32 Of The Most Iconic Fashion Moments In Music History

The worlds of fashion and music have long been creatively connected, and while it would be impossible to guess which industry has more of an influence on the other - with historical fashion moments often borne from the musical zeitgeist and vice versa - there's no denying that some of the most iconic occasions in music history hold their place in our hearts due to the epic wardrobes that accompanied them.

It would be hard, for example, to sing and dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller without picturing that red leather look.

You'd likely struggle to remember many of Geri Halliwell's stage looks, but couldn't possibly forget that Union Jack mini dress (you may not have known it was made using her sister's tea towel, though).

And if a silver sequin dress à la The Supremes hasn't been top of your party dress mood board - either metaphorically or literally on Pinterest - for forever then you need a swift rethink.

In the mood for some major sartorial nostalgia? We've rounded up 32 of the most iconic fashion moments in music history...

1. Madonna's Jean-Paul Gaultier cone brassiere

• So much more than just a 'moment', Madonna's groundbreaking cone bra encouraged generations of female pop performers to embrace their sexuality on stage via their sartorial choices.

2. Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress

• While we're all more than familiar with this dress, what you may not know is that it started out in life as a plain black Gucci mini before Geri asked her sister to sew a Union Jack tea towel onto the front in celebration of Cool Britannia.

3. Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' look

• Undoubtedly one of the most iconic music videos ever made, this red leather jacket sold for $1.8 million at auction in 2011, with the buyer calling it "the greatest piece of rock and roll memorabilia in history".

4. The Supremes epic 1967 sequin dresses

• They were known for their love of a matching, often sequinned, look, but nothing beat this 1967 full silver sequin maxi moment.

5. Britney Spears in 'Baby One More Time'

• The face of the schoolgirl stereotype, Britney's 'Baby One More Time' look was all her own idea after her director, Nigel Dick, suggested jeans and a t-shirt. All of the items were then bought from a K-mart and nothing cost more than $17.

6. Christina Aguilera outfit for the 'Dirrty' video

• An instantly-recognisable Halloween costume choice year after year for a reason, this is undoubtedly one of 'Xtina's' most memorable looks to date.

7. Olivia Newton-John in the 'Physical' video

• Well and truly shedding the 'sweet girl' image attributed to her having played Sandy in 'Grease', Olivia's iconic 'Physical' wardrobe single-handedly flew the flag for leg warmers and kickstarted our never-ending love affair with athleisure.

8. Kylie Minogue in 'Can’t Get You Out of My Head'

• She's worn a lot of great outfits, but the look chosen for the futuristic video accompaniment to her hit 'Can’t Get You Out of My Head' was undoubtedly one of the best. Even designer Jean Paul Gaultier noted its legacy, writing in the intro to Kylie: Fashion: "Who could forget the white jumpsuit with the openings so deep that anyone could feel her pale, delicate skin."

9. Tina Turner performing at Wembley

• Similar to the outfit she wore in the "What's Love Got to Do With It" music video, this denim jacket/leather mini look - seen here on stage at Wembley during her 'Private Dancer' tour - is undoubtedly how we all envisage the Queen of Rock'n'Roll.

10. Destiny's Child at the 2000 Source Music Awards

• They loved a matching look, but where Destiny's Child always nailed a brief came via the slight variations which gave each member individuality; in this instance a very memorable crystal bralette was paired with a cropped flare for Michelle, shorts for Kelly and a mini skirt for Beyoncé.

11. ABBA at Eurovision

• Flares, glitzy satin, soft suede and platform silver boots - nothing screams 70s - or ABBA, to be honest - than these winning Eurovision looks.

12. Amy Winehouse's iconic beehive

• Visually iconic, Amy's instantly-recognisable and much-loved aesthetic was - unlike her contemporaries - not down to the outfits she put on but rather her backcombed beehive hair. She kept her outfits relatively unfussy, favouring simple denim mini dresses or a white vest top.

13. Janet Jackson in 'Rhythm Nation'

• The black military-inspired outfits worn by Janet and her backing dancers in the 'Rhythm Nation' video to highlight the song's message of gender and racial equality is not only one of her most well-known looks, but also went on to inspire Beyoncé who payed homage to the song and video's message during her 2016 "Formation" tour.

14. Rihanna at the CFDA Awards in 2014

• Giving the sheer dress her seal of approval and ushering in a new generation of risqué red carpet looks, Rihanna has since admitted that her 'only regret in life' is that she wore 'a thong that wasn't bedazzled'.

