Gwen Stefani has been a style icon ever since No Doubt's 1995 album Tragic Kingdom entered the cultural zeitgeist. Since then, she's changed with the times in her career, excelling as a solo pop star in the aughts before becoming a regular on The Voice and a hit-making duet partner of her country-singing spouse, Blake Shelton.
Having the right singing voice in the right band at the right post-grunge moment positioned Stefani as a fashionista in a similar vein as Courtney Love, Shania Twain and other contemporaries whose varied wardrobes helped make them celebrities transcendent of their musical genre of choice.
Much of Stefani's aesthetic appeal has always come through her fun, adventurous looks that impacted shopping decisions at your local mall. She's remained a free fashion spirit through it all without ever coming across like she's stuck in the past or resistant to change.
Like Madonna before her, Stefani has always embraced her inner Marilyn Monroe, opting at times for a more traditional movie star look while staying true to herself.
Nearly 30 years after her mainstream emergence, Stefani still makes many of the same fashion moves that made her a household name— often with a country-glam twist. Here's eight modern looks from Stefani that back up this notion.
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for CMT Like Love, Stefani took typically feminine elements of style in the '90s and made them dangerous, fresh and fun. This strand of the Stefani fashion timeline began in the early days of No Doubt, when two tone ska inspired her looks, and continues today. Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images Stefani dressed for the occasion at RodeoHouston 2022. She donned a gold-fringed, western wear-inspired outfit and a Kentucky colonel tie for an event that's a playground for pop stars with penchants for country fashion. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy When Stefani and Shelton dueted "Nobody But You" live during the 2020 Grammy Awards, she and her stylist made a daring choice. Instead of dressing the West Coast country part, Stefani wore a gown inspired by Alice in Wonderland. It's now a classic case of Stefani keeping fans of her fashion on their toes. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Throughout her run in the public eye, Stefani has toned down her quirky style on occasion to embrace more traditional beauty and fashion standards. There's numerous examples of Stefani elevating high fashion trends, including this 2022 appearance at the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala. Michael Tran/FilmMagic Stefani doesn't treat every red carpet like it's the Met Gala. More often than not, such photo ops chronicle her fashion evolution as effectively as shots of her on concert stages. For example, this look from 2016 is an example of Stefani incorporating camouflage into her wardrobe before she became an Oklahoma rancher. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CMT Stefani doesn't always pick one side between typical glamor and outside-the-box choices. This outfit worn at the 2023 CMT Music Awards challenges gender norms for black tie affairs while being no less whimsical than past explorations of alternative fashion. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Stefani's embrace of rural aesthetics is more pronounced when she's with Shelton. What some initially chastised as an odd pairing looked more like a match made in Heaven in this 2019 shot from the UglyDolls film premiere. Christian Petersen/Getty Images Stefani's country fashion choices are on their fullest display when she's sporting a casual look, as seen in social media clips from the ranch and from this 2015 appearance at an NFL game.'90s Alternative Trendsetter
On-Stage Glam With a Country Twist
More Disney Princess Than Country Queen
Classic Hollywood Glamor
A Free Spirit on the Red Carpet
A Fashion Wildcard at Industry Events
Ranch Life
Dressed Down in Camo
