Kristen Stewart's Iconic Style Evolution

Kristen Stewart's unique style has left us besotted for decades. Even before she shot to fame as Bella Swan in the "Twilight" series, the actor blazed her own fashion trail, shunning what the world thought she should wear for authentic looks that made her feel comfortable and confident. She notably showed up for the world premiere of "Cake" dressed in skinny jeans and a tee-shirt.

But it wasn't always that way. Stewart told Harper's Bazaar U.K. in 2017 she had a tomboy style as a child, but was bullied for shunning traditionally feminine looks. "It actually really hurt my feelings, like badly. Like, I remember being in the sixth grade [aged 11] and [people would say] 'Kristen looks like a man. You're a boy', or whatever, and I was so offended, horrified and embarrassed. Now I look back on it and I'm like, 'Girl, be proud of that!'" she said.

Stewart happily returned to her innate tomboy style as she got older, but she also transformed into a bona fide fashionista whose style blossomed as much as her career. "My style is a little edgy and different. It's fun to wear clothes that show off my personality, and I feel way more comfortable and confident when I do," the star told Vanity Fair in 2016. "It's boring if I look like everyone else. I like to be different, even if other people don't like what I'm wearing," she added. And that refreshing take, in addition to her serving memorable look after memorable look, has made Stewart's style evolution truly iconic.

When Kristen Stewart first stepped onto the scene, she was a youngster who was still developing her style. In 2002, she appeared at the "Panic Room" premiere in an unassuming, all-black ensemble, including hosiery, which suggested she didn't truly know her style yet. The outfit felt too tame for a supporting actor and lacked the personality and youthfulness we'd come to expect from her later looks. But it made sense the 12-year-old didn't have a niche yet, because she still had decades in front of her to experiment.

The following year, we saw the first major step in her style evolution, though her clothing choices were still tame compared to the fashion risks she'd take later. At the "Cold Creek Manor" premiere, Stewart showed off her long, brunette locks with a striped button-down shirt and flared, light blue jeans (which were so Y2K!) with boots. Though the look still lacked personality, it was a giant step forward compared to the aging, monochrome ensemble she wore the year prior, and it made us want to style a classic flared jean for any occasion, too.

By 2007, Kristen Stewart was well on her way to becoming a superstar — and her wardrobe inched closer to reflecting that. She proved she was paying attention to trends at the Tribeca Film Festival, elevating what could've been a basic jeans and white, graphic T-Shirt look by wearing a black dress over it (another huge Y2K trend).

She upped her game again for the "Into The Wild" premiere that year too, wearing what was then one of her most stylish looks to date. Stewart began her hair transformation by dying her tresses blond and she wowed in a unique, black and grey dress with a sheer panel over her chest. It also featured a bunting-shaped hem with more sheer material. The feminine, trendy ensemble represented how the star was blossoming and finding herself but still staying true to her individuality. She was clearly opting for pieces that dipped their toe into conventional but still incorporated unique cuts and patterns.

By this point, Stewart had started working with a stylist. "The first time I ever worked with my stylist, I was 15 or 16, it was for a premiere in Toronto, and I actually wore a Chanel dress!" she told L'Officiel, in what would become a case of fashion foreshadowing.

Kristen Stewart had very much arrived by 2009. The A-list star had landed her breakout role in "Twilight," and all eyes were as much on her grungy style as her obvious chemistry with co-star Robert Pattinson. At the Sundance Film Festival, we saw the effortlessly cool, undone vibe that would become her signature when she walked the red carpet in jeans, blue sneakers, a gray top. She also gave us a masterclass in layering, as she sported a black cardigan under a bright yellow cardigan, under a leather-look jacket. It shouldn't have worked, but because it was Stewart, it did.

Later that year at the MTV Movie Awards, she took mixing casual and formal one step further on the red carpet in black sneakers and an edgy dress. Stewart wore a short, black and red number with a figure complimenting waist belt and criss-cross sheer panelling across the top of her chest. Again, she showed how effortlessly she can incorporate her personality into her looks. The shoes didn't truly suit the dress (and neither did the industrial-style belt) or the event, but Stewart's unwavering confidence once again pulled off the look.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar that year, she made it very clear she had no plans to dilute her style to fit in. "I'm like, f**k, I'm not wearing a neon-colored tube top or something pink," she said. "People think I'm trying to be rebellious, but that's the last thing I'm doing. But I would hate myself if I tried to satisfy the people who have a problem with the way I speak about myself, so it's okay," she said.

