Fashion
Mary J. Blige’s Best ‘90s Fashion Moments
The queen of hip-hop soul is also the queen of ‘90s fashion.
Mary J. Blige is a true ‘90s icon, from music to fashion. During her rise, she carved out her own style, forgoing the usual tight dresses and mini skirts of her peers during the decade, with the help from her longtime stylist Misa Hylton and kickstarted by none other than a young Diddy.
“What I loved about Puff is he immediately saw — I mean, instead of a tight dress, he put a baggy Armani suit on me with some Teflon boots,” Blige told New York Magazine in 2018. “I wore a mini skirt sometimes, a pleated mini skirt, but I wore boots with it. But I hated skirts, I hated dresses...”
Over time, Blige’s style has evolved. She grew more comfortable with rocking skirts, dresses, and evening gowns, but still maintained her signature Mary J. edge.
“It took me a long time. I didn’t want to wear lipstick and all this stuff,” she said. “I’d fight not to wear these little shorts [in videos], and I’d end up wearing them and the video would be great. And you’d be like, ‘Okay, that’s not bad,’ and you start to grow.”
Below, check out 15 of Blige’s best fashion moments from the ‘90s.
1993, My VH1 Music Awards
Wearing a black bra top and leather boots to the 1993 My VH1 Music Awards.
1995, Soul Train Music Awards
Wearing a white mini dress and floor-length coat to the 1995 Soul Train Music Awards.
1995, Billboard Music Awards
Wearing a black leather look and carrying a Fendi bag to the 1995 Billboard Music Awards.
1995, American Music Awards
Wearing a white suit and beret to the 1995 American Music Awards.
1996, American Music Awards
Wearing a white moto jacket and trousers to the 1996 American Music Awards.
1996, Arista Records Pre-Grammy Party
Wearing gold pants and a Versace jacket to the 1996 Arista Records Pre-Grammy Party.
1996, Grammys
Wearing a leopard-print look to the 1996 Grammys
1996, Soul Train Music Awards
Wearing a lavender jacket to the 1996 Soul Train Music Awards.
1997, Soul Train Music Awards
Wearing a satin champagne look to the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards.
1998, American Music Awards
Wearing a fringe jacket and trousers to the 1998 American Music Awards.
1998, How Stella Got Her Groove Back premiere
Wearing a sheer black halter top to the 1998 premiere of How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
1998, Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
Wearing a red tunic and trousers with a fur-lined jacket to the 1998 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.
1999, Arista Records Pre-Grammy Party
Wearing a white fur vest and hat to the 1999 Arista Records Pre-Grammy Party.
1999, Billboard Music Awards
Wearing a leather look with tan fur coat to the 1999 Billboard Music Awards.
1999, MTV Europe Music Awards
Wearing a Versace top and fur coat to the 1999 MTV Europe Music Awards.
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