It's hard to think of a celebrity who is thought of as more stylish than Kim Kardashian. Sure, there may be some others who come to mind, but the member of this famous Hollywood family is known for wearing neutral colors, showing off what she's got, and accessorizing like a pro. She's also got gorgeous straight hair that makes us so envious and can contour with the best of them (since, of course, we associate that style of makeup with her).
Kim Kardashian started dating Kanye West in April 2012... but they had definitely been friends for years before that, and after Kanye sang the lyrics "I fell in love with Kim" in one of his songs, people were sure that true love wasn't far away for these two. Kim has always seemed to be a big fan of fashion and beauty, and ever since she and Kanye fell for each other, it's safe to say that her style has evolved a lot and she is more fashionable than ever before. It's no wonder that Kim's wardrobe is basically all Yeezy.
When we look at old photos of the star and compare them to more recent pictures, we can definitely see how her style has changed. Let's take a look. Here are 24 images Of Kanye kick-starting Kim Kardashian's style evolution!
22 Before: Old-School Kim In A Dress And Tall Boots
In an interview with INSIDER in November 2017, Kim Kardashian said,
"I definitely have style regrets. I mean, I wear some things and I'm just like, 'Why did I wear that?'"
They say that you shouldn't have any regrets in life and that it's silly to think that way, but style-related regrets are another story. We can probably all relate to looking back at photos of our younger selves and wondering why we wore the things that we did. In other words, we totally get where Kim is coming from and we can relate to her. We would definitely cringe when looking at some throwback pictures of our own past style moments, that's for sure.
Of course, the way that Kim used to dress is not that terrible at all. It was stylish for the time because we have to remember that we only dress the way that we do because we're reflecting the period of time that we're currently living in. What seems cool today won't five years from now. We can tell that Kim loves boots, though, since she wears them in so many photos, and she still can be photographed in some pretty awesome and stylish boots to this day.
21 Before: Big Hoop Earrings Are HER Thing
Big hoop earrings, skinny jeans, tall boots, a patterned tank top -- these are all style choices that we have made at one point or another. Who didn't want to wear massive hoop earrings everywhere? Yes, even to school, even though we were in seventh or eighth grade at the time and our mom wasn't sure it was the best idea ever?
We can tell that this is an older photo and that it was taken before she started dating Kanye. If we couldn't automatically tell that it's a blast from the past, we would know because her clothing choices weren't as sleek, chic and sophisticated as they are these days.
Kim might say that she has "fashion regrets" and talks about the 2000's as being a rough time for her outfits.
Specifically, she says that her clothing choices between 2007 and 2011/2012 were not her finest hour. Of course, that was before she started dating Kanye, so we can say that it's pretty much official: her style has changed a lot after Kanye. It's clear that a lot of couples influence each other in ways that can be good or bad, but luckily for this star-studded couple, their influence is fashion-related.
20 Before: Wearing Black And White
These days, Kim Kardashian is all about the neutral colors and can be seen wearing outfits that are various shades of tan, caramel, beige, etc. She always looks beautiful and her sister, Kylie Jenner, is often snapped out and about in the same kinds of outfits. There is no doubt that these two famous sisters are very stylish and we would be happy to own any of the clothes that they wear and have them hanging in our own closets.
This old photo of Kim Kardashian definitely was snapped pre-Kanye and we can tell that these were some old-school fashion decisions. Black is always a stylish color to wear, and so is white, and sometimes, they go really well together and create a truly chic look. So we get where she was going with this.
Thanks to Bustle, we know that on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kim said that Kanye emails her and lets her know what is going on in the fashion world: [Kanye] sent me a whole email like, ‘You cannot wear big glasses anymore. It’s all about tiny little glasses. He sent me, like, millions of ’90s photos with tiny little glasses like this.”
19 Before: You Wouldn't Catch Her In This Outfit In 2018
For a while, it was considered trendy and cool to wear leggings with literally anything. Remember when we would wear black cropped leggings with a jean skirt over them?! Yeah, that was definitely a thing, and it's not exactly something that we would ever wear today. The leggings, though, are a style choice that we are still holding on tightly too (but the debate about whether or not leggings are pants rages on and on).
In this throwback photo, Kim Kardashian chose a pair of cropped brown leggings and paired them with a patterned tunic and sandals, and it might be a look better suited to the beach than the red carpet. That's even truer since she was sporting some sunglasses. But, hey, she still looked happy and pretty because there is literally never a bad photo of the star.