As a full-fledged star thanks to "Twilight," Kristen Stewart was a bona fide fashionista by 2012. And she wasn't afraid to show it as she began wearing some of her most sophisticated, high-end designer looks to date. At "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2" Los Angeles premiere, she wore a gorgeous, strapless, tan, Zuhair Murad gown with sheer panelling down the skirt and bodice that gave it some edge. It also featured a flattering, built-in waist belt.

She embraced another sheer look at the London premiere. That time, she had jaws on the floor in a chic black, lace jumpsuit (also by Zuhair Murad) with full sequin pants and a sultry, sheer top. The lace and long sleeves kept things classy, but the peekaboo nature of the ensemble proved Stewart was willing to take fashion risks. And this one clearly paid off.

But don't think she'd totally turned her back on her staple casual vibe. "I feel so f**king good in a pair of jeans that fit well ... I like being able to move. I like looking sturdy. I hate clothes that don't allow you to move around. Clothes can really drag you down," she told Elle Canada that year, admitting she still wasn't the fan of heels even though she'd begun wearing them regularly on red carpets. "I always feel like I'm teetering on stilts ... I so want to get down off those things," she said. Her stylist echoed that sentiment to The Cut, admitting of Stewart's aversion to heels, "It's part of her personality; I think it's fun when she does it. There are definitely times when I have to say, 'Please, please, please put the heel on just for me.'"

Kristen Stewart took her style profile to another level in 2016. She wore some of her most avant-garde looks ever, demonstrating how far she'd come since the "Panic Room" premiere. At the New York Film Festival, she had fashion lovers doing a double take in a white, structured, ruffled crop top with a single sleeve. She paired it with tailored, high-waisted pants adorned with safety pins and barely-there, metallic, open toe heels. Combined with her light blonde, long, pixie cut and pink makeup, the star gave us total New Romantic vibes, which marked another evolutionary chapter in her style evolution.

We saw yet another side to Stewart's ever-maturing look book when the beauty, who was back to brunette, attended a Chanel fashion show in South Korea. The Los Angeles native put a spicy twist on the LBD in a structured, form-fitting, wrap look made of sheer material with a pleather belt. She paired it with simple and classic, black pointed-toe pumps and added elegance and color via her deep red lips.

Stewart had been named the face of Chanel in 2013, but told InStyle her role didn't completely overhaul her wardrobe. "I have all my Chanel s**t together. Sometimes I just walk by it. My little black jacket is sitting there. I have a couple of bags that are really classic," she said. "But then I have so many things that a more daring, cooler person would wear." However, she later told L'Officiel that teaming up with the iconic fashion house did have an impact on her style. "I didn't realize until I started working with Chanel that there was actually beautiful material to mind, and sort of, like, feelings to access through clothing," she said.

In 2017, Kristen Stewart was clearly ready to have more fun with fashion, so she embraced sequins. We saw a lot of the star in multiple shiny pieces, including at a Chanel fashion show in Paris (does it get much more high fashion than that?) She wore a strapless, black jumpsuit with cropped bottoms that hugged her curves with pointed-toe, black stilettos. With her simplistic, platinum blond buzzcut, the sequins made what could've been a simplistic look feel more fun, interesting, and fit for a movie star.

She also shimmered at the "Personal Shopper" New York premiere when she slipped into a high-neck, halter top dress. Without the sparkles, the light beige number could have washed her out and become one of Stewart's outfit that missed the mark, but the sparkly embellishments kept it flattering and exciting. Stewart still let her quirky personality shine through too, as the ensemble featured a pocket on both thighs.

Kristen Stewart didn't let the pandemic stifle her style. In fall 2021, she attended the Met Gala in a unique, metallic pink, floral, ruffle jacket with a thin, black pussybow. Underneath, she wore white, wide-leg pants with a black stripe down both legs with chunky, black, platform shoes. Stewart's put her own spin on that year's theme, "In America: The lexicon of fashion," and looked every inch the superstar with her light blond ponytail and vintage, curled bangs. Only, there was one problem — a wardrobe malfunction. She recalled speaking to a group of young people at the event to People, explaining, "They look like I'm scaring them. I look down, and literally my [nipple] is in their faces. I was like, 'Okay, sorry, I'll put that away now,'" she said. Oops. "They're like, 'Who is this crazy old actress at the Met Ball?' This is going to be a story for them when they're older," she added, though she didn't seem phased by the mishap.

