While Aaliyah will always be known for the major music influence she had in the ’90s and early 2000s, it was her unique look that solidified her signature style – baggy jeans, exposed boxers, and tight-fitting, midriff-baring, crop tops.
Although Aaliyah released her debut album Age Aint Nothin’ But a Number at the age of 14, It wasn’t until her second album, One in a Million where she began to cultivate her one-of-a-kind street style look. The sultry songstress taught us that there can be a healthy balance between sexy and sporty.
Here, we listed her 20 most iconic beauty and fashion looks that constantly remind us how timeless her style revolution is and will always be.
1.
Young Aaliyah, or Babygirl as most fans know her, dawns a backward hat, stripped boxers, baggy jeans, and overall-inspired top. Little did we know this look would evolve into her signature style.
2.
A black skully, neck-length hair, black shades, and a bold red satin lip was her go-to look when she dropped her debut album in 1994, Age Aint a Number, at 14.
3.
Bare faced and beautiful. Aaliyah became the face of Tommy Hilfiger jeans in 1996, which helped developed her quintessential tomboy look.
4.
At the Apollo in ’96, Aaliyah sported mocha-lined lips and her signature swoop bang and long layered hairstyle. Even today, this specific style is known to be Aaliyah-inspired.
5.
Here, she poses in her streetstyle look for Seventeen magazine. While her sporty outfit matches her vibe, it was her hair that stole the show.
6.
Silver shades, a chained bra, and baggy black leather pants was her aesthetic in her 1996 One in a Million music video.
7.
Music videos in the 90’s meant major celeb appearances. Here, Aaliyah spored an all blue [and yellow] tracksuit, with high top air force 1’s and blue and yellow sunglass on the set of Lil Kim’s 1997 Crush On You.
8.
If you can hear this picture, then you officially grew up in the ’90s. The songstress matches her bold red lip to her car in the ’97 summertime anthem, Hot Like Fire.
9.
The metallic makeup and cascading waterfalls had every girl requesting this look from their hairstylist in ’98 from Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody music video. This is also the video where she wore a skirt for the first time since her career started. This pioneering moment opened the door for the evolution of her sensuality.
P.S. Check out those waist beads.
10.
When Aaliyah’s debut movie Romeo Must Die came out in 2000, the R&B Princess kept to her signature style wearing a velour tracksuit and enhancing it with a bandana, ombre feathered locks, and an oversized chain.
11.
This iconic look was created for her music video Try Again from the soundtrack from Romeo Must Die in 2000. The sultry songstress wore a diamante bra from Dolce & Gabbana, matching choker, of course, leather pants, and a strikingly bold metallic eye. Countless celebrities have recreated this look and can even be seen on her wax figure in Madame Tussauds Wax museum.
12.
When it comes to ombre hair – Aaliyah did it first. Here, she rocks an ombre look at the 2000’s MTV awards matched with a jeweled armband, a nude lip, and a smoked-out liner for an effortless look.
13.
Aaliyah tapped into her feminine side, flaunting a sky-high feather-trimmed split in this Roberto Cavalli zebra-printed slip gown.
14.
Those cascading ringlets were a key indicator to an updated look she was about to bestow upon us. By the early 2000s, Aaliyah had ditched her signature tomboy look and was now flaunting skin-tight clothing matched with braless tops.
15.
This fresh-faced look was all about the silky long tresses, perfectly arched eyebrows, and obviously that must-have [faux] mink coat.
16.
Here, she proves that she influenced the trend of mohawks before they became a 2000’s staple hairstyle. She matched the look with a dramatic smokey eye with an embellished jewel on each end.
17.
It was her bold glossy red lips, deep blue eyeshadow, and a major lash moment that held our attention in her futuristic 2001 We Need a Resolution video.
18.
She also gave us a colorfully vibrant look in this music video, too. Here she rocks a soft orange eyeshadow, complimented by teal blue eyeliner and a graphic, bold lip.
19.
Portraying the vampire Akasha in Queen of the damned in 20002, Aaliyah dawned a regal headdress, Egyptian inspired winged eyeliner embellished with jewels, with an extended eyebrow.
20.
On the set for the final music video in Miami, Rock The Boat, the R&B Princess flaunted a colorful tropical look with blue eyeshadow, a nude pink glossy lip, and of course, crystal-embellished flirty lashes.
