10 Iconic Stage Outfits That Caused a Hurricane of Discussion

A vibrant image on stage can become a singer’s signature look, like, for example, Marilyn Monroe’s white dress or Michael Jackson’s sparkling suit. Their looks are very vivid in our memories. We decided to dig up the past and recall what outfits of famous men and women made a splash in the media and became iconic.

1. ABBA

ABBA made a splash with their bright, shiny, and sometimes even a bit ridiculous outfits. The band member Björn Ulvaeus once even said they looked crazy, and nobody dressed for the stage as badly as they did.

Interestingly, such flashy looks were chosen not only to attract the audience. The band’s style was partially affected by the tax laws of Sweden. If a costume was so impractical that it was impossible to wear outside, its cost was subtracted from taxes.

2. Cher

One of the legendary costumes the singer wore was for the music video for her song, “If I Could Turn Back Time.” Cher is on a ship in the video, performing for the crew.

She wore a one-piece swimsuit, fishnet stockings, and a leather jacket. The video was even banned from TV, and only MTV would broadcast it after 9 p.m. Later, a less revealing version of the video was shot.

3. Tina Turner

A black leather dress, a denim jacket, and black stiletto heels took center stage in the singer’s music video for her song, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” in 1984. Aside from that, Tina Turner has appeared on stage in this outfit several times. The outfit and her hairdo became fashion symbols of the time.

4. Madonna

People saw the provocative cone-shaped bra during Madonna’s 1990 tour Blonde Ambition. Jean-Paul Gaultier designed it.

The singer asked him personally to create an outfit for her performances. In addition to the bra, the designer created an unusual corset. It didn’t make the waist narrower; instead, it was loose. And it was shocking.

The cone-shaped bra was reimagined by younger stars, such as Lady Gaga, who replaced them with flamethrowers, and Katy Perry, who used whipped cream.

5. Kylie Minogue

In 2000, Kylie Minogue released a video for one of her most famous songs, “Spinning Around.” In it, she’s dancing in a golden T-shirt and shorts that became legendary.

Minogue and her friend, Katerina Jebb, both liked vintage things, so they bought these shorts at a flea market for less than a pack of gum.

Today, it’s rumored that these shorts are worth millions and belong to a performing arts museum in Melbourne, Australia.

6. Britney Spears

The red latex suit is one of Britney Spears’ most recognized outfits. She wore it in the “Oops!.. I Did It Again” music video. The costume designer created the iconic getup overnight. He was worried the singer would lose consciousness during filming because she’d have to move in it a lot.

According to witnesses, a bucket of sweat spilled on the floor when filming ended, and the costume was finally unzipped. It was a challenging day, but Spears did great. It ended up being an unforgettable video, and it’s still iconic.

7. Katy Perry

During one of her 2012 performances, Katy Perry made a surprise appearance from a giant bucket of popcorn, wearing a movie-themed dress. The singer’s outfit was such a hit that many fans started to copy it, making similar dresses and trying them on. There’s even a guide for how to create such a dress.

8. Lady Gaga

According to Lady Gaga, she didn’t have much money at the start of her career, so she’d often wear the same outfits. Plus, she wanted to be recognized.

For example, she wore this look — red overalls with a hood and red gloves — for both interviews and performances, and it became recognizable. The singer also said that she’d wear the white wig constantly.

9. Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston was famous for her colorful dresses; until the 1990s, she looked like Barbie. But everything changed when the new decade began.

In 1991, Houston went on a world tour to promote her album, I’m Your Baby Tonight. Her outfits on this tour consisted almost exclusively of overalls — adorned with glitter, of course — which was trendy at the time. She wore a simple but iconic outfit for her Paris concert: classic black overalls with a belt studded with crystals.

10. Jennifer Lopez

Crop tops and low-rise jeans are very memorable items of 2000s fashion. Jennifer Lopez wore both for an MTV award ceremony, which made the outfit iconic. She also wore a bandana to receive her Best Dance Video award.

What other iconic outfits do you remember singers wearing?