17 of the most iconic outfits Janet Jackson's ever worn throughout her career

Janet Jackson in 1984

Janet Jackson poses for her "Dream Street" album cover in 1984.
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  • Janet Jackson's two-part documentary premiered on January 28 on Lifetime and A&E.
  • From performances to red carpeting appearances, Jackson has worn many iconic ensembles over the grade of her nearly five-decade career.
  • Jackson channeled "The Matrix" at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards past wearing a black leather gown underneath a matching trench coat.

Janet Jackson turned heads at the 1977 American Music Awards in a colorful clothes adorned with tufts of tulle and a statement hat.

Janet Jackson onstage at the 1977 American Music Awards
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Even at 10 years former, Janet Jackson was a force to be reckoned with.

In a YouTube video posted by an business relationship named Moonwalker, Michael Jackson invited his younger sister onstage at the 1977 American Music Awards as part of a brief one-act bit while co-presenting alongside Fred Allen Berry and Lola Falana.

On her brother'due south cue, Jackson strutted onto the stage in a bright yellowish and pink gown with bedazzled accents weaving across the front end. The dress and matching hat also featured layers of tulle that added a textured dimension to the look.

Although Jackson wasn't given any lines, the laughter and clapping from the crowd showed that she stole the show.

Jackson wore brilliant and eye-catching colors when she played Millicent "Penny" Gordon on "Proficient Times."

Janet Jackson joined the cast of "Good Times" in 1977.
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Jackson'south first major Hollywood role was in 1977 when she was cast to play Millicent "Penny" Gordon on the beloved sitcom "Good Times."

Jackson's attire on the show mimicked the assuming colour palette prevalent throughout the 1970s, including in this portrait photo of the cast. Her wearing apparel, paired with genu-loftier socks and a matching bow, was definitely in step with the mode of the fourth dimension.

In 2012, Jackson told Anderson Cooper that a "Practiced Times" wardrobe staffer suggested she bind her chest and a producer once said she was "too heavy."

"I was getting dressed for the very first episode — now this is my get-go time away from my family," Jackson said. "The wardrobe lady, while she was dressing me, said I had to put bandages around [my] chest."

"I immediately thought, equally I am isn't good enough," she said.

Jackson teased her vehement, tough side with a simple black T-shirt and jeans in the "Pleasance Principle" music video.

Janet Jackson's music video for "Pleasure Principle" was released in 1986.
YouTube/Janet Jackson

Jackson began to bear witness different layers to her style repertoire in 1986 with her nail anthology, "Control."

The music video for "Pleasure Principle," which won all-time choreography at the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards, featured Jackson dancing around an empty loft in a black T-shirt and black jeans that were cinched at the waist with a belt.

While Jackson's ensemble is simple, the attire alongside the song's catchy lyrics and choreography accept cemented the project in music history.

Jackson solidified herself as a fashion icon past wearing the legendary "Rhythm Nation" outfit.

Janet Jackson wore a variation of her "Rhythm Nation" ensemble to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star in April 1990.
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By 1989, Jackson had officially forged a successful path outside of her brothers' accomplishments. The release of her fourth studio album, "Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814," catapulted her direct to the acme.

While the song received many accolades, it's her war machine-style uniform featured in the "Rhythm Nation" music video that's continued to transcend decades. The outfit included a cropped black jacket with 80s-way shoulder pads, silver buckles, a leather neckband, and black pants paired with matching boots.

Jackson finished the wait off with a ponytail and a black baseball cap that had the phrase "1814."

Other artists have paid homage to Jackson'due south outfit, including in 2014 when Beyonće, and her girl Blue Ivy, channeled Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson for Halloween. Histrion Joseph Gordon-Levitt also mimicked the outfit in 2015 when he performed on Paramount Network'southward Tv serial "Lip Sync Boxing."

Janet Jackson punctuated her "Poetic Justice" era with long box braids and cinched lite-launder jeans.

