Carrie Underwood's Style Transformation Through The Years Has Heads Turning

Over the years, Carrie Underwood has experimented with the length and style of her signature blonde mane and firmed up her physique (those legs, y'all). But where the "American Girl" singer most notably changes things up is with her fashion choices.

The Grammy award-winning artist has tried on a variety of looks ranging from cute country girl next door to sexy siren. Plenty of her choices were big hits with fans and critics alike, while some of Underwood's outfits should have landed her on the worst-dressed list. Additionally, Underwood has worn outfits that bordered on inappropriate, criticized due to the fact that they nearly resulted in very unfortunate malfunctions — like the time she nearly bared more than she dared in short shorts while performing on "Good Morning America." 

These awkward on-camera moments aside, Underwood has refused to let anything slow her down. The 5-foot-3 dynamo with the big voice is a powerhouse who juggles being the mother of two kids, Isaiah and Jacob, whom she shares with husband Mike Fisher, to being a judge on "American Idol" — the very show that made her a household name. All of that while singing and performing all across the country, including at the second inauguration of President Donald Trump. 

When she first walked onto the "American Idol" stage, Carrie Underwood was just another bubbly singer with big dreams. But it was that girl-next-door vibe combined with her killer set of pipes that launched the country-singing cutie into the stratosphere. Her look was what you'd expect from a wannabe country star from Oklahoma, consisting of a decidedly youthful and not-so-glamourous style.

She favored low-rise jeans, printed dresses, and occasionally crimped her honey-blonde hair à la Britney Spears in "Crossroads." Underwood even wore jeans to her audition, where she preformed "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Rait. But Underwood could make the judges love her — as well as the audience who voted her in by large margins every week, Nigel Lythgoe, an executive producer of the show, revealed to The New York Times. 

As her popularity grew, so did her willingness to step out of her simple style. After judge Paula Abdul cautioned the young singer about not taking risks, Underwood teased her hair to the heavens and belted out Heart's smash rock single, "Alone." It was a move that pushed Underwood out of familiar territory and into the spotlight, earning her high praise from the judges, including the famously hard-to-please Simon Cowell who predicted that Underwood would be the winner of Season 4. He was right. 

Once she became America's sweetheart, Carrie Underwood's life began to change quickly. Gone was the naive young girl from Oklahoma with her no-frills style who had never flown on a plane before the "American Idol," competition. In her place was a more polished version who was learning how to look the part of a rising star. Not long after her big win, the "Blown Away" singer blew the public away with her red carpet style that featured looser curls, softer makeup, and beautiful ball gowns. The sparkle was still there, but in a more subtle, sophisticated way worthy of a woman who would go on to win multiple Grammys, be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and have her own Las Vegas Residency, "Reflections." 

Beginning in 2005, Underwood underwent a lot of change very quickly. As Underwood shared in an interview with NPR, "My life has been pretty nuts ever since I tried out for 'American Idol,' and I certainly never could have imagined any of this was ever possible." However, she kept her head about her, relying on her faith and family to keep her grounded. She understood that the world of showbiz isn't always what it seems. "This whole celebrity thing is a wonderful and strange thing. It can be so much fun, but it's just not reality," she said. 

In 2006, after finding her footing in fame, Carrie Underwood began to embrace a boho look. Made up of flowy tops, jeans, boots, long dresses, and layers of bangles and necklaces, the look suited her youthful spirit. It also captured the essence of who the "Before He Cheats" singer has always claimed to be — and that's someone who was and continues to be very down to earth. "We're just really normal people and I'm so thankful that we are," she once told People about her home life with her husband and sons. "I feel like if I were the person that I am on stage when I'm at home, I just don't know if that person would like have too many friends," she added. "I enjoy getting to play that role, but you can't be that big of a personality all the time. Well I guess you can, but it's gotta be exhausting."

