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Zara Tindall is a royal cool-girl in crop top and cowboy boots in unearthed photo

Princess Anne's daughter was a style muse of the 2000s before she married her husband Mike Tindall


Zara Tindall wears a black top and pearl choker
Georgia Brown
Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
On 18 July 2023
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Zara Tindall's stellar wardrobe is defined by her impeccable racing fashion, a fabulous archive of head-turning headpieces and an enviable selection of glamorous garments. Yet back in the noughties, the Princess Royal's daughter was just like any twenty-something, rocking crop tops and experimenting with denim. 

Rewind to the year 2005, when Zara (née Phillips) was in the very early days of her relationship with her now-husband, Mike Tindall

Zara Phillips wears a black top and denim skirt with heeled boots in 2005. © Getty
Zara opted for a low-rise denim skirt and leather boots for the occasion

The lovebirds attended the celebrity screening of "Meet The Fockers" at the Covent Garden Hotel, twinning in black and denim ensembles. Zara epitomised the cool-girl glamour of the era, exposing her lower midriff wearing an asymmetrical black crop top complete with three-quarter sleeves, a V-neckline and open shoulder detailing. 

Zara and Mike Tindall wear black shirts and denim© Getty
Zara and Mike met in 2003 after being introduced by a mutual friend in a bar in Sydney

The accomplished equestrian, who would have been just 24 at the time, slipped into a fit-and-flare denim midi skirt, teaming her look with a pair of black-heeled cowboy boots and a quilted micro shoulder bag. 

The mother-of-three wore her blonde hair in a poker-straight style, highlighting her fresh-faced complexion with a rosy blush and lashings of mascara. 

Adding to her collection of Y2K chokers, Zara accessorised with a string pearl necklace and dainty hoop earrings. 

GET THE LOOK: 8 best cowboy boots for summer: Festival to everyday styles & more

Zara's beau Mike matched his then-girlfriend as he donned a smart black shirt and wide-leg denim jeans. 

Zara Tindall  teamed her wrap crop top with a black shoulder bag© Getty
Zara teamed her wrap crop top with a black shoulder bag

2005 was quite the year for Zara's style file. One of her most memorable looks was when she opted for a psychedelic-print shirt dress and knee-high boots for the wedding of King Charles and Queen Camilla. Adding to her 60s-inspired ensemble, the royal added a black fedora and dangling pendant earrings. 

MORE ROYAL STYLE: Zara Tindall's ultra-glamorous Princess Diana dress and platinum blonde hair was her best look ever

Zara Tindall in a shirt dress at Prince Charles And Camilla Parker Bowles' wedding in 2005© Getty
Zara Tindall looked stunning in a mini shirt dress at Windsor Guildhall in 2005

In the same year, Zara was a retro dream at Cheltenham Festival in a vintage shearling coat, black mini skirt and pinstripe tights. 

Zara Phillips Attends Day Two Of The Cheltenham Festival Race Meeting.© Getty
Zara wrapped up in a fur-lined coat and pinstripe tights at Cheltenham in 2005

The former Olympian's style has transformed dramatically since her pre-wedding days, with the royal regularly serving in the style stakes as one of the best-dressed royal ladies. 

WATCH: Zara Tindall's impeccable racing fashion

Yet ironically, Zara's zany outfits and mix-n-match trends of the noughties are going through a renaissance right now, with retro prints, full-length denim and low-rise waistlines dominating the high street. She's always been a royal It-girl!

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