Christina Aguilera: The Complete Transformation Of The Pop Singer
From her "Mickey Mouse Club" days to her 2024 Las Vegas residency, Christina Aguilera has proved herself to be a powerhouse, not just vocally, but when it comes to fashion, too. Over and over, she's reinvented herself, and her style, from her early days as a pop princess to the seasoned, stage-dominating performer she is today. Whether she's wearing black and yellow chaps while she sings "Dirrty" and encouraging everyone to get "nasty," or belting out French lyrics in a red corset for the song "Lady Marmalade," Aguilera knows how to grab, and hold, attention.
While her hard-to-ignore style, hair, and makeup choices have gone through lots of changes over the years, that doesn't mean how she looks or her red carpet-outfits are what matters the most to her. In a 2021 interview with Cosmopolitan, she said, "I am really careful if my daughter is there when I am doing photo shoots. I want to make sure that when she sees Mommy in hair and makeup that she realizes that's not what's important."
There is one thing that is important to her, though. When speaking to The Las Vegas Sun about her most recent Las Vegas residency she said, "I definitely come [to this show] with a message of encouraging positivity and unifying people no matter what background you come from. I really wanted to allow people a safe space to just be who they are, on so many different levels."
1993-1994: Christina makes her debut on the Mickey Mouse Club
From an early age, it was clear that Christina Aguilera was talented. In 1990, at nine years old, she made an appearance on the show "Star Search," where she ended up snagging second place for her rendition of the song "Sunday Kind of Love." A few years later, at 13, she made her way on to "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" where she danced, sang, and performed skits along with other talented Mousketeers who would also go on to become famous, like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling. On the show, Aguilera can be seen wearing lots of '90s staples like graphic tees, denim jackets, straight-leg jeans, and floral patterns.
However, music wasn't just about showing off her vocal prowess or winning contests for Aguilera. In a 2002 interview with Rolling Stone, she was candid about the stress of her home life and how music helped her cope: "That's why I think music was so important for me. I would go upstairs and I would line up all my stuffed animals and pretend they were my audience and sing to them. Close my door and escape it," she said.
1995-1998: Christina sports simple '90s glam
By 1995, Christina Aguilera was no longer a Mousketeer, but that didn't mean she stopped chasing her goals. She continued to enter talent competitions and perform. This is also when she first started her recording career, by recording the song "All I Wanna Do" along with Keizo Nakanishi. She also recorded the song "Reflection" for the Disney movie "Mulan," which was nominated for a Golden Globe.
As Aguilera's comfort on stage grew, her style developed as well. While performing at the Golden Stag Festival in Romania, she can be seen wearing a very classic '90s glam look. In a simple black, sequin minidress and sheer black tights, Aguilera looks chic, and more grown-up than in her denim-clad Disney days. Her hair is a lighter shade of blond and her bangs are gone although she's still got bouncy curls. A dark burgundy red lip and smoky gray eyeshadow polish off the look.
In the music video for her hit song "Reflection" a year later, she pairs a bold red lip and an oversized blazer over a bright blue top. Her hair is still light blond, though notably shorter, layered, and straight. By 1998, it's clear that 18-year-old Aguilera's style was evolving away from chic basics and toward something more eye-catching and distinct.
1999: Christina steals the spotlight in tummy-bearing tops
At the age of 19, Christina Aguilera burst onto the pop music scene. This was the year her self-titled debut album came out and she topped the charts with hits like "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants." This also meant her style was in the spotlight, too. On her album cover, she wears a print crop top paired with a skirt and plenty of stacked bracelets. At the Teen Choice Awards, she wore an ultra-girly outfit that featured a hot pink cropped cardigan, a pink leopard mini skirt, and a gold belly chain. At the American Teacher Awards, she wore a more formal and subdued 'fit, but still with her signature piece of the era: a sheeny gray cropped tube top, just paired with a long skirt and a shawl. While she explores lots of different styles and types of outfits, there's one common denominator — they all show off her stomach.
Aguilera's hair is bright blond and about shoulder length at this time. Sometimes curled, sometimes straight, and sometimes crimped, (which was one of the best celebrity hair moments from the '90s, by the way) you can see that she's trying different things. Her makeup looks are shifting too, with Aguilera wearing more blue eyeshadow and lighter, more shimmery lip shades than in the past.
2000-2002: Finding a new edge in her Dirrty era
The early 2000s is one of many times that Christina Aguilera made a big style change. At 20, she was shifting her sultry but girly styles into edgier territory. Her iconic black and yellow outfit featuring a bikini top and chaps that she wore for her song "Dirrty", from her "Stripped" album is a great example of this. From ultra-strappy velvet gowns and slinky sequin dresses to cargo pants and boots, she was exploring her style. Aguilera also experimented with accessories, like denim page-boy hats, and striped scarves.
