Scrolling through images of outfits worn over the years by Kim Kardashian West, who turns 40 today, one thing remains consistent throughout: how confident she looks in even the most questionable of them.
Almost
every look oozes over-the-top drama and sex appeal, from her early days
as Paris Hilton's stylist and assistant, to her most recent red carpet
appearances before Covid-19 struck (just look at the vintage Alexander McQueen oyster gown she wore to Vanity Fair's Oscars afterparty
earlier this year). Then there's the hair -- poker straight, always
slick, often long -- and the predilection for tight silhouettes, one
figure-hugging dress at a time.Despite
these recurring traits, however, Kardashian West's style has undergone a
transformation in the past two decades. Since her first appearances on
reality TV in the early 2000s, she has graduated from socialite to
sartorial tastemaker, with her fashion sense evolving from a "more is
more" approach to the polished aesthetic that made her an icon beyond
the "Keeping up with the Kardashians" universe.
Kim
Kardashian West in a vintage Alexander McQueen oyster gown at Vanity
Fair's Oscars after-party earlier this year. Scroll through the gallery
to see more images of her fashion through the years. Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images... Read More
The Paris Hilton phase
Long
before Kardashian West was a household name, it was her friendship with
Paris Hilton that kickstarted her fashion career. The soon-to-be
reality TV star ("KUWTK" first aired in 2007) was hired by the hotel
heiress as personal stylist and assistant, picking out looks for "The
Simple Life" and even making a few appearances on the show.
Her
style was unapologetically 2000s: IT bags and body-hugging ensembles,
Juicy Couture pants and triangle-top dresses. There were big waist belts
and tiny halter tops, giant golden hoop earrings and skinny jeans worn
with knee-high boots. Some of it was admittedly "tragic," as Kardashian
West herself recalled to Vogue last year.
Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian in 2006. Credit: Christopher Polk/FilmMagic/Getty Images
But
it proved that the budding influencer knew how to own -- and hone --
trends. And now she's proving she can bring them back again: The latest
collection from her shapewear brand Skims is made from that most 2000s
of fabrics, velour.
The
range, which drops today in time for the star's birthday, features
hoodies, wide-leg pants, joggers, bandeau tops and crew neck tanks. It's
both a throwback and, potentially, a very smart business move, given
our new work-from-home lifestyles.
Kardashian West even reunited with Hilton to launch the range, offering a touch of nostalgia while making the noughties feel almost aspirational again.
Made for TV
As
"KUWTK" arrived on our screens and turned the female-led clan into
America's most marketable family, Kardashian West established herself
as the show's star and best-known member. Her style adapted accordingly.
Dressing
to create memorable TV moments rather than fashion-worthy ones, she
embraced eye-catching accessories -- cheetah print shoes, big belts,
outsized sunglasses -- while using her screen time to plug wildly
patterned outfits from Dash, the (now defunct) apparel chain the
Kardashian sisters launched in 2006.
Kardashian West attends the Badgley Mischka swimwear fashion show at Miami Beach. Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images
This
was also the period that saw Kardashian West emerge as the queen of the
bandage dress. First popularized in the mid-to-late 90s by French label
Hervé Léger, the form-fitting, ultra-tight silhouette became a firm
favorite -- as did its designer. She even had her wax figure at Madame
Tussauds don a Hervé Léger number, which she of course matched at its
unveiling in New York in 2010.
Transition to high fashion
If
one were to pinpoint the year Kardashian West began transitioning
towards a sleeker style, it'd be 2012. And if one were to ask why, the
answer would be: Kanye West.
From the moment she began dating the musician, it appeared he
was set on transforming her wardrobe. Take, for example, an episode of
"KUWTK" from the early days of their relationship, when West brought his personal stylist to the star's house to clean out her closet.
Kardashian West pictured with Kanye at the 2014 Met Gala. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
"I really think that my relationship with my husband Kanye really changed everything," she told CNN Style in 2015. "I mean, back in the day I thought I had the best style. I look back at outfits and I'm, like, mortified."
West's
drastic intervention seemingly challenged Kardashian West to approach
fashion in an entirely new way. In the span of just a few seasons,
excessive layering, ski-high heels and bold prints made way for a muted
palette of beige, black and white.
Designer
pieces helped attract invites to fashion week front rows, where she
appeared in curve-hugging, waist-pinching looks that earned her
recurrent mentions on fashion magazines' best-dressed lists.
Couture fanatic
Following
her Kanye makeover, she threw herself into haute fashion. She formed
close friendships with some of the industry's biggest names, including
Olivier Rousteing, Riccardo Tisci and Valentino Garavani, and started
appearing in creations by Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, Tom Ford and Versace
on and off the red carpet (in a recent Instagram post, she showed off a
sporty-glam outfit sent to her by Balmain with the caption "Balmain Barbie").
Kardashian West attends Balmain's show at Paris Fashion Week in 2016. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
While
staying true to her sexpot aesthetic, Kardashian West's choices became
either increasingly minimal and toned down, or edgier and couture, with
asymmetric cutouts, glammed-up silhouettes, elaborate lace and beading
-- think of the white Balmain mini dress she wore to her 2014
bachelorette party in Paris, or the dazzling Jean-Paul Gaultier gown
from the 2015 Grammys. There's been lots of strategically placed sheer
fabric, too, and Kardashian West has taken sheerness to the extreme by
flaunting looks that came to be known as her "naked dresses."
Not all of her sartorial choices worked -- the Givenchy floral dress worn
to the 2013 Met Gala is still remembered today as "the couch dress."
But the megastar has continued to prove that she is unafraid of pushing
the envelope. And while her husband continues to weigh in on her
wardrobe choices, going as far as emailing her with fashion edicts like "You cannot wear big glasses anymore," she may well be ignoring them by now.
Elevated athleisure
Being
married to the man behind Yeezy, Kardashian West has had a polarizing
effect on athleisure, having elevated the genre as both an influencer
and businesswoman.
In 2017, she was the only model featured in the Yeezy Season 6 lookbook, which consisted of staged paparazzi-style images of her out and about in LA -- a branding move that had a ripple effect across style and celebrity culture.
Kim Kardashian West and her daughter North at a Yeezy showcase for New York Fashion Week in 2015. Credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Around
the same time, she brought back spandex bike shorts, also as part of
the Yeezy collection, and made them a thing before anyone else. "I got
roasted on (bike shorts) ... And of course, everyone was wearing (them)
two years later," she told Vogue.
In
2019, she started her own line of lounge and shapewear, Skims, which
caters to a diverse range of body types and skin tones. She applies the
same minimalist aesthetic that she's embraced in her everyday wardrobe
to the entire range, which spans bodysuits, high-rise shorts, underwear
and more.
Kardashian
West may have just burst out of a giant cake in a bikini top and
translucent pants in the build-up to her 40th birthday celebrations, but
she has, in her own way, come of age.
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