Christina Aguilera's style evolution in 47 photos: ‘Dirrty’ pop star to fashion risk-taker

Ahead of her Expo 2020 Dubai closing show, here's a look back at the singer's style highlights

Christina Aguilera, wearing a green crop top and green pleather trousers, poses for a portrait in Universal City, California in June 1998. Getty Images

Christina Aguilera, wearing a leopard-print camisole and jacket, arrives at the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards in New York City on September 9, 1999. ImageDirect

Christina Aguilera, wearing a tasselled Las Vegas crop top, arrives at the Billboard Music Awards show at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas on December 8, 1999. FSP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a green crop top and red snake-skin trousers, performs during the 27th Annual American Music Awards on January 17, 2000 in Los Angeles. AFP

Christina Aguilera, in a gold two-piece, attends the BMG Entertainment party in Hollywood following the Grammy Awards on February 24, 2000 in Los Angeles. FSP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a red vest and black leather skirt with boots, and Enrique Iglesias perform at the half time show during the Super Bowl on January 30, 2000. JLS

Christina Aguilera, wearing a silver column dress, attends the American Latino Media Arts Awards in Pasadena, California on April 16, 2000. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a red lace dress, arrives at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 21, 2001. Getty Images

Christina Aguilera, wearing a shredded velvet dress, arrives at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in Los Angeles on April 10, 2001. FSP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a shredded top and cargo pants, attends a photocall ahead of the 30th Annual American Music Awards, in Los Angeles on January 13, 2003. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black semi-sheer dress, arrives at the 30th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles on January 13, 2003. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a pink feathered Roberto Cavalli feather dress, arrives at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 28, 2003 in New York City. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a white layered Carlos Miele gown, at the NRJ Music Awards in Calais, France on January 24, 2004. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing an embellished lace lavender Atelier Versace dress, arrives at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a corset-style dress, attends the 13th Annual Music Video Production Association Awards on May 20, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a golden flapper-style Roberto Cavalli dress, arrives at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards on August 29, 2004 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images

Christina Aguilera, wearing a blue Monique Lhuillier prom dress, arrives at the 13th Annual Elton John Aids Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party on February 27, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black vest and red trousers, poses backstage during MTV's Total Request Live at the MTV Times Square Studios in New York on June 21, 2006. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a open collar suit and black tie, attends the Mac Viva Glam VI dinner on September 6, 2006 in New York City. Getty Images

Christina Aguilera, wearing a white Valentino gown with a black bow, arrives at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on 16, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images

Christina Aguilera, wearing a green Vanitas silk dress, attends the launch of Rock The Vote 2008 on November 13, 2007. AFP

Christina Aguilera, in a black belted mini dress, attends a Rock The Vote party on September 25, 2008 in Los Angeles. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a patterned top and black trousers, arrives at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi on October 23, 2008. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a white jumpsuit with gold accessories, performs at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi on October 24, 2008. Stephen Lock / The National

Cher and Christina Aguilera, wearing a blush pink Versace gown, attend the 67th Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, California on January 17, 2010. EPA

Christina Aguilera, wearing a green Elie Saab gown, arrives at the premiere of 'Burlesque' at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on November 15, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black blazer over a jacket and trousers, performs the national anthem ahead of the Super Bowl in Arlington, Texas on February 6, 2011. PA

Christina Aguilera, in a pink Dolce & Gabbana lace tube dress, arrives at a 'The Voice' event on March 15, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a monochrome outfit, attends a 'The Voice' reception on August 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. AFP

Christina Aguilera, in a purple Alexander Wang body con dress, attends the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards nominations press conference on October 9, 2012 in Los Angeles. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a purple ombre Pamella Roland dress, attends the 40th American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre on November 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black Victoria Beckham silk dress, attends the Time 100 Gala on April 23, 2013 in New York. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black semi-sheer gown, at 102.7 KIIS FM on May 10, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing an earth-print white Marc Bouwer gown, attends the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on February 22, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing leggings and a band T-shirt, arrives at NBC's 'The Voice' season eight event on April 23, 2015 in West Hollywood. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a blue top over a Alexander McQueen jersey dress, raises awareness about domestic violence with Verizon's HopeLine Programme on November 12, 2015 in West Hollywood, California. AFP

