Ariana Grande’s Style Evolution, From 2009 to Now

Only one name comes to mind when you see an outfit comprised of an oversize sweatshirt, a high ponytail and thigh-high heeled boots: Ariana Grande.

Over the past decade, Grande has defined pop culture — not just through her eight Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles and her five Billboard 200-topping albums, including 2018’s Sweetener, 2019’s thank u, next and 2020’s Positions, but also through her ever-evolving style and glam. When she burst onto the scene with hits like “The Way” (with Mac Miller) and “Baby I” back in 2013, the powerhouse vocalist channeled the doo-wop flourishes of her Yours Truly LP through an affinity for ’50s-style dresses, a wavy half-up-half-down ponytail, and sky-high pumps — a far cry from the fiery red tresses she rocked while she was still on Nickelodeon.

By the following year — which brought forth her blockbuster My Everything album — Grande swapped all that for cat ears, an even higher ponytail, skimpy onstage leotards and, of course, her trademark oversize sweatshirt/thigh-high boot combo. 2016’s Dangerous Woman era brought yet another shift in style for the two-time Grammy winner. To complement her edgier, raunchier lyrics, she traded the cat ears for Playboy-esque latex bunny ears, a bustier-slacks combo, and a black choker. For her next record — the Grammy-winning Sweetener LP — Grande shocked fans and went platinum blonde. Her wardrobe didn’t change that drastically during this era, but for the following year’s thank u, next, she opted for darker color palettes across the board. As for Positions, the “34+35” singer shifted to honey brown hair and drew on ’60s glamour, with floral tones and big hair taking center stage.

As Grande gears up for the next phase of her career with her Eternal Sunshine album and the forthcoming Wicked films, check out how her style has evolved over the years.