Shakira is perceived with more benevolence today than in the 25 years of her career, whether it is because of the empathy (or not) that she has garnered following her separation with the footballer Gerard Piqué. This is not an isolated case. Since Britney's freedom, which served as a metaphor for patriarchal control over women's autonomy, has become one of our concerns, we've wanted to make peace with many of the pop divas of our teenage years: Avril Lavigne, Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton, among others.
It's not unusual for the referents that the female public values to have lower social regard, until enough years pass for the male public and critics to appropriate them. One can think of the reversal of the reception of Harry Styles's music, or directly to a certain Liverpool band that drove girls crazy. Although this is an area where oceans of ink have yet to be spilled, going back to the Colombian singer's albums such as Pies descalzos and some of her older videos, it is evident that the diva has remained true to a specific aesthetic and sartorial style since her debut in 1995.
While the international pop scene is full of chameleons who play as much, if not more, with their style and appearance as with their music, Shakira has always been consistent in the way she presents herself to the world. The artist whose sound is split between Latin rhythms, pop and rock, has held onto her exposed midriff body-hugging silhouette for so long it has gone out of style and come back on trend again.
An iconic (and recurring) style formula
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If we had to describe Shakira's look from memory, low waist bottoms and crop tops would be the first to come to mind. In her Suerte video, probably the most emblematic song of the Barranquillera singer, her skintight low rise pants, chunky belt, and mini top are as much of a signature as her gestures and choreography.
She was also helped by her signature look to show off her belly dancing skill, which she practiced since childhood. Shakira has re-envisioned this wardrobe formula in countless ways. In the beginning of her career, her look reflected the rock guitars in her music with more of a metal aesthetic. Now, her current looks are more eclectic and resemble the trends of the moment.
A (very natural) beauty look as a constant
Shakira's look has been characterized by consistency rather than by dramatic transformations. In fact, she surprises us by being very natural, with a preference for the so-called no make up look, avoiding smoky eyeshadows and pronounced red lips that defined the decade of the 2000s, when Shakira became a star.
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Her biggest aesthetic transformation came early in her career, when she ditched the black hair she had until the Pies descalzos album in favor of the voluminous blonde mane that made her iconic when the Servicio de lavandería record was released. Since 2001, blonde curls have become an essential part of her look, and it's hard to talk about Shakira without thinking about them.
A special silhouette on the red carpet
Just like her stage looks, Shakira has a favorite silhouette when it comes to red carpet events, and it's a special predilection for sweetheart neckline dresses that she's been flaunting for decades. It is a particularly classic aesthetic departure from her usual look, and one that relies on the confidence of Old Hollywood elegance.
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Shakira's style cues have remained virtually unchanged since the beginning of her long musical career. It's hard to draw a conclusion about what fashion means to the singer in terms of a communication tool. Without a doubt, she has used it to create a recognizable and timeless look. According to Coco Chanel's (hackneyed) quote that "only style remains", Shakira could have achieved the ultimate claim of any aesthetic with a look that, despite its enormous influence, never entered the narrow canons of normative elegance.
Perhaps it's a symptom of someone so confident that they don't need to adapt their appearance, or perhaps the opposite. It could be the refuge of a proven formula for success that serves as a comfort zone. The fact is that her look has had a tremendous influence, so much so that in the face of the incessant return of the low-rise waist, and the (partly dangerous) prominence exposed midriff and crop tops, we can't help but think that she is above all another style icons.
This article was originally published on Vogue.es
Translation by Anissa Agrama
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