Forget Paris Hilton: Mariah Carey Preempted All the Best Early-Aughts Fashion Trends Inline
Photos: Getty Images; Indigital / tv1/8The casual coat off the shoulders (Demna Gvasalia edition), 1999
Like any diva worth her weight, Mariah knows the value of a sexy shoulder moment. Here, she rocks a puffer coat around her bare arms the way Marilyn Monroe would a fur shawl—is Mariah what Demna Gvasalia had in mind with his oversize Balenciaga coats?
Photos: Getty Images; Splash News2/8The Chanel supermodel suit (decades before Rihanna tried it), 2000
Rihanna turned up to a taping of Good Morning America in a vintage Chanel miniskirt suit a couple of years ago, though you can’t get much more O.G. than Mariah, here in the iconic gingham ensemble. Mariah gets an extra point for pairing hers with the essential diva accessory: a little dog.
Photos: Getty Images; REX3/8The Angelina slit, MTV Video Music Awards 1997
Ever since Angelina Jolie boldly rocked it on the red carpet, the thigh-high slit has been a mainstay in Hollywood. Does the credit actually belong to Mariah? No shade to Angelina, of course, but it’s hard to make more of a leg statement than Mariah does right here.
Photos: Getty Images; AKM-GSI4/8The furry boudoir slipper, 1992
Yes, Kim Kardashian West might have revived this trend most recently, but Mariah has had a feel for the boudoir furry shoes since back in the day. It’s actually entirely believable that Mariah hangs around the house in a heel like this.
Photos: REX5/8The shirt tied around the waist, 1997
Kanye, A$AP Rocky, and Travis Scott have helped inspire an entire generation of rappers to rock flannel shirts around their waist, but Mariah has been delicately draping one around her middle for years. Call this the diva version of a sweater set.
