2009
Ariana Grande arrives to the 2009 AFI Festival in a forest green fress and fiery red hair.
Ariana Grande’s Style Evolution, From 2009 to Now
Written by djfrosty on March 6, 2024
Only one name comes to mind when you see an outfit comprised of an oversize sweatshirt, a high ponytail and thigh-high heeled boots: Ariana Grande.
Over the past decade, Grande has defined pop culture — not just through her eight Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles and her five Billboard 200-topping albums, including 2018’s Sweetener, 2019’s thank u, next and 2020’s Positions, but also through her ever-evolving style and glam. When she burst onto the scene with hits like “The Way” (with Mac Miller) and “Baby I” back in 2013, the powerhouse vocalist channeled the doo-wop flourishes of her Yours Truly LP through an affinity for ’50s-style dresses, a wavy half-up-half-down ponytail, and sky-high pumps — a far cry from the fiery red tresses she rocked while she was still on Nickelodeon.
By the following year — which brought forth her blockbuster My Everything album — Grande swapped all that for cat ears, an even higher ponytail, skimpy onstage leotards and, of course, her trademark oversize sweatshirt/thigh-high boot combo. 2016’s Dangerous Woman era brought yet another shift in style for the two-time Grammy winner. To complement her edgier, raunchier lyrics, she traded the cat ears for Playboy-esque latex bunny ears, a bustier-slacks combo, and a black choker. For her next record — the Grammy-winning Sweetener LP — Grande shocked fans and went platinum blonde. Her wardrobe didn’t change that drastically during this era, but for the following year’s thank u, next, she opted for darker color palettes across the board. As for Positions, the “34+35” singer shifted to honey brown hair and drew on ’60s glamour, with floral tones and big hair taking center stage.
As Grande gears up for the next phase of her career with her Eternal Sunshine album and the forthcoming Wicked films, check out how her style has evolved over the years.
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Image Credit: Michael Tran/FilmMagic -
2009
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images The “Tattooed Heart” singer gets edgy with this leather skirt and floral top pairing at Variety’s 3rd Annual Power of Youth Event at Paramount Studios, on Dec. 5, 2009 in Los Angeles.
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2010
Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images Grande stuns in a floral romper and sky-high pumps as she arrives at the Make A Wish Foundation event hosted by Kevin and Steffiana James at Santa Monica Pier on March 14, 2010 in Santa Monica, Calif.
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2010
Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images Grande straightened her red locks and opted for a nude-tone bandage dress at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.
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2011
Image Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Going for a very casual vibe, Grande went with a slicked-back ponytail, denim jeans and a tan tank top while visiting Broadway Names With Julie James on on SiriusXM’s On Broadway channel at SiriusXM Studio.
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2011
Image Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Ariana Grande attends the Malan Breton Spring 2012 fashion show in a glitzy dress with a bedazzled bustier.
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2012
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Ariana Grande arrives at 102.7 KIIS FM’s Wango Tango in a strapless floral dress and nude pumps.
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2012
Image Credit: Jason Merritt/WireImage Grande begins to ease into her Your Truly style in this floral, light blue two-piece ensemble while attending Variety’s Power of Youth.
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2012
Image Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic At the premiere of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Grande went for a very different red carpet look with this gorgeous floral full-length gowna and dark brown slicked-back ponytail.
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2013
Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Grande looks ethereal in this pink semi-sheer number at the 2013 Radio Disney Music Awards.
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2013
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for MTV While performing at 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Grande embraced her brunette roots in this sparkly purple number.
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2013
Image Credit: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage As if her “Tattoed Heart” performance wasn’t already a show-stopper, Grande secured her “star is born” moment at the 2013 American Music Awards — where she won new artist of the year — in this sparkly red evening gown.
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2014
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/AMA2014/WireImage At the following year’s American Music Awards, Grande opted for a swoop bang moment in this racy black lace gown. She performed a medley of her biggest My Everything hits including “Problem” and “Love Me Harder.”
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2014
Image Credit: Taylor Hill/WireImage Ariana Grande reaches maximum My Everything energy in this skimpy snowflake-themed two-piece leotard while performing at the 2014 Hot 99.5 Jingle Ball.
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2015
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic At the 2015 Grammys, Grande celebrated her dual nomnations with this gorgeous white and silver down and sleek dark brown high pony.
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2015
Image Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images A quintessential Grande look owned the Madison Square Garden stage back in 2015. Black letoard, thigh-high boots, half-up half-down ponytail and cat ears for the win!
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2016
Image Credit: Ida Mae Astute/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images To kick off the 2016 GMA Summer Concert Series, the “Into You” singer opted for a flannel tied around denim shorts to pair with her thigh-high boots and sparkly black bustier.
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2016
Image Credit: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images At the 2016 VMAs, the “Side to Side” singer was deep in her slacks era with this barely-there black lace crop top and a pair of black pants. She may have lost all five of her nominations that night, but at least she looked good!
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2016
Image Credit: Andrew Lipovsky/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images The multihyphenate really switched up her style with a new set of bangs and some baggy stone gray cargo pants for her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
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2017
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Republic Records Grande looked every bit the femme fatale during her Dangerous Woman Tour in this jet-black ensemble comprised of — surprise! — thigh-high boots, an oversized puffer jacket and a black leotard.
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2018
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic At the 2018 Billboard Women in Music Awards — where she was honored as Woman of the Year — Grande tied her ponytail to the sky and paired her strpaless lavender dress with mauve boots and tasteful diamond jewelry.
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2018
Image Credit: Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/Getty Images To debut Sweetener lead single “No Tears Left to Cry” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Grande sported a wavy blonde ponytail and a bright pink dress.
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2019
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AG During her 2019 headlining Coachella set — affectionately nicknamed “Arichella” by fans — Grande went full pop star with this plum number, complete with dramatic oversized shoulders and a bare midriff.
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2020
Image Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage At the 2020 Grammys — where her thank u, next album lost all four of its nominations, including album of the year — Grande marked the moment with an ethereal gray Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown featuring a tiered tulle skirt paired with a bumped two-tone ponytail.
Ariana Grande arrives at the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Jan. 26, 2020 in Los Angeles.
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2020
Image Credit: Dave Meyers For the official photoshoot for 2020’s Positions — which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and spun a Hot 100 chart-topper out of its title track — Grande looked to the ’60s with this look consisting of a jade green two-piece ensemble, green flower earrings, and hair higher than Heaven.
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2021
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images For the promotional pictures annoucne her tenure as a judhe on The Voice, Grande went for a flapper-inspired black fringe dress and matching black pumps.
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2021
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartMedia At the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards — where she performed “Save Your Taears (Remix)” with The Weeknd for the first time — Grande silky eggplant Rat and Boa crop top and floor-length skirt.
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2021
Image Credit: Art Streiber/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images For these Voice photos, Grande used earth tones to lighten the mode. Here, she pairs her dark brown ponytail with a gree-brown top, khaki slacks and sparkly heels.
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2023
Image Credit: Justin E Palmer/GC Images While attending Wimbledon Tennis Championships, the “7 rings” singer got preppy with this combination of black pointed pumps, a gray short-sleeve knitted crop top and a matching A-line midi skirt.
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2023
Image Credit: DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Divas gonna diva! While out and about in NYC, Grande paired a classy black evening gown with a blonde ponytail and a sultry red lip as she signed autographs for fans.
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2024
Image Credit: Katia Temkin At the top of 2024, Ariana Grande ushered in her Eternal Sunshine era with the Hot 100-topping “Yes, And?” For the song’s Paula Abdul and Bob Fosse-nodding music video, Grande donned a black and white Rodarte bodysuit.