Rihanna’s style evolution: The fashion highs and beauty lows in pictures (and yes, there will be boobs)

Posted by Gilly Ferguson on 23 October 2012 19:22 Comments

Rihanna is a style icon, right! Err, wrong. It hasn’t always been this way. And we have picture proof, come see…

Rihanna (real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, fact fans) has the movers and makers of the fashion world on speed dial, with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Dontella Versace jostling to dress her (probably).

But the singer herself admits it hasn’t always been like this. Once she accidentally flashed her nipple and she had Sideshow Bob hair!

Rihanna even told Vogue (because nowadays she is very fashion and has bagged TWO Vogue covers): “When I cut my hair [in 2007] the whole sound changed, my style changed”.

Meaning she’s a lot like Samson of Samson and Delilah fame, only the exact opposite. In that Rihanna actually gets stronger and more of a super-power when she lops off her hair.

Anyway, moving on…

It’s during this time of hair cutting that Rihanna scored a number one hit with Umbrella – something Jay Z may like to put done to his rap, err, skillz - but Rihanna likes to think is more about the whole hair thing.

Since then, the singer has been careful to update and reinvent her style or, as she puts it: “Fashion has become more about taking a risk. When I am putting my looks together, I dare myself to make something work”.

Yeah, what she said.

Whatever her fashion formula, there’s no question that this Good Girl, gone fashion badass is one helluva style chameleon.

Let’s see how she did it and chart her rise to fame (plus those fashion fails) via the medium of a picture gallery. What fun!

Gallery

Rihanna NOW = short hair and very tall snakeskin boots..

But it hasn't always been like this, oh no...

The singer says: "It's important to take risks when it comes to fashion"

Even if said risks do involve bowling shoes

Sidenote: You pretty much know you're a style icon when you can make what is essentially an adult-sized denim babygro look cool...

Rihanna took a risk in wearing sheer cycling shorts to Hackney Weekend in 2012

Did it pay off? Can you pull this off? Will you even try to pull this off? Should she just pull them off and pop on some trousers?

She even wore a t-shirt with a rude word on it

SHOCKING BEHAVIOUR (it's not really, though it's also not cool to swear either, dang it)

Rihanna also basically put Boy London on the map...

...and allover her clothes, in 2012.

Hell the woman made wearing pyjamas on the red carpet a MASSIVE TREND!

Laid back Rihanna, well, laid back at a press photocall in Sydney

Even style icons wear the same clothes more than once, these strappy sandals are a favourite of RiRis. Luckily ASOS do a similar pair for £40, so everyone's laughing...

Rihanna throw a leg bomb in Stella McCartney at the LFW evening in 2012

While her Givenchy gown was a hit at the 2012 BRITs...

...the gloves didn't go down quite so well but you live and learn, eh Rihanna?

Rihanna is DEFINITELY in the thigh-high club

She basically owns the thigh-high club. Here Rihanna is looking stylish - while in London for talks to design her debut River Island collection, out in early spring 2013. Because she is a style icon, obvs.

Rihanna is so fash' she went to the MET fashion gala, wearing a liquid Tom Ford dress

The singer's not adverse to flashing some sideboob in the name of good style either

AND she can even 'do' girly! SEE! In Marchesa...

Her Jason Wu feather look was less popular. Jason, um, no woo

But even pin ups get asked to pop their top on...

...Rihanna was famously asked to cover up, after whipping her shirt off for her We Found Love video. He was a farmer. He may have regretted his decision every day since. Luckily Rihanna found love, and a top.