and the years without letting any of it dissolve her.

If the word ‘wild child’ still clings to her, it may be out of nostalgia: it recalls an era when the celebrity press judged young women faster than it listened to them.