The Most Inappropriate Outfits Kelly Clarkson Has Ever Worn
Kelly Clarkson has been in the public eye since the country first laid ears on her audition for the then-new singing competition series, "American Idol." She'd go on to win the contest, sign a record deal, and solidify herself in the music industry as a bonafide superstar. During her career, Clarkson has won multiple awards and been honored with numerous amazing opportunities most music hopefuls could only dream of — but her outfit choices to some of the subsequent events have fans raising their eyebrows in both confusion and disgust.
Whether her fashion sense involved wearing low-cut dresses to live tapings, rocking (potentially) real fur at a beloved annual ceremony, or simply donning ill-fitted clothing, Clarkson's outfits have earned her backlash online from fans and trolls alike. She seems to handle the criticism like a pro, ignoring the negativity, but that hasn't stopped haters from voicing their opinions on what they deem is inappropriate to wear.
When she (maybe) wore fur at a Rockefeller tree lighting ceremony
The Texas native hosted the 2023 annual tree lighting ceremony in New York City's Rockefeller Center and performed two songs, but it wasn't her vocals that had many fans in a tizzy on social media. Instead of enjoying Kelly Clarkson singing her hit Christmas tune, "Underneath the Tree," they voiced concerns online about her choice of outfit material. She wore a long, white coat with a matching belt that showed off her weight loss transformation — and what looked like real fur around the collar and sleeves.
Fans took to Clarkson's Instagram to post comments such as, "If that is real fur, you should be ashamed! Those poor animals are worth more than cuffs and trim. #cruelty," and, "Please let that be fake fur." Despite the backlash, Clarkson continued to post photos of her outfit to her Instagram, never addressing the fans' fur concerns, per The Sun. It remains unclear if her outfit used faux or real fur.
When she wore a dress with major cleavage on The Voice live finale
During the live finale of "The Voice" back in May 2021, nearly a full year after filing for divorce from Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson rocked a red Dolce & Gabbana dress with a plunging neckline. While many fans thought she looked gorgeous, others wished she would've dressed a little more modestly "for a family show," according to someone's comment on X, formerly known as Twitter (via the Daily Mail).
One person commented on Clarkson's Instagram photo of her outfit, urging the singer to remember she is supposed to be a role model for young girls: "Love your singing Kelly. Beautiful dress. Please cover up a little more for them young girls who wants [sic] to be just like [you]." Another person was less kind about their critique, writing, "Put your boobs away! Nobody got time for that."
The best honorary Team Kelly coach EVER just slayed her performance!! ❤️ you @KelseaBallerini!! #TeamKelly #TheVoice pic.twitter.com/beJ07tkUvh
— Kelly Clarkson 🍷💔☀️ (@kellyclarkson) May 26, 2021
Like with the Rockefeller tree lighting situation, Clarkson didn't address the backlash (via The Blast). Instead, she posted another photo from the big night of her and fellow musician Kelsea Ballerini smiling (above). However, Clarkson was wearing a different outfit in that snapshot — one that's much less revealing than the controversial red dress.
When she wore a jumpsuit that was too tight to comfortably bend down in
While performing during her Las Vegas residency in January 2024, a fan asked the singer to do a shot with them for their birthday. In a TikTok that captured the exchange, Kelly Clarkson pointed to the back of her outfit and said, "I can't actually bend over or this would break," while adding, "this will split and you'll see the moon." The audience laughed and Clarkson did manage to awkwardly bend down to reach for the shot.
She then addressed her weight loss to explain why she was wearing such a "tight" outfit, joking that her styling team wanted to capitalize on her new figure by putting her in tighter clothes.
@sabbbb0 I TOOK A SHOT WITH FREAKING KELLY CLARKSON!!! #kellyclarkson #chemistryresidency #lasvegas I have so many videos from many angles and have no idea who sent me this one. But thank you to every single person that found me and sent it to me! I appreciate it!
While this outfit wasn't low-cut like the red dress or possibly made out of animal fur like her Rockefeller Center outfit, it still seems like an odd choice to wear something you can't properly move around in without issue, especially when you're performing.
When she dressed way too 'frumpy' for her age
In November 2022, Clarkson performed onstage with Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce at the CMA Awards, but fans couldn't help but hate on her outfit choice. She wore a denim Alexander McQueen dress with two accent belts and people were harsh online. One commenter said the singer "dresses way to [sic] dowdy for a young person."
Other people blamed her stylist for her terrible fashion sense, with one person reportedly telling the performer (via OK!), "Sorry I have to say this to you but your wardrobe stylist or wardrobe assist or who ever [sic] is assigned to dress [you] either hates you or wants you to look frumpy or bigger then you actually are." Another comment critiqued both the stylist... and the belts.
In classic Clarkson style, however, she ignored the negative comments and continued to proudly show off her various looks on Instagram.
When she dressed down to attend an award show
About one month before Kelly Clarkson beat Justin Guarini, winning the first season of "American Idol" and becoming an instant celebrity, she and her fellow contestants attended the 2002 Teen Choice Awards in Universal City, California. While that particular award show is much more relaxed than others, like the Oscars, her outfit choice seemed a tad too casual for a televised event. She rocked a knee-length denim skirt, red tank top, and cut-off white T-shirt that showed off her midriff. It's a very early aughts look, for sure, but for an award show? Maybe not the best choice.
Of course, this was super early in her career. She ultimately found her groove and went on to wear more appropriate clothing to future events like this, claiming her style along the way. Fashion has its own type of growing pains!