Ariana Grande's Style Transformation Has Been Absolutely Stunning

Few celebrities have undergone a style transformation as dramatic as Ariana Grande's. The "Into You" hitmaker has long been committed to representing her eras via her clothes, regularly changing her aesthetic to serve as a visual manifestation of her latest career move and/or life chapter. As such, Grande has worn several outfits that carried a lot of meaning. Beyond that, her aesthetic has influenced countless people across the globe; she was crowned the star with the most influential style according to 2022 Google search data when "Ariana Grande outfits" was searched an average of 31,000 times a month (via Fashion Network).

The actor and singer has also been an outspoken advocate of boundary-less fashion. "I don't really believe that clothing has any specific [gender]. I don't really like stereotypes, or any sort of 'boxing' of women, men, or people, in general," she told Allure. "There's no type of ... 'Oh well, if she wears that, she must be this,'" she added. And we've seen that a lot throughout Grande's iconic style evolution, as she's transformed from Cat Valentine cute, to "Dangerous Woman" sultry, to Glinda The Good Witch glam before our eyes.

Ariana Grande had a sporty aesthetic when she first entered the spotlight. Before landing the gig on Nickelodeon that would make her a household name, she appeared in the stage show "13" in 2008. Given that she was just a teenager, she was often seen wearing clothes that were decidedly more casual and practical than we'd come to see in the height of her career. That included Grande (who looked so different with her natural hair) being snapped in a patterned, purple hoodie over a red t-shirt and jeans. 

Later that year, the up-and-coming performer wore matching outfits with her "13" cast-mates for an event at Planet Hollywood. Grande was snapped in a blue and white baseball top with the number 13 over her chest, which she paired with skinny jeans (a major trend at the time). We still saw a little of Grande's personality shine through though. She paired the garments with suede, knee-high boots, dark nail polish, and a stack of bracelets, which gave us an early insight into how she'd grow to express herself through fashion.

Fans saw more of Ariana Grande's glamorous side in 2010. At the time, the star was finding mainstream success portraying Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon's "Victorious" and embraced more dresses and heels as she began regularly walking red carpets. At the 2010 Kid's Choice Awards, she strut her stuff in a flirty yet age appropriate white mini dress with large embellishments across the chest. She paired it with simple, platform nude heels and Cat's signature hair hue; deep red.

At the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, the actor (who was yet to kickstart her singing career) wore a body-hugging, nude dress with metallic accents. Though the dress was fun and youthful, she paired it with more grown up, patent black pumps and pantyhose — a look that was very of its time. The fun top half and more serious bottom signified a juxtaposition in Grande's life at the time, as the teenager was growing up fast in an adult environment. 

Speaking to TV Guide that year, Grande opened up about the style icons that influenced her wardrobe. The star shared she was a fan of Celine Dion's superstar glam concert dresses and Audrey Hepburn's classic elegance. Grande would go on to channel Hepburn's outfits multiple times throughout her career.

Ariana Grande's style was overtly feminine in 2011. The star's go-to red carpet vibe included a lot of A-Line dresses, like the light pink number she wore on the T.J. Martell Foundation Family Day red carpet. The glitzy, knee-length, strapless, dress had iridescent sequins over the bodice and a flouncy, satin skirt. The sequins and satin peep-toe heels gave the look a modern feel, while the shape of the skirt, pantyhose, and the half-up, half down hairstyle with a bow added vintage flair to the star's aesthetic.

Grande, whose locks were a darker shade of red, also wore a girlie dress to that year's KIIS FM's Wango Tango event via a floral, green, pink, and white strapless number. She paired it with matte, nude peep-toe heels and showed off a delicate, light pink mani and pedi. We also saw the start of her love for ponytails, as she pulled her dark locks back into an over the shoulder 'do.

The following year, Grande told ClevverTV she'd started working with "Project Runway" fashion designer Kenley Collins. "We're definitely going to do more together," she teased. Grande wore one of Collins' dresses (a white dress with a pastel macaroon print and a voluminous mesh underskirt) to the 2012 Teen Choice Awards.

By 2013, Ariana Grande had made her foray into the music world with her debut album "Yours Truly." We saw a shift in her style that reflected her career change and Grande's looks became more grown up as she entered her 20s. At the 2013 American Music Awards, she wore one of her most sophisticated outfits to date; a deep red, sequin, long gown. We also saw her adopt her signature pop star hair via the notorious long ponytail. Though Grande was still involved with the "Victorious" spin-off "Sam & Cat," she ditched Cat Valentine's red hair in favor of a voluminous, latte-toned 'do with darker roots.

