Jennifer Lopez’s Fashion Evolution From Her Selena Movie Star Beginnings to Chic Style Icon

When Jennifer Lopez hits a red carpet, all eyes and camera lenses are focused on her — but it wasn’t always that way. She, of course, was destined for Hollywood superstardom, but her fashion had to catch up with her star wattage and talent. Let’s just say it’s been a journey… but in a moment, one designer and one dress changed the game for J.Lo, and a fashion icon was born.

On Feb. 23, 2000, Lopez stepped on the red carpet in a green Versace silk-chiffon gown that was so revolutionary, Google created their “Image Search” tab because “it was the most popular search query we had ever seen,” according to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The world paid attention, and “Jenny From the Block” knew there was no going back from the iconic dress that even boasts its own Wikipedia entry.

While she would describe the plunging green dress as her “most famous” fashion moment, she toldVogue that her favorite dress doesn’t exist, “it’s too hard to choose.” Her preferred daily style is “kind of relaxed and tomboyish but with a little bit of sexy in it.” Yet when she steps in front of the cameras — it’s all glam, baby. And fashion designers trip over themselves trying to get Lopez to wear their creations, from Marchesa to Gucci, she made everyone pay attention to her gorgeous curves.

And while her style grew from following the trends to creating the trends, Lopez has always made an impression.

Take a look at her fashion evolution from 1996 to 2025 below!

A version of this article was published in April 2023.