Since Kim has admitted to having "fashion regrets", would this particular outfit be in that category? We think that everyone has fashion regrets and that it's really nothing to worry about. After all, since meeting Kanye, she has definitely had a style evolution and her outfits are almost too good (as we can see from the photos in the rest of this list).
18 After: This Is The New, Glam Kim K
There's really only one word to describe this look and that's "glam."
Kim has said countless times that Kanye is like her style guru, and People magazine talked about this in a story in January 2018. In an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kanye gave her advice about making her closet a bit more curated. She said,
"He is giving me a full clothing makeover. Kanye’s definitely inspired me to be a little bit more of an individual. I think my style is just evolving and changing and I think it should.”
When she wasn't thrilled about giving away all of her clothes, he said, "Babe, you gotta really clean out everything."
It seems like every time Kim Kardashian is interviewed, the fact that she is so stylish comes up, like when Business of Fashion interviewed her in April 2018. In this particular interview, she talked a lot about her beauty business. She said, “I hope that my makeup can teach people what my makeup artists have taught me in the easiest way. Just that simple. And so these are my tricks and secrets of exactly how I’ve done it. You have to have demonstrations, you have to show [a lot about] application — I always do tutorials. It’s so important to show as much as you can, to have your own digital display."
17 After: Kim And Kanye Are All Smiles With Their Street Style
Here Kanye and Kim are, all smiles once again, and no one could argue that they look so cute together. That is true whether you are a fan or not. You can't deny their fashion sense, though, especially in this snapshot.
It's no wonder that the famous duo is often interviewed together. They always have nice, interesting things to say about each other. As Kim once said about her husband,
"I love always elevating and trying new things and I think that’s where Kanye comes in because I swear he sees everything a few steps ahead of anyone else... He’s my best stylist..."
"...Every look I love is definitely something that he’s had a hand in helping to style or put together.”
The feeling is mutual: Kanye also once said, “My wife is the face of the change of fashion, where designers who literally wouldn’t let her sit in shows are now making entire collections based off of her shape.”
It's true that people love Kim Kardashian because she not only has a curvy figure but embraces it so she teaches younger girls that is completely fine to not be a stick figure and that it's awesome to have curves.
16 After: They Definitely Make A Fashionable Pair
It doesn't seem to be possible for Kim and Kanye to look more fashionable than they do in this particular photo. From Kim's boots, black leggings, and tan coat to Kanye's ripped jeans and tan boots and the accessories that Kim is holding, it's all perfection. Of course, that's to be expected. Does she ever have a bad outfit day? We think that would be a "no way, it's just not possible."
It turns out that Kim not only takes fashion advice from her famous hubby but wears his clothes as well... or at least the clothing that he puts out through his Yeezy fashion line. She said in December 2017 that there was a day that was all Yeezy: "My schedule was so busy, I ended up in nine different Yeezy outfits in one day" and that she was wearing neutrals. Of course, we know that she loves her neutrals and we definitely think that she looks great in them, just like in this photo.
Anytime that we need style inspiration, we should remember how awesome Kim and Kanye look together and channel that. And, hey, maybe we can get our boyfriends dressing like him. A girl can dream, right?!
15 After: She Starts Saying Goodbye To Bright Colors
The celebrity duo is all smiles in this photo that Kim Kardashian shared on her Instagram and they couldn't possibly look more stylish or more in love. Just look at how they're staring at each other. Awwww.
We know that Kanye gives Kim style advice, and she admitted it once again when she talked to a reporter from Interview Magazine. When discussing her family life, she said,
"I usually go to Kanye for advice about my brand, my life, my image."
We can definitely see his style influence in this photo.
Kim's black dress and black coat and lace-up light brown boots are awesome, and Kanye is sporting a super cool light matching denim shirt and jeans and white sneakers. There is no question that when we compare this photo to any of the pictures above, we can see a huge difference between what Kim used to wear before she started dating the rapper and what she has been wearing since they fell for each other. She is now wearing clothing that is much sleeker and more sophisticated and much more form-fitting. She can also be seen in all-black or all-neutrals outfit instead of the jeans and patterns that she was sporting before.
14 After: It's All Neutrals, All The Time For Kim K
If Kim Kardashian isn't dressed in an all-black outfit, she's wearing something like this one: a mix of neutrals. Her tan coat, dark yellow skirt, brown shoes, and brown shirt are all gorgeous and stylish. She makes mixing and matching neutrals an art form and does such an amazing job. We could all take some major style lessons from her. A lot of people have noticed her penchant for neutrals and Architectural Digest even published a story called "What Kim Kardashian Taught Us About Decorating With Neutrals."
