We know Gwen Stefani as the gorgeous rock star who grew up before our eyes when she became the glam lead singer of No Doubt and coach on the hit show The Voice. Even at the beginning of her career, she was an instant icon. Every teenage girl wanted to be just like her. But according to the star, coming of age and finding herself (and her look) in front of the world was an intense experience.
“I was really confused at this time,” she said in a new video for Vogue. “I was 29 years old. I was really confused about my relationship. I didn’t know who I was." While she totally seemed like the "it" girl who had everything (and she kind of was), of course it was tough to go from being a regular person to being in the spotlight almost overnight.
"I had come off a long long tour," she said. "I had gotten famous. I got to buy a house. I got to move out of my parent’s house. So much had happened.” Luckily, Gwen could do no wrong in our eyes even as she established herself in the industry as a seriously talented singer with an ever-changing style.
No Doubt's singles were at the top of all the charts and Gwen was becoming ridiculously famous. She was also experimenting with her style and becoming an icon with her creative looks. She says, despite being hella famous, she had total control of her look and used Manic Panic hair dye to color her hair.
At the same time, the star says she had plenty of her own insecurities. She had braces and was just coming into her fame. While the whole world thought she was gorgeous, she didn't always feel that way.
Gwen talked about one super embarrassing moment due to those braces, too. Early in her career she was performing on New Year's Eve and had just gotten them put on and they gave her trouble while singing. "My lips kept getting caught in my teeth," she said. Stefani revealed she came off stage and found a closet to cry in.
Still, Gwen could do no wrong when Tragic Kingdom came out. She was a beautiful and talented singer and her style icon status was only just beginning.
“I didn’t have any budgets. I didn’t have a stylist. It was literally on my own with all guys,” The Voice coach said. Luckily, the look totally suited her and everyone copied it. Pink hair was all the rage back in those days after Gwen did it!
“I wanted my hair like cotton candy light hair. I had this vision of what I wanted and I ended up with fuchsia pink hair for like a year.”
Punk rock hair wasn't the only thing that Gwen made cool. She also rocked those plaid pants, chains and itty-bitty tank tops. Of course, she loved that classic shade of bright red lipstick, too.
As Gwen grew up, her style started to change. She still had a punk rock edge and a distinctive twist on her looks, like rocking a head full of buns. But her style started to mature.
These days, we see Gwen usually rocking long blond locks. But she's anything but average. She always glams her looks up with tons of accessories to bring that feisty punk rock vibe into her outfits.
She may be older and wiser (and a mom) but Gwen is still a huge rock star. When she performs, her style is a bit different and a bit edgier than when she's just hanging out or coaching on The Voice.
The best thing about Gwen's ever-shifting style is that she varies her choices so much. She can rock a classic ensemble just as well as knee-high boots and a bright red dress. She's a style inspiration!
These days, Gwen obviously has a stylist and can afford to dress any way she wants, but she still loves a good chilled-out look once in a while, too. And honestly? It looks just as good on her as her glammed up looks do.
Still, Gwen seemed to love reminiscing about some of those earlier styles when she was finding herself in the industry, observing different trends, and meeting different designers who influenced her cool look. Those bikini tops were likely Gwen's own idea, but who knows!
Honestly, no matter what she has on, Gwen puts the G in G-L-A-M. These days, she looks extra fierce as she's definitely more secure and settled into herself. But she loves sharing a good throwback photo on her Instagram every now and then, too. And fans love it.
These days, Gwen is adorably in love and settled down. But she hasn't lost her edge or her sense of style. She's a true artist and that definitely translates to keeping her looks totally fresh and creative.
“I’m always going to be the same person," Gwen says at the end of the video. "And I’m always going to like the same things … Every single day is a new day and yes, I think my style is always going to evolve.” We hope it does because no matter what she does, her style is always on point.
