From a scruffy young songstress with a penchant for neon eyeshadow, trainers and ballgowns to a Chanel-toting, Louboutin-wearing yummy mummy, Lily Allen’s been on quite a style journey since bursting onto the music scene almost 10 years ago. To celebrate the sassy singer’s 30th birthday, we bring you Lily Allen’s style file – a look at the good, the bad and the ugly ensembles she’s donned over the years.
Prom dresses and trainers: 2006
After her demos clocked up tens of thousands of hits on Myspace, Lily was suddenly projected into the public eye aged 21. Labelled by tabloids as Keith Allen’s potty-mouthed, hard-drinking diva daughter, Lily was keen to reject the typical pop princess look and carve out her own distinctive style.
Rather than opting for a polished, typical pop princess look, Lily wore super-girly prom dresses, the flouncier and girlier the better, teamed with fresh-out-of-JD Sports trainers. To complete the look, Lily often wore bright eyeshadow, garish gold jewellery and a fag in hand.
Scrubbing up well: 2007
Lily’s debut album, Alright Still, scooped nominations at the Grammy Awards, Brit Awards and MTV Video Music Awards, and suddenly the straight-talking south London chick had to ditch her trainers, tone down the gold bling and wear her best gladrags for swanky red carpet affairs.
The fashionista
This is Lily’s first foray into the fashion scene; she ditched the trainers from her red carpet repertoire and opted for sophisticated, subtle pieces instead. Lily’s new-found love for designer frocks earned her a place on Fashion Week’s front row, where she blended in with the rest of the fash pack.
The blonde bombshell
The oversized sunnies, the shiny blonde locks, the glowing tan, the basic black dress – who are you and what have you done with Lily Allen?! The singer looked barely recognisable when she ditched her trademark dark hair and blunt fringe, in this (thankfully) short-lived attempt to fit in with the rest of the fake tan pack on the red carpet.
Tickled pink
Her stint as a prim and proper blonde didn’t last long – in 2008 she experimented with a sassy pink ‘do. Lily proved that she wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to her beloved prom dresses just yet, but this time she teamed her fancy frocks with chic stilettos.
Seductive songstress
On the release of her second album, It’s Not Me, It’s You in 2009, Lily’s look got a whole lot sexier – slinky pencil skirts, towering heels and short shorts became Ms Allen’s go-to uniform for performances and public appearances. Lily stayed true to her love of vintage, favouring 50s silhouettes and keeping her trademark flirty fringe.
Fancy dress
When it comes to festivals, Lily’s played the best of ‘em, and she’s got the bright pink wig from Glastonbury to prove it. As her fanbase grew and gigs got bigger, Lily started having fun with her stage outfits – from a bright pink wig and funky purple jumpsuit at Glastonbury 2009 to a very Cruella de Ville-esque curly ‘do at the 2010 Brit Awards.
A stylish bump
Lily proves that carrying a huge bump around is no excuse to let your style stakes slip – whether she was flaunting her bump in a fabulous mauve maxi gown at the British Fashion Awards while carrying her youngest child, Ethel Mary, or cleverly concealing her pregnancy in empire line dresses.
Blushing bride
Lily met builder and decorator Sam Cooper in summer 2009, and he popped the question on a romantic trip to Bali in 2010. The pair wed in June 2011 in a modest ceremony at a church in Gloucestershire, while Lily was seven months pregnant with her first daughter, Ethel Mary. Yeah, her gorgeous lacy gown is pretty swoon-worthy, but check out how happy the newlyweds look! Lily showed off the ultimate wedding day accessory: a big ol’ smile (apologies to anyone who was just sick in their mouth).
Fashion powerhouse
After taking a break from music between 2010 and 2012, Lily made a triumphant return to the public eye with a shorter, sassier fringe and a covetable set of new high-end garms. In sleek black bodycon dresses and perfectly styled red carpet ensembles, Lily proved that she’s grown up a hell of a lot since her days slagging off Cheryl Tweedy and skipping around LDN in prom dresses and Nikes.
Having fun with fashion
Don’t let her enviable Chanel bag collection and Louboutins on the red carpet fool you – Lily’s still a sucker for crazy costumes as soon as she steps on the stage.
… and in “one last hurrah on the hair front”, Lil’s ditched her previously rose-coloured locks for this awesome florescent green and peach ‘do, which appears to take its inspiration from watermelon.
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