Even though we often see her looking as fabulous as she does in this photo, that's apparently not always the case. If any of us often wonder if the most stylish stars ever take a break every now and then, the answer is, yes, definitely. She once said,
"I wear sweats every night around the house. When I am exhausted, I go on vacation and wear no makeup and hardly brush my hair."
Okay, now we love her even more because that is totally us (whether or not we're on vacation, of course... sometimes we're just at home watching Netflix).
We bet those sweats are still stylish, though. Do we think that they're designer and neutral-colored as well? It's probably a safe bet.
13 After: She's Looking Sleek And Stylish In A Matching Crop Top And Skirt
We can totally see Kanye's style influence in this sleek crop top and skirt that Kim is rocking in this photo.
Her trademark curves are on full display, here too, and it seems like Kim really enjoys a good crop top. In an interview that Kim and Kanye did with Harper's Bazaar in July 2016, the reporter asked what her favorite body part is, and she said, "I like my upper stomach. I just seem to always have abs.When I'm not really pregnant, I have a great two-pack."
Kim often wears crop tops, whether with a skirt like this one or even sweatpants, and people have a lot to say about it. A story in Cosmopolitan magazine had the headline, "Kardashian's Crop Top Held Together By Magic, Probably" and it seems like whenever the star wears one, people are chatting about it. As it turns out, the crop top is a real thing in the history of fashion and has been around since the 1940s. The more you know, right?! In the 1970's, more women started wearing them, and this look got even trendier in the 1980's. It wasn't as trendy in 2011 and 2012 although it's safe to say that it's back these days.
12 After: Wearing Denim On Denim (And Looking Awesome)
This is an extremely trendy look, from the oversized denim jacket to the clear plastic-looking boots, and Kim paired these two items of clothing with jean shorts and also a crop top.
When Kim was asked in her and Kanye's Harper's Bazaar interview about her legacy, she said,
"I'd like to be remembered as someone who was smart in business, works hard, and can be [bold] and a mom. A powerful but still [beautiful], nonconforming woman."
This is for sure an outfit that someone wears when they are confident and comfortable who they are, just like Kim described in that interview. Kim's GQ cover story said, "In recent years, she's gotten even better at being Kim. Things seemed to really take off for her around the occasion of her third marriage—this time to one of the most critically respected musicians of the modern era, a union that earned her cachet as an artist's muse. Kim's brand has always been unapologetically sexy... but Kanye West's endorsement altered the public's perception. Her curves remained the same, but under Kanye's exuberant insistence, they transmuted from porny to arty. Her provocative selfies were no longer just attention-seeking; now they were also body positive."
11 After: Kim Is A Babe In Blue (With Hair To Match)
We've seen Kim's hair go from brunette to blonde and back again, and in this snapshot, she's rocking some blue hair. It looks awesome and is definitely a style and beauty choice that you make when you're feeling brave and confident.
She paired her blue hair with an all-blue outfit and it's amazing. In the same GQ cover story interview, Kim talked about her relationship with Kanye and had this to say:
"All my friends and my sisters say, ‘You guys are so perfect for each other. There's no one that would want to sit in your closet for hours with you and try on clothes.’ ”
We can totally picture them doing that on a regular basis, particularly since Kim has said that Kanye gives her advice on what clothes she should wear and what is in right now.
Kim has also shared in interviews that she has given her sister Khloe pointers on what she should be wearing. She once had this to say about her sister's fashion choices "I always cringe when I look at Khloe in outfits. You know what it is? She's so trendy, and I used to be that way, but she's like that on steroids."
10 After: Wearing All White And Looking Lovely
Kim posted this photo on her Instagram account, and honestly, if we compare this outfit to some of her earlier style choices, we might not even recognize her or think that it was the same person. But, of course, it totally is.
If Kim says that Khloe wears things that are too "trendy", we can say that this outfit is definitely not too trendy since white never goes out of style, just like how wearing all-black never goes out of style. Okay, well, there might be an exception to that rule, like when people say that you shouldn't wear white after Labor Day, and there are still others who believe that there is never a time and place for white pants or jeans.
If we think that Kim only wears designer clothing, we're totally wrong. She told Business Insider that she actually does shop at more affordable clothing stores. She likes American Apparel, Zara, and H&M. She also does some online shopping, which is music to our ears since we most likely love doing that, too. She said, "I mix and match, I wear things high, low, all the time. I don't really care as much — you know, I don't have to wear something that is super expensive."
