Every time Beyoncé makes an appearance looking like the star she is, she creates a stir.
Which of Queen Bey's outfits have caused the most controversy?
Keep watching for some of her most memorable wardrobe choices that have captivated onlookers.
One reason Beyoncé is admired by fans is for more or less trying to remain on the right
side of history.
That spotless image came under question when the singer, along with her rapper husband,
Jay-Z, was unveiled as the face of luxury retailer Tiffany & Co.'s About Love campaign.
In the promotional material for the luxury jewelry brand, Beyoncé appeared in a regal
gown with a crowning statement neck piece: the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond.
Beyoncé wearing the legendary stone was an iconic moment in its own right, since the
"Crazy in Love" singer was only the fourth woman in the world — and the first Black
woman ever — to wear it, according to CNN.
But given the diamond's history, the campaign inspired more outrage than awe.
Tiffany & Co. claim that the famous stone was discovered in South African mines in 1877
and bought by company founder Charles Lewis Tiffany.
According to The Sunday Times, the Tiffany Diamond is allegedly a blood diamond, standing
as a symbol for colonial history.
The controversy was furthered even more when viewers realized Beyoncé was posing with
the problematic diamond alongside a painting by acclaimed anti-colonial artist Jean-Michel
Basquiat.
In 2016, the band Coldplay dropped the music video for their hit single "Hymn for the Weekend,"
which featured a special appearance by Beyoncé.
The video was shot in India against the country's rich cultural backdrop, according to Mumbai
Mirror.
But the excitement quickly soured as the video — particularly Beyonce's attire in it — found
itself at the center of a raging debate about cultural appropriation.
In the video, Beyoncé dons a traditional saree, jewelry, and henna — assuming the
role of a Bollywood star.
According to The Guardian, the sequences showing Holi or classical dancers were slammed for
stereotyping Indian culture.
While some claimed that Beyoncé's outfit hardly qualified as a saree, questions soared
about why she was cast as a fictitious Bollywood actor when the video featured a real Bollywood
actor, Sonam Kapoor, in a blink-and-you-miss-it sequence.
But there was also ample support for Beyoncé's outfit choice.
According to Time, some believed her portrayal as an Indian woman streamlined the similarities
between South Asian and Black cultures and that the representation could be read as empowering.
Beyoncé is inarguably one of the most influential Black female voices worldwide, and the 28-time
Grammy winner has never shied away from representing her heritage.
That's why it wasn't surprising that her halftime performance at the 2016 Super Bowl was a power-packed
tribute to two important names in Black history: Michael Jackson and the Black Panthers.
According to MTV, Beyoncé's custom jacket resembled the black-and-gold design immortalized
by Jackson, who died in 2009.
While Beyoncé paying tribute to the late king of pop was no surprise, her visible admiration
for the Panthers was reportedly a shocker to some.
"What does that mean?"
"Maybe this song isn't for us."
"But usually everything is!"
The Black Panthers were a radical revolutionary group formed in 1960s California in response
to racial brutalities against the African-American community in the United States.
The backup dancers surrounding Beyoncé were dressed in all-black outfits capped with Panther-style
berets and raised their fists in a Black power salute, shown in a picture shared by designer
Zana Bayne.
Bayne told Mashable:
"Early on in conversation, the iconic women of the Black Panther Party were mentioned
as a reference, so we kept that idea of revolutionary women in mind when creating the harnesses."
The Wrap reported that the politically-charged performance prompted calls for protest at
the NFL building in New York.
"So what's going on out there?"
"The new Beyonce video."
"Ohhh."
Beyoncé could wear anything to an awards show and rock it like it's the most casual
outfit ever, but eyeballs truly popped when the singer appeared on the Grammys stage in
2016 wearing regal bridal couture.
She showed up late, skipped the red carpet, and didn't even win any nominations that night,
but she did treat the audience to her wedding dress look when she concluded the night by
presenting the Record of the Year award.
While a wedding gown may not be every attendee's first choice for an awards show, Beyoncé
expectedly broke convention.
