Cardi B has always understood the assignment. As a first-time attendee at the Met Gala in 2018, she raised the stakes in an ornate Moschino by Jeremy Scott gown embroidered with thousands of pearls and gemstones. The sparkling beadwork was sartorial magic made richer by her dramatic headpiece and bejeweled pregnancy bump. In 2019, she became the pearl in a vintage Mugler gown from the designer’s fall 1995 collection at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Complete with a transparent bodice and a flared clamshell skirt, the design asserted elegance, charm, and an over-the-top avant-garde style that has become a defining element of her wardrobe ever since.
For nearly a decade, Cardi B has been gracing the red carpet with flawless looks, due in large part to the talented eye of her primary stylist, Kollin Carter. Together, the pair have given us moments like her quilted burgundy gown at the 2019 Met Gala. Against the star-studded backdrop, Cardi B shone in the extravagant Thom Brown piece, embellished with feather accents, a sequin headpiece, and a cascading train. Again, she stopped photographers in their tracks when she arrived at the 2021 “Thierry Mugler: Couturissime” museum-exhibit opening in a feathered fantasy gown pulled straight from the designer’s ’90s archives.
As one of the most influential women rappers in the hip-hop world, Cardi B is decorated with dozens of awards — including a Grammy and seven American Music Awards — and rightfully so. Lyrically, the Bronx-born rapper always gives us her all, delivering unfiltered verses and an ardent passion as she details her past struggles and whirlwind rise to the top. She brings this same unapologetic vibrancy to every head-turning ensemble.
From award shows and red carpets to onstage performances, Cardi B’s style never misses. Sorting through her entire style catalog would take weeks, but as part of POPSUGAR’s celebration of women in hip-hop for the genre’s 50th anniversary, we rounded up 25 of her most memorable outfits to give you a taste of her unforgettable wardrobe through the years. See Cardi B’s incredible style evolution ahead.