Matthew Rutler and Christina Aguilera, wearing a black Emanuel Ungaro jumpsuit, attends the 5th Annual Baby2Baby Gala on November 12, 2016 in California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a striped Saint Laurent T-shirt and flower emblazoned trousers with a High Heels Suicide jacket, attends the premiere of 'The Emoji Movie' on July 23, 2017 in California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a white feathered dress, attends Harper's Bazaar's 'Icons By Carine Roitfeld' celebration on September 7, 2018 in New York City. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a red leather coat over a skirt and top, poses backstage at the Christian Cowan Show during New York Fashion Week on September 8, 2018. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black tulle and sequinned Nicolas Jebran look, attends the 2019 amfAR Gala Los Angeles on October 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a white embellished hooded Jean Paul Gaultier dress, attends the 2019 American Music Awards on November 24, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images

Christina Aguilera, wearing a red and pink gown Galia Lahav, attends the premiere of 'Mulan' in Hollywood on March 9, 2020. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black leather Helmut Lang trench coat over trousers, attends the MasterClass First Look Event at The Whitney Museum of American Art on November 10, 2021 in New York City. AFP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black full-sleeved latex dress, appears at the 22nd annual Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on November 18, 2021. AP

AHF President, Michael Weinstein and Christina Aguilera, wearing a Balmain star-print blazer over leather trousers, attend the at the Aids Healthcare Foundation's concert marking World Aids Day in Inglewood, California on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. AP

Christina Aguilera, wearing a black pleather set with Hanut Singh earrings and Le Vian diamond rings, attends the Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 2, 2022. Reuters

Christina Aguilera exploded on to the music scene in the late 1990s.

With her brand of catchy pop came a definitive sense of style, think crop tops, low-hung trousers, pleather and bright colours. It was a masterclass in late 1990s to early 2000s fashion.

The singer, 41, who first found fame as a child star in The Mickey Mouse Club, alongside Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake, made a concerted effort to play with fashion early in her career.

"I'm a risk-taker and I've always been like that, especially when it comes to fashion," she said in an early interview.

After she left behind her casual two-pieces and chaps, Aguilera turned to labels such as Roberto Cavalli, Monique Lhuillier and Atelier Versace for colourful looks in her early red carpet appearances, when she dabbled in golden-era Hollywood stylings around 2004.

Far from loyal to one atelier, she has also sported designs by Elie Saab, Versace, Vanitas and Valentino for her more glamorous events.

As her career progressed, so did her style. Moving from her Genie in a Bottle era to Lady Marmalade, Dirrty and Beautiful, her music became grittier and so did her fashion. She moved away from prom dresses and gowns to more structured and bodycon looks, with lashings of pleather, leather and latex.

Pamella Roland, Marc Bouwer, Alexander Wang and Emanuel Ungaro were behind some of her most identifiable looks of the mid-2000s.

Later in her career, deep shades of black, red and purple made up the bulk of her sartorial colour palette for red carpet appearances, with the odd pure-white look thrown in for contrast.

Most recently, she has opted for directional pieces from Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran, along with Helmut Lang, Balmain and Jean Paul Gaultier. The pink and red gown by Israeli designer Galia Lahav, which she wore to the 2020 Mulan premiere, stood out as a flash of vibrant colour.

As is the cyclical nature of fashion, Aguilera's early 2000s looks are very much on-trend once again, with low-hung waistlines, thin belts, crop tops, cargo trousers and exposed underwear making regular catwalk and red carpet reappearances on celebrities including Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and Hailey Bieber.