Every famous star has a signature style, and multi-award-winning singer Mariah Carey is no exception. Despite a career spanning decade, the 50-year-old composer created her image around the tail end of the ’90s, when she recorded some of her best singles, such as “Heartbreaker,” and she’s been committed to it ever since.
There’s no doubting that it was a grunge decade, but Carey eschewed it in favour of all things gorgeous. And, while Carey may not be a typical fashion icon, she has carved out her particular take on “diva” style. Hiked hemlines, cropped cords, and vintage Levi’s were three mainstays in her ’90s wardrobe. From thigh-grazing side-split dresses to strapless sequined minis, Mimi injected a healthy amount of glitz into every outfit — both on and off the red carpet. We take a look back at Mariah Carey’s greatest style hits from the 1990s.
That isn’t to say Carey couldn’t be dressed down, albeit in a limo and private plane type of way. There are allusions to the decade’s more informal staples, such as cut-off waistline jeans and bomber jackets worn loosely off the shoulders. Mimi dressed up a simple cardigan by pairing it with anything from Clueless-style plaid skirts to jeans and a vest top. Whether on or off duty, she was and is always impeccably coiffed.
You have to respect a woman’s unwavering confidence and vision in wearing anything she wants simply because it makes her feel good and she looks unabashedly stunning in it. Carey dresses at her leisure. When you have the opportunity to stand out, why would you want to blend in? Her attitude to clothing is similar to her approach to interior design in that it’s all about finding her comfort zone.