The wedding dress was by Israeli designer Inbal Dror, and was embellished with stylish
lace and sheer tulle.
According to VH1, the price tag on the Victorian-style piece was apparently a whopping $12,980.
Still, it was less pricey than another Victorian bridal dress Beyoncé wore two years later,
reportedly while renewing her wedding vows with Jay-Z.Elle reported that the gown by
Galia Lahav, was priced at a whopping $15,000.
Whenever Beyoncé takes to the stage, she commands it — so when someone with an understated
style shares the spotlight with her, they might be scrutinized down to the last shoelace.
That's exactly what happened when she joined singer Ed Sheeran at the Global Citizen Festival
in 2018 for a duet of his hit number, "Perfect."
She was dressed in a striking pink ruffle gown by haute couture label Ashi Studio, which
made for a dramatic contrast with Sheeran rocking his signature tee-shirt-and-jeans
combo.
This vivid mismatch kicked off a debate on social media, with fans on either side of
the fence defending their idols.
A key argument that emerged was the apparent exposition of sexist double standards, with
Beyoncé, a woman, having to put more effort into her wardrobe than Sheeran, a man, for
public appeal.
Angles of race, class and privilege seeped in too.
Today reported that the artists' outfits were part of personal branding, which both were
entitled to regardless of gender.
Sheeran gave a cheeky response to the controversy by posting a link to the t-shirt he wore to
the event, writing "#dresstoimpress" on his Instagram page.
Black Is King was Beyoncé's gift to the cinematic world.
Directed by the star herself, the documentary and album combination was inspired by the
story in the 2019 remake of The Lion King.
The production delved deep into Black culture, showing stunning thematic imagery and representation.
But some didn't praise the attire worn.
Throughout the 85-minute-long film, Beyoncé, along with her crew, is shown dressed in animal
prints, which some consider a stereotype for Africans.
Among the animal designs that grabbed attention were a Valentino leopard-print bodysuit and
a cow-print outfit by Burberry, according to Harper's Bazaar.
Zerina Akers, the costume designer on Black Is King, broke down the symbolism in an interview
with Dezeen, noting:
"I wanted to take that stereotypical notion that if you want to present a tribal element,
then it automatically goes into animal prints.
I wanted to turn that on its head and raise it up to make it feel really high fashion."
While in an interview with Good Morning America, Akers explained her process with Beyoncé,
saying:
"I try to sit down with her, you know, and get her thoughts, and how, like what's going
on in her head, you know, and how she sees things."
Beyoncé's Met Gala looks sure have been head-turners through the years.
Though her 2015 sheer Givenchy gown at the fashion ball received mixed reactions, the
singer-songwriter loyally turned once again to the French luxury label to dress her for
the 2016 event.
Beyoncé rocked a custom nude latex gown embellished with pearls and hand-painted flowers.
That was when the memes came pouring in.
Metro reported that some called the "Halo" singer's dress a giant condom, while others
said it resembled a facial scrub or a peach fruit roll up.
It turns out that the process behind wearing a latex dress is as cumbersome as one would
imagine it to be.
A woman only known as the Baroness, whose New York boutique is the mothership of latex
clothing in America, told Vice she helped with the fitting of Beyoncé's Givenchy gown.
It was a process that included lubrication and, quote, "certain little styling things
that she wanted to have changed."
Beyoncé was somewhat of a regular at the White House during Barack Obama's tenure as
the 44th U.S. president.
Their friendship, as well as her status as an important artist, meant she got special
access to some of the most exclusive events hosted on the official premises, including
the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.
In 2016, she and Jay-Z joined the Obamas for a final Easter gala before their White House
exit, arriving hand-in-hand with their four year old daughter, Blue Ivy.
While everyone agreed that little Blue was the family standout at the event with her
adorable bunny ears, Beyoncé's Marco De Vincenzo dress generated mixed reactions.
Essence highlighted responses on social media, some of which said a see-through lace dress
probably wasn't the best choice for a nearly 150-year-old event with children in attendance.
