Low-rise jeans, belly-baring crop tops, and lots of accessories; Shakira‘s public wardrobe in the early 2000s was unapologetically her. After receiving her first Grammy Awards nomination in 1999, there were more eyes than ever on the Columbian singer of Lebanese descent, which makes her sartorial choices that much more noteworthy.
Impartial to the designer labels she sported, it was evident that channeling her personality came first for the singer, who famously designed the feather crop top she wore to the 2001 VMAs. If it was distressed, covered in some form of embellishment, and cropped, Shakira wore it, topping it off with her go-to accessory: a belly-dancing scarf or belt with gold tᴀssels and coins. The songstress was also not shy of experimenting with various other accessories, wearing everything from hats and headbands to layered necklaces and studded wristbands stacked on both wrists. Combined with her unmistakable blonde curly mane, it all came to be her signature look, which may not have stood the test of time, but is quintessentially everything that now defines the era.
Being not only a singer but also a performer whose powerhouse vocals and moves have the crowd dancing the night away, Shakira’s stage outfits have encapsulated the same energy. In the early years of her career, her looks struck a balance between comfort and show-stopping as she often took the stage wearing the same ensemble she’d walked the red carpet in earlier the same evening. Almost always barefoot, she would move across the stage effortlessly in both jeans and skirts. Tᴀsseled and sequined bralettes paired with airy skirts with slits have also been a mainstay in her stage wardrobe, given that belly dancing is a major part of her performances. Going on to entertain at much bigger venues and events such as the Super Bowl Halftime show in 2020, her outfits now are entirely those of a world-renowned Latin pop star, and not something she would be seen walking the red carpet in anymore. Think metallic gold leotards embellished with tᴀssels, and crop top-mini skirt combos with cut-outs and sequins, paired with knee-high heeled boots.
As her career saw a meteoric rise, Shakira’s public wardrobe went on to feature names of quite a few big fashion houses, including some from this side of the world such as Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad, and Dubai-based Furne One. Although spotted in Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, and Balmain on a few occasions, she found a favorite in late Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa. “May he rest in peace,” she once said about him in a Vogue video breaking down her iconic looks. “And I remember it with great affection because he was a great friend. And he always sorted me out every time I had an event because clothes are a tricky topic for me. He sorted me out. And, well, they still do, the people at Alaïa. I think highly of them… his style has always gelled with the female figure, with a woman who’s not very tall, so they always suited me.”
Married to Spanish star footballer Gerard Piqué, and now a mother to two children, Shakira continues to use her style as an extension of her personality. When not on stage, her casual outfits range from preppy to athletic, while still being very much Shakira.
Scroll to take a look at Shakira’s style evolution over the years.