Carrie Underwood leads a lavish life in some ways, sure, but she also cops to doing her own laundry, driving a Ford Escape even after she had made it big, going to the grocery store in sweats, and grabbing microwave burritos in a pinch. She also gardens, growing her own fruits and veggies at the family's home in Franklin, Tennessee, and makes her own sourdough. With so much on her plate, both literally and figuratively, one would assume the star has a house full of helpful staff. As she told People, though, that is not the case. "I'm terrible at asking for help," she said, and added, "I don't like a lot of people in my space." 

Carrie Underwood transformed her body since "American Idol," and she wasn't scared to show it off. Form-fitting gowns revealed that the "Jesus Take the Wheel" singer had taken matters into her own hands when it came to sculpting a svelte physique. But it wasn't just the figure-flattering designs that set these dresses apart. It was the glam factor of the beading and the bright fabric that made them showstoppers. The inspiration for many of these looks can be directly attributed to some of country music's best and brightest stars of the Grand Ole Opry.

When Underwood was inducted into the Opry, in 2008 she said she spent a lot of time studying the women who came before her and what they represented when it came time to decide how to present herself on that famous stage. In an interview on the "Rob + Holly Show," Underwood revealed that "I'm very particular when it comes to my Opry wardrobe. You see pictures on the wall or looking up things about the Grand Ole Opry, and I feel like the women always dressed a certain caliber. It was very rhinestones; it was very shiny."

Country music stars have long been known for their sometimes over-the-top glitzy getups, but even though she sizzles in her sparkly, sexy gowns, Underwood manages to come off sophisticated. "Carrie has a consistency of excellence," Beverly Keel, chair of the recording industry department at Middle Tennessee State University, told The Tennessean. "Carrie is elegant and classy and poised. She doesn't make one wrong move, ever."

Many Southern women live by the adage "the higher the hair, the closer to God." They tease, backcomb, curl, set, and spray until hair holiness is achieved, and there's no such thing as too big or too blonde. Carrie Underwood knew a thing or two about big, blonde hair when she competed on "American Idol," so fans were shocked when she chopped it off into a super stylish, shoulder grazing lob. Underwood, who told Elle in 2016 that she prefers to do her own hair and makeup, said that the competition was the first time she'd had someone else do her hair for her. "There were some [looks] that I don't think I would do now — I had big hair. I had a lot of big hair. And I like big hair, but I wouldn't go back there again."

The decision to chop it off wasn't rooted in vanity or even a need to keep up with the latest trends. Instead, the reason was much more practical. "Now that my hair is shorter, it's easier to fix, which was the whole point," she told Elle. "Cutting my hair was a 'mom' move." Underwood, who welcomed her first son in 2015, explained that because of her fitness and performing routines, she had to wash and dry her hair daily, which was time consuming. The shorter style allowed her to streamline her routine. "I could spend half an hour to blow it dry and have it be super long, or I could spend that time playing with my son, and I'd much rather do the latter," she said. 

When you think about country superstar Carrie Underwood, the first thing that comes to mind after her music is probably her tan and toned legs, thanks to her commitment to shorter styles in the mid-2010s. A health and fitness fanatic, Underwood has worked hard for those great gams and she shows them to their best advantage. According to her trainer, Eve Overland, Underwood achieved her toned stems through a commitment to daily workouts, regardless of what her busy schedule looked like. "Even though the touring life is high demand and schedules are crazy, we have a set routine and can guarantee that time together," Overland told Women's Health.

That time together consists of approximately 90 minutes of total body strength training, along with cardio bursts. "We progress, add challenge, and mix things up by changing the amount of weight used, reps, tempo, and equipment," she added. Underwood, who follows a primarily vegan diet, also prioritizes healthy eating and makes sure that she always has something on hand so she can avoid temptation when hunger strikes. "I carry my own food with me everywhere," she told Women's Health. "I'm always going to the grocery store, just so I'm prepared." Underwood is so committed to looking and feeling her best that she launched an activewear brand, Calia, in late 2014. Although she is no longer involved with the brand today, she is involved with the Fit52 app, which offers workouts.