Her peek-a-boo hair color, one of the most iconic Y2K hairstyles, made its debut, with black or red layered underneath blond. She also tried tiny braids and voluminous, teased-out hair looks. Aguilera was noticeably tanner and had more piercings, and smudged eyeliner to bring her styles together.
While it may have seemed like Aguilera was having a blast style-wise, the reality of how she felt during this time is somewhat different. "I've definitely had struggles in the past with depression and anxiety. It's a constant battle to overcome a mind that is anxious, a mind that is always second-guessing," she revealed in a later interview with Health (via Hello!). "Media, at the time, was also big on pitting women against each other. And there was a bullying mentality going on in the tabloids. It's tough to look back on," she added.
2003: Christina goes showy
By 2003, 23-year-old Christina Aguilera was already reflecting on "Stripped" and some of the backlash it had received. In an interview with the Associated Press, she said, "I just think there was so much shock in it because they, people, probably expect[ed] me to come out with 'Genie in a Bottle' part two, and that's just not what I've grown to be. You know ... I never felt that I really was that, anyway, in the first place."
As she left the peak of her "Dirrty" era and the dirty girl aesthetic behind her, she started to gravitate toward looks that were more simple and clean with a touch of old-school show-girl flare. She can be seen wearing both black and white corseted dresses this year, but one of her most statement-worthy looks is a feathery-hot pink mini dress with major Las Vegas vibes.
But what stands out this year even more than her clothing choices is her hair. She made a dramatic change from bright bleach blond to bold black. Whether curled or in an updo, her dark hair is super striking and totally different from anything she's tried before. Around this time, she pulls these new looks together with plenty of smoldering eye makeup, and warm, pink blush.
2004-2005: Retro glam takes center stage
At 24, Christina Aguilera's look continued to shift away from her earlier edgy style and became softer, more feminine, and retro. At the 2004 Grammys, she wore a lavender dress complete with a statement-making jeweled collar, fringe, beads, and feathers. She paired the red carpet look with silver shoes and sparkling jewelry. At the MTV VMAs, she wore a scintillating silver dress with long beaded fringe, and silver jewelry, accessories, and heels. These looks are ultra glamorous and display old Hollywood charm in a hard-to-ignore way.
There's also a significant change in the way Aguilera does her hair, as well. Shorter, tighter curls give off a distinct Marilyn Monroe vibe, especially after she dyes her hair back to light blond from black. Bright red lipstick and softer, lighter eye makeup go right along with her new hairstyles to complete looks that ooze classy, old-fashioned appeal — and make us think she might have had a few old Hollywood glamour secrets up her sleeve.
2006-2007: Modern looks move in
In the mid-2000s, Christina Aguilera was still rocking retro looks, although they were becoming more modern. When it came to red carpet looks, she could be seen wearing glittering gowns dripping with jewels, like her nude and black 2006 MTV VMAs look. At the Clive Davis pre-Grammy awards party, she donned a simple black dress with a train, and long, soft curls. Her street style is also modern and trendy, sometimes featuring pastel sweater vests and white sunglasses.
Even though her style was softening into something more modern, retro vibes were still a big part of Aguilera's look. In 2006 she was promoting her latest album, "Back to Basics," which had a definite jazzy, old-school feel. In an interview with GQ, she said, "I really try to live out whatever I'm doing with the music in my life. Like now, even when I'm only going to be in the studio, I never go without bright red lipstick."
2008: Feminine and flowy
By 2008, the singer had hit plenty of career milestones, but she also hit a big milestone in her personal life when she gave birth to her son, Max. "My little boy breathes new life into me," she told Glamour. A survivor of domestic violence, the birth of Christina Aguilera's child also encouraged her to become more active in speaking out against child abuse. "Of course you have compassion for children, but when you have your own, you feel it on a much deeper level. So I'm motivated to speak out even more; to do more charity work; to help children find [safe] homes," she told the outlet.
Along with her renewed outlook, her style choices also took on another transofmration. Her gowns — like the glittery figure-hugging gown with sheer panels she wore to the 2008 VMAs, the flowy gray gown with glitter and floral detailing that she donned for the 2008 AMAs, and the multi-color dress she wore to promote her perfume, Inspire — became longer and flowier, as did her hairstyles.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
2009-2010: Rocking rocker chic
By 2010, Christina Aguilera wasn't just a singer, but an actress, too. In an interview with Collider, she opened up about the experience, saying, "It's different. Even though I was a performer first and did music, first and foremost, and my first love is my singing, doing this movie was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life." And Aguilera took the challenge of balancing her work life and her new motherhood head-on. "As a mother, that's your first priority," she said. "It's important for me to continue to work too, so that he can have an example of a strong woman in his life, and one that has her own passion, so that he can then have his own goals and dreams," she told the outlet.