The star opened up about her hair change on Facebook, explaining she'd been wearing wigs and ponytails because her tresses had become so damaged from repeated dying. "So as annoying as it is for y'all to have to look at the same hair style all the time, it's all that works for now (AND I'm comfortable for the first time in years).... And trust me, it's even more difficult for me to have to wait forever for my natural hair to grow back and to have to wear more fake hair than every drag queen on earth combined," she wrote in early 2014. "So PLEASE gimme a break about the hair (or just don't look at me lol). IT'S JUST HAIR AFTER ALL."

That same year at the Billboard Music Awards, the actor turned singer wore a shade she hadn't worn a lot to big events so far — black. Grande wore a short, strapless dress with a sheer corset bodice and silver and black embellishments. She also gave us monochrome inspo by pairing the glitzy number with simple, platform pumps.

Ariana Grande's fashion was decidedly sultrier by 2014 as she entered her "My Everything" era. Her second album was more mature and R&B leaning than her debut, and that was reflected in the slinky fit she wore during her 2014 American Music Awards performance. The singer wowed in a see-though, black lace dress with a fishtail bottom. Proving she was more grown up (the star celebrated her 21st birthday in 2014), she paired it with a sophisticated, deep red lip. But while Grande was clearly reaching for more mature pieces, there was still an element of fun in her wardrobe.

The "Save Your Tears" hitmaker developed a penchant for skimpy, flirty two-pieces on stage, including the bedazzled, red, crop top and high-waisted micro shorts ensemble she wore at KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2014. She paired it with fluffy cuffs, which made it clear she didn't take fashion too seriously, but proved she'd learned how to dress for her figure. Also a staple in her style file? Cat ears. The star was regularly spotted in the playful headbands, which made it clear she was still having fun with fashion.

Grande later admitted the clothes she wore in the height of her popstar era were intentional to create a persona. "I like having my funny character that I play that feels like this exaggerated version of myself. It protects me," she told Vogue. She later clarified to British Vogue, "My pop persona is such a characterized version [of me] on its own."

Quiet luxury certainly wasn't the name of Ariana Grande's style game in 2015. The now fully fledged pop star wore a lot of loud, logomania looks as she dominated the airwaves and took more fashion risks. At an MTV VMAs after party, the star, who had started wearing her hair in buns, was decked out in designer duds in a gaudy, heavily branded Moschino dress on top of over-the-knee, black boots. She paired the fashion-forward ensemble with red lipstick and made a rare deviation from her ponytail with a large bun, leaving the rest of her dark hair to fall past her shoulders.

That year, she also stepped outside the box via her strapless mini dress at the American Music Awards. The singer gave a nod to her old staple print as her dress featured a floral bodice and a light pink ruffle over her torso, but the bottom half was more in line with her new style. The dress featured a sheer, black, lace skirt that was sultry yet flirty. The event marked the first time she'd worked with celebrity stylist Law Roach, the man behind some of Zendaya's trendiest outfits. "It was such a great way to start the relationship because it was Haute Couture! It is so special when the dress is one of a kind and is never going to be worn again," Roach told Teen Vogue of the dress.

In 2016, Ariana Grande entered her "Dangerous Woman" era, which housed her sexiest and most mature album yet. That was reflected in her clothing, including the vintage inspired, pink ballgown, dazzling necklace, and fur-look wrap she wore to perform at the 2016 MTV Movie Awards. The satin number's long train gave us Marilyn Monroe vibes but didn't feel costume-y. To this day, it is arguably one of the most sophisticated red carpet outfits in Grande's style file. "I've always loved Old Hollywood glamour. Like, Marilyn [Monroe] and Audrey have always been my references," she'd tell "Access Hollywood" a few years later.

That same year, Grande wore a slinky, red gown with spaghetti straps to the Grammys, which confirmed she'd come a long way from her days walking the red carpet in floral A-Line dresses. Law Roach opened up about why he and Grande chose the mature number, which was one of the "Problem" singer's classiest ensembles. "She had a break from doing carpets, so the Grammys was the first red carpet she had done in a while. She was open to try different things," he told Teen Vogue. "... It was sexy, but silent."

Roach also spoke about how Grande's fashion had matured. "She is evolving into a fashion girl, and is changing. She is 22 and growing into her womanhood," he said. "Her new music has evolved and so has her look. That's what you get as you grow as an artist and from a young girl into a young woman."

Ariana Grande became the face of the oversized fashion trend that dominated 2018. The star regularly embraced the big and slouchy aesthetic via her streetwear, including when she was snapped with her now former fiancé Pete Davison on the streets of New York. The iconic photo showed the "We Can't Be Friends" singer wearing a long, yellow hoodie as a dress, pairing it with taupe, thigh-high stiletto boots and a Louis Vuitton crossbody bag. Grande's various oversized hoodies and sweatshirts helped popularize the lampshading styling method (which involves teaming an oversized top with tall boots). Lyst reported online searches for oversized hoodies rose 130% in 2018 thanks to the star's accessible yet fashion-forward ensembles..