9 After: Workout Wear: Big Shades, Big Coat
This is more of an athleisure look than the outfits that we typically see Kim Kardashian in, and it's definitely more fashionable than anything that we would wear to the gym or a yoga or a barre studio. Right?! Hey, sometimes we don't have time to do a load of laundry and wash our most fashionable gear, so we resort to wearing older gym clothes.
Like her sister Khloe, who is known for her love of working out and who has a reality show called Revenge Body, Kim is a fan of logging hours in the gym as well. Since Kim is known for having a larger, um, rear end, she often is interviewed about what she does for that part of her body. According to a story on Refinery29.com, Kim does exercises that work your behind and glutes as well. And E online published a story about what she eats on a regular basis (along with how she works out). Her trainer, Melissa Alcantara, told the publication, "I think she just needed a change. I think she just felt like looking one way is one thing, but taking care of your body is something else. You can do both at the same time. The biggest part is not just working out. It's eating well to also look good."
8 After: Pink Hair, Blue Outfit, Super Stylish
There are some celebrities who can pull off a crazy hair color, and others who arguably look better if they stick to blonde, brunette, or maybe red. Kim Kardashian has sported a few different hair colors and she honestly looks amazing no matter what shade she's rocking. She had this hair in March 2018 so it's a fairly recent look for the star.
The pink hair is an especially beautiful choice. It seems like some fans weren't convinced that she had actually dyed her hair this shade, though, since People published a story at the beginning of March 2018 with the headline, "Kim Kardashian Insists Her Pink Hair Is Real." She said on her Instagram account,
“You guys if I see one more person say I’m wearing a wig and think that I’m lying, you are just… I just… I don’t get it. Like why would I lie about wearing a wig?”
That seems to be true. She is so open and honest about most of her life -- after all, she is on a long-running reality show with her family, Keeping Up With the Kardashians -- so she would absolutely be real about wearing a wig.
The color didn't last super long, though: by March 12 2018, Allure had a story about Kim dying her hair dark brown.
7 After: Comfy And Cozy In A Puffer Jacket And Blue Pants
This is more of a casual look for the star, and she's wearing a "puffer" jacket which seems to be something that she really enjoys since she is often photographed wearing this style of coat.
This photo is proof that even celebrities go to McDonald's (and even celebrities buy a drink that only costs one dollar). When this photo was taken, Kim was in Calabasas and was going to McDonald's to buy a drink. Maybe we should say, this photo is proof that even Kardashians go to McDonald's. Of course, Kim looks incredibly stylish here and is wearing a much more elevated outfit than what people typically wear to run errands.
She was interviewed by Elle magazine and shared more about her style guru (aka her husband). She said, "Kanye sent me an email to not wear huge sunglasses anymore and what he does is he'll just send me amazing mood boards and great references of smaller glasses and say 'Oh my god, you have to have your team find these' and 'These look really cool, you have to find these. He sends me inspirational e-mails. Whether it's home decor or vacation spots, he sends me these mood boards. He's really good at that."
6 After: Rocking The Braids With Kanye By Her Side
Talk about looking like the star that she is. In this picture, Kim's got her hair in braids that are so beautiful, and she's wearing a black fur coat as well.
The look is totally old-school Hollywood glam and we don't have enough nice things to say about it.
Kim is no stranger to changing up her hair, and that goes for color as well as styles. When she dyed her hair pink recently, it got people talking. How does her family feel about her pink look? As she said, "North absolutely loves it! She was so excited when she woke up to see I had pink hair. Kanye loves it, too. He thinks it’s fun to mix things up.”
Would we be so bold and brave as to dye our hair pink? We might on a dare... but we just might not be able to walk into our office with pink hair and a smile on our face. But, hey, maybe we should be inspired by Kim Kardashian and just do it. The star definitely knows how to look good and have fun in the process, and she could teach us a thing or two about that for sure.
5 After: White Jeans, Big Shades, All Style
As mentioned above, Kim Kardashian has shared in several interviews that Kanye is totally her style guru and that she can go to him when she wants advice on what to wear. She has also said that he emails her and tells her what she should wear (and, on the other hand, what she shouldn't wear because it's not in or cool anymore).
He once said that she shouldn't wear big sunglasses anymore and should wear smaller ones, so we're not sure if this photo was snapped before that email or what. But we have to say that her big sunglasses look cool here and we wouldn't mind wearing them ourselves. Hey, a girl needs some protection from the sun, and you might as well look cool and stylish while wearing them. It seems like people are pretty divided on the whole big sunglasses thing, but we often see stars wearing them. It's a thing for sure.