With so much on her plate, 30-year-old Aguilera still managed to serve amazing looks. While she maintained a lot of her trademark glamour, her looks from this time have a hard, rockstar edge to them too, and feature elements like leather, rhinestones, and chain detailing.
2011-2012: Trendy simplicity
At 31, Christina Aguilera was not only a judge on the reality singing competition "The Voice," but she'd also put out a new album. Talking to ABC News, she discussed "Lotus" saying, "I really feel free and not as serious as I have been in the past. This album represents a rebirth for me, going through a few interesting years and coming out stronger. Even the title itself is symbolic of a flower that can withstand even the harshest conditions and still remain strong and beautiful. I have always been one to encourage perseverance. This album represents that."
During this period, her fashion changed, too, with many of her looks being trendy but simple in comparison to some of her past styles. The nude and black lace gown she wore to the Golden Globes in 2011 represents this change, as does the lavender ombre gown she wore to the 2012 AMAs.
"I look back at looks I've had over the years. I'm proud of myself that I had the courage to experiment with crazy hairstyles and some fashion things," she revealed to Elle upon reflecting on her past fashion choices and her journey to finding her own sense of style. "Would I do it again? No. But that's part of the learning process and getting from point A to point B."
2013-2014: Getting comfortable with herself
With a more simplified style, Christina Aguilera seemed to be mastering the minimalist style trend — in her own way, of course. While at the AMAs, she wears a white dress with side cut-outs which was reminiscent of some of her more overtly retro looks, while still being on the more low-key side. Paired with super flared-out curls and a cylindrical clutch, a lot of what made this look stand out was the subtle styling and accessories. At a Summer Television Critics event, Aguilera glowed in a coral minidress paired with nude platform shoes and combined with a pair of hoop earrings and flowing beachy blond waves.
In 2014, she took comfort to a whole new level during her second pregnancy when she showed off her incredibly cute maternity style. While performing at a KIIS FM Wango Tango concert, she rocked a simple black minidress with crochet details that showcased her growing baby bump. A slightly wind-swept updo and some tear-drop earrings pulled the whole look together.
2015-2016: Showing off curves and street style
While Christina Aguilera's overall look was more toned-down than it had been in the past, by 2015 the 35-year-old was taking risks again. She was opting for more daring and curve-hugging gowns, like the waist-accentuating black and gold ensemble that she wore to the Breakthrough Prize ceremony in 2015. Some of her other looks have a decidedly street-style feel, like the black and white bodycon dress paired with a bomber jacket, accessorized with peep-toed pumps, huge hoops, and a bright red bandana, that she wore to "The Voice" event, "Karaoke for Charity."
While Aguilera was getting bolder with her style choices, her mind was on stability. "Now I'm a mother of a 7-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter and it's very important to me to provide them with an environment to feel safe and loved. I want to give my children the gift of loving music without having to use it as an escape, like I had to," she told Today.
2017-2020: Playful and adventurous
In 2017, the 37-year-old's look entered a new era defined by playfulness. At the "Emoji" movie premiere, Christina Aguilera wore some super-bold heart-shaped glasses, along with a striped shirt, a jean jacket, and black pants with a flower print running down the leg, paired with a high pony and some big hoops.
At the Stella McCartney Autumn Presentation in 2018, Aguilera could be spotted in an all-black outfit that still maintained an element of fun despite the dark colorway. A beret, black oval-shaped sunglasses, and a thick chain necklace brought a lot of intrigue to the look.
And at the 2020 world premiere of the live-action version of "Mulan," the star took it up a notch by wearing a dress that combined bright shades of hot pink and red, which she paired with sexy thigh-high red leather boots. To bring it all together, she wore her hair in a simple but striking top knot.
2021-Present: Pushing artistic boundaries
Christina Aguilera's been a long-time champion of having a positive body image. Since 2002 when her song "Beautiful" was released, self-acceptance and fighting back against low self-esteem have been part of her message, but it didn't always come easily for her. Talking to Cosmopolitan in 2021, the 41-year-old discussed how her confidence changed over the years, saying, "I think we all have our good days and our bad days in how we feel about ourselves. Entering this business, I hated being super skinny. Once I turned 21, I started filling out a little bit, and I was loving my new curves ... [But] I have a hard time looking at the early pictures of myself because I remember feeling so insecure."
While she may have had moments of insecurity throughout her career, it never stopped her from expressing herself or pushing boundaries. In 2022, Aguilera, who's half-Ecuadorian, was excited to discuss her second Spanish-language album, "La Fuerza." "As an artist you can't stay stuck. [Trying new things] can be scary and I'm not as confident writing in Spanish as I am in English, but it's so special to me. You're never too old to learn something new," she told Billboard. And by 2024, Aguilera's style has evolved into something showy and chic, which is visible in snaps she shares on her Instagram, and in her most recent Las Vegas residency, where she wears corsets, glittery gowns, and thigh-high boots often in bold but simple colors, like black, white, red, and silver.