Vanessa Williams’ Style Evolution

Last updated: August 17, 2026 11:25 pm

Contents

1. The 1983 Miss America Parade Look at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.2. The Very ’80s Tap Dance Kid Look: The Tap Dance Kid opening night, 1985.3. The Red Jacket at the…

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Vanessa Williams has been serving glamour for more than four decades. From her historic Miss America reign in the 1980s to her unforgettable music career during which she delivered classics like “Save the Best for Last,” along with a few showstopping Hollywood red-carpet moments. Her style has evolved with the times while always retaining a sophisticated, feminine edge.

What makes Williams’s fashion history especially fun is the range. She has done big ’80s hair and bold color, sleek ’90s minimalism, sophisticated gowns and full-on Hollywood glamour.

Here are 10 looks that Vanessa Williams actually wore that deserve another look and why she’s become a style icon over the years.

1. The 1983 Miss America Parade Look at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Vanessa Williams, Vanessa Williams style, save the best for last — Source: Tom Gates / Getty

Fresh off becoming the first Black woman to win the Miss America title, Williams appeared at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade wearing her crown with a glamorous fur coat. The look is pure early-’80s pageant royalty, complete with voluminous hair and a bright, polished beauty look.

It is more than just a fashion moment; it captures Williams at the beginning of a historic career.

**2. The Very ’80s Tap Dance Kid Look: The Tap Dance Kid opening night, 1985**.

Williams embraced the glamour of the decade at the opening night of The Tap Dance Kid. She wore her hair in an updo with a curled bang that perfectly captured the beauty trends of the mid-1980s. But the singer added a daring touch to the look with her black leather dress and a sexy lace scarf, proving that she wasn’t afraid to step outside her comfort zone when it came to her wardrobe.