Janet Jackson starred alongside rapper Tupac Shakur in the 1993 motion-picture show, "Poetic Justice."
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Jackson's iconic box braids became a staple of her manner in the early 1990s. Effectually that time, Jackson filmed and starred in the 1993 film "Poetic Justice" directed past the tardily John Singleton, alongside rapper Tupac Shakur, and Regina King. The flick also featured verse by Maya Angelou.

In the film, Jackson sported a blackness, long-sleeve shirt with a foursquare neckline and a pair of low-cal-wash jeans cinched with a belt. Her box braids were topped off with a black newsboy hat.

Tanisha Ford, author of "Dressed in Dreams" and associate professor of Africana Studies and History at the University of Delaware, spoke to HelloBeautiful in 2019 about the significance of Jackson's box braids for Black people.

"When I recall box braids, I call up Janet Jackson's graphic symbol in poetic justice," Ford told the outlet. "Box Braids have ever been a function of the culture from as long as I tin can call back, some version of them … but when Janet Jackson wore them, information technology elevated those braids to a sure level of like Blackness daughter glam that is nonetheless felt every day and around the manner in ways that we all wanted them."

Jackson was a vision of white at the Grammy Awards in 1993.

Janet Jackson at the 35th Almanac Grammy Awards.
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While notwithstanding rocking the "Poetic Justice" box braids, Jackson attended the 35th Annual Grammy Awards that same year in a captivating all-white, double-breasted pantsuit.

She elevated the look by likewise wearing silver jewelry and a white headscarf to style her braids in a flowing updo.

Jackson'due south textured outfit in the "Scream" music video later sold for large bucks.

Janet Jackson wore all-blackness in her and Michael Jackson's 1995 music video, "Scream."
YouTube/Janet Jackson

In 1995, Jackson and her brother, Michael, attempted to dominate the music industry with their single, "Scream." Jackson garnered attention for her shaggy tresses and dark makeup in the music video.

The two wore matching blackness textured long sleeve shirts and black leather pants.

Rolling Stone reported that the apparel fetched $125,000 as part of the "​​Iconic Treasures From the legendary Career and Life of Janet Jackson" sale with Julien's Auctions in 2011.

One of Jackson's more than eye-catching ensembles came after her sixth studio anthology, "The Velvet Rope," in 1997.

Janet Jackson wore this outfit while performing in 1997 at the Smash Hits Poll Winners' Political party at the London Arena.
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Around the time she released her 6th studio album, "The Velvet Rope," Jackson's style did a 180° ploughwhen she dyed her naturally dark hair orange. While performing at the Smash Hits Poll Winners' Party at the London Arena, she styled her hair in a series of smaller ponytails to highlight the new colour.

Jackson besides donned a punk rock-inspired fit created out of what appears to exist a sheer black top, a cut-up reddish bustier with small strings of jewelry hanging beyond the front, dark cargo pants, and mesomorphic boots.

The outfit was completed with a large gold necklace that acted as a pseudo collar.

Jackson connected to play with her hairstyle while performing on "The Velvet Rope Tour."

Janet Jackson performed on "The Velvet Rope Tour" from 1998 to 1999.
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"The Velvet Rope Tour" lasted from 1998 to 1999 and visited audiences beyond the globe.

Jackson kept her violent persona going past wearing a cropped double-breasted jacket with prominent sleeve cuffs, a striped waistcoat peeking out from underneath, and wide-leg pants.

Her nighttime bangs featured glimpses of scarlet as a possible nod to her previous dye job.

Jackson looked straight out of "The Matrix" while on the red carpet in 2000.

Janet Jackson at the MTV Picture Awards in 2000.
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Keanu Reeve's performance equally Neo in the 1999 moving-picture show "The Matrix" was a pop-cultural phenomenon, then information technology's no surprise celebrities dove into the futuristic, post-apocalyptic aesthetic that transfixed Hollywood at the time.

Jackson'south red carpeting outfit at the 2000 MTV Motion picture Awards may take been a minor homage, as she wore a floor-length leather gown topped with a leather trench coat.