Kim looks stylish as she always does and we know that she likes to wear neutrals. In this photo, she's wearing all white, and we think that it looks great. If we need style inspiration, we should remember this all-white outfit and do the same thing. White never goes out of style.
4 After: Blondes Have More Fun (At Least For Now)
Sometimes Kim has dark brown hair and other times, like in this photo, she's rocking some blonde locks. But whether her hair is a yellow blonde or more a silver blonde also seems to depend on the day.
How does her fashionable husband feel about her blonde hair. She told People magazine back in 2014,
"Kanye likes the blonde. I was talking about this yesterday actually with Kanye. He asked if I would ever go back to blonde."
They say that blondes have more fun, and maybe that's why Kim decides that sometimes she just wants to be a blonde. We think that she looks awesome no matter what hair color she has chosen. In February 2018, Kim said that she was "over" having hair this color, though, which was probably why she chose to go with a light pink. How long did she go blonde this time around? She had blonde hair for six months. Kim also said, "'It will be years before I go blonde again, so have to enjoy it." So it seems like we won't be seeing her blonde hair for a while now (unless she changes her mind, which is, of course, a woman's prerogative.)
3 After: Like Mother, Like Daughter For Kim And Her Mini-Me North West
If Kim Kardashian is beloved for her fashion sense, it's safe to say that her daughter, North West, is as well. It makes sense that a celebrity would dress their baby super well if they themselves are known for being such fashionistas and it's been cool to watch.
People can't seem to get enough of this stylish kid. When North was eight months old, Kim Kardashian told People in 2014,
"North has actually not worn anything designer yet! Kids get dirty. She’ll spit up. She moves around so much. I saw this one cute dress that was $500 and I was like, ‘Absolutely not!’ I just want her in little onesies or leggings.”
It seems like that did change as North grew up and got older, as E News published a story talking about the designer clothes in her closet and that she had a stylist working for her along with some others. According to that story, her "glam squad" was getting paid $5,000 each week. One of North's most famous looks is absolutely when she wore a white ballet outfit (aka the most adorable tutu ever) with a white Balmain blazer. Did we look that amazing and chic as a toddler?! That would most likely be a "no."
2 After: Kim And Kanye Looking Like Rock Stars
Don't Kim and Kanye look like total rock stars in this photo?! They just look so incredibly cool.
Kim really enjoys a good puffy jacket, which is officially called a "puffer" (which is the best name ever). Of course, she doesn't wear just any puffer jackets and is often snapped wearing a designer one, and we wouldn't expect anything less. She has been seen wearing one made by Balenciaga.
We can definitely see Kanye's style influence here since he is known for his "street style" looks and that's how Kim dresses when she's out and about (aka not going to a fancy event). It makes so much sense that Kanye has such a successful, popular fashion and shoe line, Yeezy, since he looks so great all the time. Kanye has also partnered with Adidas and their sneaker line is called Adidas Yeezy Boost. The Yeezy brand first started selling clothing in October 2015 and there have been countless types of sneakers in the years following. It's no wonder that we associate these stylish kicks with Kanye West and that we often see him photographed wearing them, like in this photo of him and Kim. Yup, these two are absolutely a very stylish pair.
1 After: The New Kim: A Mix Of Textures
This outfit is all about the different textures, from the leather jacket to the sheer mesh-style pants to the leather bra and purse. We're not sure if Kim did that on purpose or if she just wanted to wear a bunch of black clothing items, but either way, it's an A-plus look.
Kim has her haters, like any celebrity, and her fans, and it seems like her biggest fan is her husband. When Kanye was interviewed by Angie Martinez of Hot 97, he said,
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen. All barber shops, fashion designers, architects, corner stores, Wall Street, all over the world: Y'all acting like this ain't the most beautiful woman of all time! I'm talkin', like, arguably of human existence -- the top 10 of human existence."
Kim may be talked about for her looks and fashion sense, but she's for sure a businesswoman in her own right. She shared in an interview, "I’m learning stuff still with my brand. There’s so much more that you know and when you start learning more you get so much more passionate about it and you fall so much more in love with it... You just want to make sure that you know you’re doing the best that you can.”
References: Thisisinsider.com, Thisisinsider.com, Bustle.com, Interviewmagazine.com, Harpersbazaar.com, Wmagazine.com, Eonline.com, People.com, Businessoffashion.com, Celebritybabies.people.com, Eonline.com, Usmagazine.com, Dailymail.co.uk, Elitedaily.com