But that wasn't the only way Grande popularized the oversized look. While out in Los Angeles that year, she adopted a sportier vibe as sportswear and athleisure trended. She paired a light blue puffer coat with red lining over grey leggings and sneakers, which complemented her new, much lighter hairdo. Grande said "thank u, next" to dark locks and instead wore a long, ashy blond ponytail, which proved Grande can rock any hair color. The style matched the aesthetic of her 2018 album "Sweetener," as she sported a similar hair hue on the cover.

Ariana Grande looked totally different in 2023 as she entered her 30s. She sported warmer blond hair, which she dyed after landing the role of Glinda in the two "Wicked" movies. She also ditched the sporty, oversized pieces for fitted and sophisticated ensembles in line with the trending quiet luxury aesthetic. While out in New York, she wore a striking red lipstick and a sleek, black, midi dress with pointed toe heels that gave Audrey Hepburn vibes. She was also spotted in London in a simple and elegant gray crop top and high-waisted midi skirt that were effortlessly understated and didn't draw attention to her like so many of her past looks.

The drastic style shift between 2018 and 2023 mirrored a few changes in the singer's life. In 2020, she began working with a new stylist, Mimi Cutrell, and underwent serious upheaval in her personal life. In addition to the world slowing down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she got engaged to Dalton Gomez. The two married in 2021, but announced their divorce two years later. With more life experience behind her, and without a glossy new project to promote, it's no surprise Grande's outfits were decidedly more sophisticated and less showy than her previous glam pop star ensembles. Her new aesthetic made sense given Grande's frame of mind. Writing on Instagram Stories at the end of the year, she told fans (via Women's Health U.K.), "[2023 was] one of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special years of my life."

It was all change once again for Ariana Grande's style in 2024. As the star geared up to promote her role as Glinda (aka The Good Witch) in the two-part "Wicked" movie, she teased she'd be tapping into the character's aesthetic. "Mimi [Cutrell] and I have been having so much fun brainstorming together, we can't wait," Grande told Vogue of her upcoming looks. "Plenty of pink to look forward to, of course! But there are so many gorgeous Ozian elements to play off of. We will make Glinda proud," she added. And she did. She let her character's uber-feminine, sparkly persona take over and told British Vogue, "Pink was never really a part of my life until I started collecting a lot of pink pieces during the audition process three years ago ... Now I love the colour pink and it feels like part of me. I think it's something I'll be forever intertwined with in a very special way."

Grande's newfound pink passion was obvious via her many Glinda-coded outfits during the first movie's promotional trail. At the Academy Awards, she wore a light pink, strapless gown that made a serious statement. The bold, skin-tight number had a long train and large pieces of material over her hips that looked almost dreamlike. Gone was the straight, slicked back hairdo too in favor of softer romantic, curls. That same year, Grande channeled Glinda again at the "Wicked" world premiere. The "Don't Look Up" star wore a strapless, darker pink, satin gown with a peplum and perfectly matching shoes. She paired it with a simple and elegant choker necklace and understated makeup, which ushered in a more classic and womanly style era for the star.

After wrapping filming on "Wicked" and "Wicked: For Good," Ariana Grande appeared to be de-Glinda-ing her wardrobe. The singer returned to her signature brunette locks in October 2025 and, although her fashion aesthetic still showed some signs of pink and tulle (likely for the press tour), there was a noticeably darker shift in her style overall. During the "Wicked: For Good" Q&A at the California Film Institute, she wore an oversized black suit, which was a far cry from the overtly bold, shiny, Glinda-inspired ensembles she'd worn to previous "Wicked" events. Grande also wore black at the "Wicked: For Good" European premiere, swapping glitzy, extravagant, pink pieces for a dramatic, embellished, black ballgown with sheer three-quarter sleeves. "With the first press tour, I kind of wanted to celebrate Glinda in a more on-the-nose way. And now, I can kind of show up as the actress that played her and play into the darker tones of the movie," she explained to The Cut of the shift in her wardrobe between the first and second movie. 

Grande's intentional move away from ostentatious pieces may also have reflected her change in career trajectory. The star announced she'd be embarking on a small tour in 2026, but made it clear music was no longer her focus. "The last 10 or 15 years will look very different to the ones that are coming up ... I'm very excited to do this small tour but I think it might not happen again for a long, long, long, long time," she explained on "Good Hang With Amy Poehler." Whatever's next for the star, Grande is clearly holding space for more stylish eras in her future.