Later that year at the London premiere of "Spencer," there was less opportunity for a wardrobe malfunction but just as much chance of a huge fashion moment. She dialled up the glam again in a strapless, embellished dress with a sheer skirt. The elegant ensemble still had plenty of personality thanks to its 3D additions, and her metallic heels let the garment steal the show without being boring. The more demure style may have been a reflection of the movie she was promoting. She starred as the late Princess Diana, and the dress appeared to be Stewart's take on a regal ensemble.

Just when we thought Kristen Stewart's fashion couldn't get any riskier, she pulled out multiple braless looks in 2022. Ditching the bra was somewhat of a trend at the time as going braless has a host of benefits, and Stewart was leading the way. Though the Oscars are famous for over-the-top, super formal, glamorous gowns, the actor pushed the boundaries when she attended in black shorts, a black blazer, and an unbuttoned, white shirt with no bra. She added classic, black pumps, and a chunky necklace, and her long, slightly curled locks only added to her effortlessly cool vibe; a theme pushed by her stylist, Tara Swennen.

Of course, the look was Chanel, but it raised some eyebrows because it was so against the grain of conventional Oscars dressing. But Stewart didn't care. She explained the important reason she chose it to British Vogue, sharing, "I really wanted to be the most honest that I possibly could, and not feel that I'm telling someone else's story, but [instead] finding my own." She added, "It was the one opportunity to be me. I didn't want to feel placed in an outfit — I wanted to feel an elevated elegance, and [like] it's second skin. The right way to do this was to lean into 'less is more,' and allow yourself to stand in your own skin rather than put on an armor."

Stewart did the braless look in a totally different way that spring at the Cannes Film Festival. The star wowed in a matching, red, Chanel two-piece — including pants and an open cardigan that exposed her torso — with chunky, black heels. The beauty added round, yellow lens glasses, which added to its vintage, rockstar-esque aesthetic. No bra mistakes, here!

Though Kristen Stewart had previously leaned into more rebellious red carpet looks, in 2023, she embraced traditionally feminine fashion. While in Monte Carlo to celebrate Chanel, she wore a sequin white, blue, black, and brown dress with translucent, black hosiery and peep-toe heels. She added a black and gray houndstooth-print jacket, which sat low on her shoulders, potentially as a nod to Stewart's longtime penchant for adding a quirky twist to her outfits. 

Stewart wowed once again at the Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, that year. She wore an elegant, white ball gown with floral material for the straps. It was also wrapped around her waist, and the dress finished a few inches above the red carpet to highlight her black-and-white shoes. She added an outside the box, jewel-encrusted choker necklace with a bow, which gave a modern take on a classic bowtie that felt oh so Kristen Stewart.

The A-lister wasn't totally ready to leave her tomboy persona behind though. Her pulled back blond locks in Monte Carlo and her shaggy, brunette cut in Germany helped her safer looks still feel edgy.

Just when we thought Kristen Stewart's fashion confidence couldn't get higher, she took some spicy risks in 2024. She attended the "Love Lies Bleeding" premiere in a daring, black bodysuit that exposed her entire legs (though she wore semi-sheer, black hosiery). She also let a black blazer fall down her shoulders to show the top of the strappy number. Stewart added black heels to let the bodysuit shine without stealing attention, though the bold look got plenty on social media. "She's cool in her outfit. She has changed a lot," one X, formerly known as Twitter, user commented. Another wrote, "She usually gives me nothing but holy s**t she gave tonight!!! This is such a slay."

The "Charlie's Angels" star continued her daring fashion wave when she tried the notorious pantsless trend of spring and summer 2024 on the streets of New York. Stewart bared her legs again in beige, knitted hotpants over nude tights, with a similarly colored, cropped shirt, which she left unbuttoned, over a nude crop top. She added patent, burgundy heels that matched the rim of her clothing and carried a structured, black, bag. She also accessorized with chic, thin-rimmed sunglasses and rocked wet-look hair, which added to her niche, effortlessly cool aesthetic.

Stewart admitted to Net-A-Porter that year that fashion still didn't feel like her calling (though she could have fooled us) but admitted she enjoyed experimenting with her style. "If [fashion] wasn't part of the job, I would wear the same thing every day... and I wouldn't know that part of myself, which is actually kind of fun," she said. Not only is it fun, it's inspiring to see someone so determined to wear what they want, shunning the burden of worrying about what other people think.