Whether she was rocking the red carpet or running errands, Carrie Underwood's maternity style was on point throughout her pregnancies. Some of her go-to looks leaned towards leggings or skinny jeans topped with simple shirts. But whether she was boldly baring her bump in body-clinging dresses or going more subtle, she always paired it with a beautiful pregnancy glow. 

Underwood and her husband, former professional hockey player Mike Fisher, share two sons, but in between the two, the singer had three miscarriages in only two years. "Of course you wonder if it's you, what am I doing wrong, or what have I done wrong," she shared in an interview with People. "I remember having conversations with Mike trying to make sense of it all." Like in her famous hit "Jesus Take the Wheel," the country superstar talked to God, and she said it wasn't long after that she learned that she had a healthy, sustainable pregnancy. "We heard that everything was okay and I was pregnant with Jacob," she says. "He's just this perfect little bundle of a smiley guy." Underwood turned her journey into a hit with the album "Cry Pretty" that she said was inspired by the experience. 

It was a sheerly unforgettable evening when Carrie Underwood stepped out looking like a golden goddess in a sheer, nude Elie Madi dress in 2019. The gown showed plenty of the singer's famous legs through the see-through material, although gold head to toe embellishments kept the gown from revealing too much. This was not the first time that Underwood had embraced the sheer trend, or that particular designer. In earlier years, she had donned a nude Elie Madi sheer cape and mini dress that featured a subtle shimmer. She followed that up with a sheer gold column dress by designer Davidson Zanine. A month later she was spotted in one of the more unusual gowns she's ever worn, a sheer, cream colored Gauri & Nainika dress that featured tiers and an abstract image of a gazelle. 

Called "naked dressing" or "pseudo-nudity," according to Vogue, the sheer trend has been around for decades. Some credit its newer rise in popularity to the rise of female empowerment and women taking control of the narrative of how and what they will do with their bodies. Whatever the reason, it seems that sheer is here to stay. 

Did she or didn't she? That is the question behind the plastic surgery rumors that Carrie Underwood can't seem to escape. Granted, the "Cowboy Casanova" singer does look quite a bit different than she did in earlier years, but she's also gotten older like the rest of us. However, there are those who say that her physical changes, such as seemingly fuller lips and smoother, more lifted cheeks, is not the result of aging but the result of trying to turn back the clock.

After the beautiful blonde posted a photo on Instagram with Ludacris in 2024 looking less glam, more rock 'n' roll, her followers began speculating, accusing her of having work done. "She needs to really hold off on all the plastic surgeries. It doesn't even look like her," one follower commented, while another noted, "Omg Jesus take the wheel... what happened to her?!?!"

It is public knowledge that the singer took a tumble while walking her dogs that resulted in injuries requiring more than 40 stitches to repair the damage done to her face. "The truth is ... I wish I'd gotten some awesome plastic surgery to make this [scar] look better," the singer told Redbook in 2018. "But I try not to worry too much about it." Other than the incident in 2017, Underwood has not discussed having, or not having, work done.

In what might have been one of Carrie Underwood's most controversial moments of all times, the country superstar agreed to sing "America the Beautiful" at the second inauguration of President Donald Trump in 2024. While she received some criticism for her choice to perform, the one matter everyone could agree on was her beautifully understated dove-gray dress. This study in simplicity was a far cry from the sassy singer's usual sparkle and high slits. She paired the midi-length dress with heels, statement earrings, and elegant hair and makeup for a look that was both classic and chic. The dress, designed by Italian designer Opificio Modenese, is also quite attainable, retailing for just over $300.

While her dress was very appropriate for the occassion, Underwood's behavior made headlines for being decidedly inappropriate. When a malfunction caused her to have to belt out the song a capella, she handled the unfortunate situation with grace and poise. However, those behind the scenes said it was Underwood's reported diva behavior that really stole the show. An insider told Daily Mail that the "American Girl" artist was unhappy with the way she felt she was treated. "Her anxiety was high throughout the performance, and she felt that she was not afforded the same level of respect or admiration that previous performers, such as Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, had received," the source said. "She felt as if she was ushered in and out and had a mini hissy fit afterwards." Well, at least she was ushered in and out in style.