During the event, Jackson presented Keanu Reeves with an award for best male person performance for his work in the film.

Jackson shined in gold and yellow hues when honored as an MTV Icon in 2001.

Janet Jackson at "MTV Icon: Janet Jackson" in 2001.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

By 2001, Jackson had been in the entertainment industry for more 20 years, prompting MTV to pay tribute to the international superstar. According to IMDb, Jackson was the inaugural "MTV Icon" honored at the network.

Jackson was escorted onstage by André 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast while they sang a "Ms. Jackson" rendition of their hitting vocal for the crowd. Jackson donned a shiny gold crop top and suede wide-leg pants adorned with flower designs and fringe.

The event included several stars who covered Jackson's classics, including Destiny's Child, *NSYNC, Pink, Usher, and Mya.

Jackson'due south Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Evidence outfit is unforgettable.

Jackson Jackson performed with Justin Timberlake at the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Bear witness.
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In 2004, Jackson performed alongside a number of artists — including P. Diddy and Nelly — at the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show, which became one of the nigh infamous Super Bowl performances to engagement.

When it came time to perform "Rhythm Nation," Jackson appeared onstage in a black bustier busy with small metal pieces woven throughout the fabric, broad pants, and boots. The ensemble was elevated with pops of red across Jackson's chest and on her fingernails.

At one point during the "Rock Your Body" duet with Justin Timberlake, he accidentally tore Jackson's costume, which bared her breast on live Television set.  Jackson, Timberlake, and MTV all released statements following the incident.

Insider's Kim Renfro previously reported on how the incident changed the trajectory of Jackson's career following the backfire.

Jackson sported some ombré action while attention the Alexander McQueen boutique opening in 2008.

Janet Jackson at an Alexander McQueen store opening in 2008.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Alexander McQueen

Jackson appeared in a Kimono-style apparel with a pink to purple ombré transition at the boutique opening.

Jackson later paid tribute to McQueen with her outfit at the "Why Did I Get Married Too" premiere crimson carpet in March 2010. He died by suicide in February of that year.

"[McQueen was the] very commencement fashion show I ever went to. He invited me to his prove in the late 1990s in London. I've e'er been a fan of his," Jackson said, People reported. "True genius, and I'm not using the give-and-take loosely at all."

Jackson celebrated her brother, Michael, after his death in 2009 in a black and white ensemble that mirrored her previous outfits.

Janet Jackson performed a tribute to Michael Jackson just 3 months after his death.
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Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at his Holmby Hills home in Los Angeles. Three months later, the MTV Music Video awards paid homage to him with a tribute prove that showcased his most iconic songs.

About halfway through the performance, Jackson appeared onstage to do a rendition of "Scream." Jackson donned what looked to exist a black and white leather top with big shoulder pads, metal accents, and pants.

Jackson's outfit resembled her Super Basin costume with the extra leather fabric placed overtop the pants.

Jackson got into the Halloween spirit with her bedazzled fedora in 2010.

Janet Jackson attended the Halloween Extravaganza at Lanvin Boutique in Oct 2010.
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Jackson played with gender norms in fashion when she arrived at Halloween Extravaganza at Lanvin Boutique that twelvemonth. She wore a white push button-up shirt underneath a shin-length black dress and heels.

The costume took on a whimsical feel with her added bow tie, bedazzled fedora, imitation mustache, and willowy cape.

Jackson'south hair reached new heights when she dazzled at the 2018 Black Girls Rock! Awards.

Janet Jackson wore Christian Siriano to the Black Girls Rock! outcome.
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Jackson looked absolutely gorgeous when she walked across the Black Girls Rock! Awards evidence red carpeting.

She wore a dark blue ball gown adorned with black floral patterns and a sheer top to prove some skin in a daring display. The dress featured a spiked body harness, and Jackson elevated her wait by wearing her hair in a stretched top knot.

Vogue reported that Christian Siriano designed the gown.

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