15. David Bowie's blue suit for 'Life on Mars'

• The epitome of a fashion icon, this blue suit was worn during his Ziggy Stardust era and was one of Bowie's earliest and most widely-referenced sartorial hits. Paired with a piercing electric eyeshadow and unashamedly clashing with his fiery red mullet, it forever remains one of the best examples of his unique aesthetic.

16. Beyoncé's look for the 'Hold Up' video

• The yellow Roberto Cavalli dress worn in this video may seem chic on a hanger, but the minute it's worn by Beyoncé toting a baseball bat it became instantly iconic.

17. Jennifer Lopez for the 'Jenny from the Block' video

• If you weren't desperate for Timberland-esque Manolo Blahnik booties in the early 2000s after watching this video, then can you really class yourself a millennial?

18. The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper' alter ego

• Stepping out of their comfort zone and releasing the 'Sgt. Pepper' album - which saw them decked out in vividly colored, military-inspired uniforms - set out to prove that these four men had an avant-garde streak that separated them from the rest of the pack. "“We were fed up with being Beatles," McCartney later explained. "We really hated that f****** four little mop-top boys approach. We were not boys, we were men."

19. Lady Gaga's McQueen boots in 'Bad Romance'

• She wasn't afraid of a slightly off-piste fashion moment (remember the meat dress?), but one of Gaga's most high fashion moments during this era came via the avant-garde ode to Alexander McQueen in her Bad Romance video which saw her wearing looks by the late designer including the instantly-recognisable armadillo boots.

20. David Bowie's eye patch

• Another of Bowie's iconic sartorial hits came via the eye patch worn during his Ziggy Stardust days. A happy accident, Bowie later admitted that he first wore the eyepatch during an interview because of a bout of conjunctivitis, but he was so keen on the look that he adopted it as part of his stage uniform.

21. Lizzo's Glastonbury look

• Lizzo is no stranger to an epic stage outfit, but this holographic bodysuit worn beneath a sheer ruffled cape-like coat for her Glastonbury performance is undoubtedly a favourite.

22. Prince's purple look

• Widely-referred to as The Purple One, from his glittery purple trench coat to these much-loved suits, Prince may have been one of the most exciting musicians of a generation, but he was consistent in his loyalty to his favourite hue.

23. Spice Girls in the 'Wannabe' video

• Debuting individual looks that fast-became synonymous with each member, the Spice Girls introduced fans to their signature styles - from Ginger's glittery playsuit to Baby's mini dress and Sporty's tracksuit - which are still referenced widely to this day.

24. Madonna in 'Material Girl'

• Paying homage to another blonde icon, Marilyn Monroe, by recreating her performance of "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend", this diamond-adorned pink look will forever have a place in music history.

25. Destiny's Childfor 'Survivor'

• We're not the only ones who will forever love this matching camo Destiny's Child moment, with Beyoncé herself even recommending it as the perfect Halloween costume.

26. Normani in 'Motivation'

• Normani's 2019 'Motivation' music video we epic for countless reasons, but her homage to early 00s fashion via this 1996-emblazoned crop and mini skirt with visible thong straps has got us feeling all kinds of nostalgia.

27. Shania Twain for 'That Don't Impress Me Much'

• Never one to shy away from a #lewk, this full leopard-print moment - from the gloves to the hood - was all kinds of epic, and both Ashley Graham and Miley Cyrus have recreated the look for themselves.

28. Beyoncé in the 'Single Ladies' video

• One of her simplest looks to date, Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies' one-shoulder leotard will forever be one of her best. The only think more iconic is that video's choreography.

29. Britney's in 'Oops I Did It Again'

• Another of Britney's self-styled moments of genius, this red catsuit has since inspired countless designers and music artists, such as Miley Cyrus, to create their own iterations.

30. Kiss' facepaint

• One of the most famous rock bands of the 70s, Kiss were infamous for their face paint which was said to have symbolised each member of the band's individual personalities; old romantic Paul Stanley having been nicknamed the 'Starchild' and Gene Simmons 'the demon' due to his cynical sense of humour.

31. Cheryl in 'Fight for This Love'

• Cheryl's military-inspired wardrobe for her 'Fight for This Love' video - chosen to reflect the song's themes of female strength and power - spawned a whole new world of followers who became known as her 'Soldiers'.

32. Missy Elliott at the 2002 Grammy Awards

• A custom purple leather suit that only Missy could pull off... What could be more iconic than that?

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