Queen B marked her presence by cheering on the day's musical performer duo Chloe x Halle,
who are associated with her management company, Parkwood Entertainment.
The 2011 Billboard Music Awards were memorable for how high temperatures soared after Beyoncé's
first live performance of her then-newly released single, "Run the World (Girls)."
And how she won the Billboard Millennium Award.
Also unforgettable was the dress Beyoncé wore: a silver bodysuit-style number with
a spiderweb design that generously revealed her midriff.
As daring as the dress may have seemed to some, it landed Queen Bey on Billboard's list
of best-dressed stars that night.
Celebrity stylist Niki Schwan stated:
"Nobody can disagree that B makes the sexiest warrior of all, and in her silver (barely
there) warrior costume, everyone who laid eyes on her had no choice but to become mere
mortals to her goddess."
It wasn't just her dress that sparked buzz, though.
According to Entertainment Weekly, there were allegations that certain parts of Beyoncé's
show-stopping performance seemed to have been lifted from ideas by Italian singer Lorella
Cuccarini.
Beyoncé admitted to AOL that she was inspired by Cuccarini, having been introduced to her
YouTube videos.
She said:
"The technology and concept were so genius.
Thank God for YouTube or I would have never been exposed to something so inspiring."
Beyoncé doesn't have to flaunt angel wings to convince us that she radiates divine energy,
but she went ahead and did it anyway.
At the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, the singer arrived in a shimmery, sheer sage green gown
that had its own set of feathered wings.
Her daughter, Blue Ivy, was her date for the evening, and looked every bit as chic as her
mom.
Bustle reported that Beyoncé's piece, including the extravagant collar, was a Francesco Scognamiglio
design from the label's Fall 2016 line.
The torrent of memes was expected: Glamour reported that commenters listed everything
that the singer's ensemble made her look like, from the White Witch in The Chronicles of
Narnia to Drew Barrymore's character, Josie Geller, in Never Been Kissed.
Ever since Beyoncé married her longtime beau Jay-Z in 2008, speculation arose as to when
the A-list couple would become parents.
When they did in 2011, it was a grand event: dressed in a now-iconic sequin Dolce & Gabbana
jacket, Beyoncé took to the MTV Video Music Awards stage to perform "Love on Top."
Right before breaking into song, she confirmed she was pregnant with her first child by saying:
"I want you to feel the love that's growing inside of me."
She ended the number by unbuttoning her tux jacket and memorably stroking her baby bump.
"The whole time I definitely was thinking, everyone knows, everyone can see."
The moment was one for the history books.
Guinness World Records noted that after the performance, Twitter documented a sharp spike
in activity with a record-breaking 8,868 tweets sent per second.
As it turns out, there was a stressful story behind Beyoncé's outfit that night.
According to Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mom, two hours before Beyoncé went on stage, she
had to rush to a maternity shop since the pants she initially had made for her daughter
were too tight.
She wrote on Instagram:
"I bought two sizes [of] maternity pants but wound up taking the panel off of one of them
and putting it in the ones that I had made!.
Thank God it worked."
It came as a delightful shock to audiences when Beyoncé and her baby bump emerged to
perform at the 2017 Grammys looking nothing less than stunning.
According to In Touch Weekly, the event marked Beyoncé's first time appearing in public
since she announced her second pregnancy.
Designed by longtime collaborator Peter Dundas, Beyoncé wore an embellished custom gown paired
with a regal headdress to complete the ensemble.
Dundas told Vogue that elements from Beyoncé's life were weaved into the gown, which was
worked on by about 50 people.
Lyrics from the singer's number "Love Drought," which she also performed that night, were
apparently part of the embroidery, as was a sweet tribute to her pregnancy with twins.
Dundas said two cherubs were detailed near Beyoncé's hips, while a likeness of her own
profile was embroidered right in the center.
The gown also harked back to Beyoncé's heritage through sun ray designs meant to depict the
African deity Oshun.
Oshun is significant to Yoruba culture and holds an important status as a savior and
goddess of fertility.
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