Sabrina Carpenter Outfits That Prove Why She's The New It Girl

Sabrina Carpenter has "Taste" when it comes to fashion, and she's fast become the new It girl thanks to a niche style that's full of contradictions. In a good way. It's feminine and fun, but it's also daring and trendy. She wears super cute pieces, but they're also incredibly sexy. She dresses in a modern way, but with a nod to vintage. And she pulls her looks off thanks to her enviable confidence. "You know what? There's this part of me right now that I'm like, 'I'm going to wear short skirts as long as I can,' and this is the era that we're in currently, so..." she told WhoWhatWear in November 2023, refusing to apologize for her flirty clothes. As she should.

We love that this star knows how important it is to adapt her wardrobe to avoid coming across dated or inauthentic, too. "For me, clothing has had a huge part in [feeling comfortable]," she told Interview in February 2024. "It's been a process of finding out what actually makes me feel comfortable. And oh my god, I'm not going to be comfortable in what I'm wearing right now in three to four years. But I have to follow what I feel at that moment," she added. We're sure glad she follows her heart, because that's led to some seriously show-stopping outfits.

Many iconic fashionistas know the key to looking good is an outfit uniform. For Carpenter, her version of this is the ultra-short mini dress, paired with some variation of high heel. Since 2023, Carpenter has been spotted wearing multiple versions of the outfit, including a black one while opening for Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" which she paired with chunky, platform boots. A few months later, she wore a festive, red version of that same look with elbow-high red gloves at KIIS FM'S Jingle Ball.

But by far, one of her most iconic takes on her signature outfit was the strapless yellow version she wore to her June 2024 Governor's Ball performance.The dress was custom Frolov, which the "Espresso" hitmaker wore with frilly white socks and white boots for coquette flair. This proved she could put her own spin on a color trend, as butter yellow had been the hot new neutral since fall 2023. Carpenter made the hue fit her feminine and cutesy aesthetic via lace and sparkly embellishments, as well as a heart-shaped cutout in front of her décolletage. 

Sheer dressing was a huge 2023 summer trend that was still big in 2024, and Sabrina Carpenter showed us how to do it in a high glam way. In March 2024, the star attended the annual Vanity Fair Oscar Party in a Tory Burch gown with a see-through black skirt that let her legs show through. The top half of the ensemble consisted of shiny black croc-print bodice with faux black leaf embellishments on the spaghetti strap shoulders. Not only did these additions add some head-turning glamour, it also made the whole ensemble more appropriate for such a formal event. Plus, the sequins along the gown reflected camera flashes, so the dress didn't appear quite so see-through. A great hack for anyone who wants to go sheer without showing too much skin.

We especially love how Carpenter accessorized after the event, though. She left in boyfriend Barry Keoghan's studded black jacket, which suited the monochrome ensemble and showed the couple was going strong.

In June 2024, Sabrina Carpenter showed she knows how to make a vintage outfit look totally fresh when she appeared for a surprise runway walk at the Vogue World: Paris at Place Vendome event in a red and white swimsuit. The candy stripe look (which makes a great nail design inspo for Carpenter's "Short N' Sweet Tour!") gave us serious retro '40s vibes, as she paired it with a headscarf and long, sheer coverup in a similar pattern. Proving she has the confidence and fashion sense to pull off almost anything, she made mixing horizontal and vertical stripes work. 

Fans, understandably, couldn't get enough of the bold look. "WOWOWOWOWO SHE ATE," commented one fan on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Oh this slay," another wrote.

Another reason Sabrina Carpenter became fashions new It girl so quickly? She knows how important it is to pay homage to those who came before her. The evening after wearing her iconic red and white stripe outfit, Carpenter attended the Vogue World: Paris afterpartyin an eye-catching, vintage Michael Kors dress. Carpenter's stylist Jared Ellner revealed on Instagram that the ultra-glamorous, sparkly ensemble had previously been worn by Madonna for a 1990 Glamour cover shoot. That was only fitting, seeing as Carpenter is now the one blazing a fashion and pop music trail of her own like the "Material Girl" hitmaker once did.

The incredibly sparkly number once again proved how Carpenter can take vintage aesthetics and make them current. She also knows how to elevate them. By adding a deep red lip, she brought an Old Hollywood glamor element that wouldn't have worked had she opted for a light pink or nude lipstick and gloss.

When Sabrina Carpenter attended the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March 2023, she gave the sheer trend a go in an even more dramatic way. Proving she wasn't afraid to show some skin ,she slipped into a Paco Rabanne gown that was completely see-through on the top half, except for some strategically placed black oval embellishments over the chest and neckline. The bottom half of the dress was equally daring, as the elegant white satin skirt featured a cut that plunged under her navel.

Carpenter admitted to WhoWhatWear the following year that the getup marked a fashion departure for her. "I love Paco Rabanne so much and have worn them to some really special things, so it only made sense to wear them for my first Vanity Fair [party]. It was very beautiful," she told the publication. 

Sabrina Carpenter loves bold performance outfits, but she still finds a way to make them feel authentically her. Had anyone else appeared at Times Square for New Year's Eve 2023 in a white corset dress with long, lace gloves, knee-high socks, and silver glitter heels, it could have easily looked too much like a costume. But, because the "Please Please Please" singer adapted the coquette aesthetic into her ensembles so many times before, it felt genuine.

Not everyone would feel so comfortable in a tiny, figure-hugging corset, but it's fair to assume Carpenter clearly did. The singer has spoken previously about how her elaborate on-stage fashion empowers her whenever she's performing. "I want to feel as confident as humanly possible so I can be up there and not worry about what I'm doing. It helps me perform better," she explained to WhoWhatWear in November 2023.

Another aesthetic Sabrina Carpenter knows how to serve is traditional, elegant glam. In August 2024, Carpenter walked the red carpet for Variety's 2024 Power of Young Hollywood party in a Miu Miu butter yellow gown. The floor-length fitted dress was gorgeous, featuring a wide neck and sophisticated metallic embellishments from head to toe. The line of sparkles across her middle was particularly flattering, as it highlighted her waist and mimicked the 2024 statement belt trend.

Clearly, the neutral yellow shade works for Carpenter. Just like her Governor's Ball performance dress, the summer color brought a lot of warmth to her skin for a healthy glow, while complimenting her similarly colored locks. Carpenter's a natural blond who gets golden highlights, and her dress and locks were perfectly coordinated.

The bodysuit has become synonymous with main pop girl energy (we've seen several on Taylor Swift through the years) and it seems Carpenter understands that well. The singer had jaws dropping at Outside Lands Festival in August 2024 when she appeared on stage in a black corset style one-piece with sparkly black sequins and glittery fringe swinging from her hips. Fringe was a spillover trend from the previous summer, and, again, Carpenter showed us how to adapt something popular to fit her style. She paired the lingerie-inspired outfit with thigh-high, fishnet stockings and chunky platform heels.

"I don't wear what I wear on stage to the grocery store, but I definitely feel comfortable enough in it that I wouldn't feel weird wearing it to dinner with my friends and family," Carpenter admitted to W in April 2024 of her stage looks. "It never feels like I'm putting on this persona and becoming someone else. It still feels like another facet of me." And that totally came across in this sultry yet sparkly ensemble.

While in London in December 2022 for The Fashion Awards, Sabrina Carpenter showed her fashion-forward side with a style curveball. The star stripped away the sparkles and mini skirts for a mustard floor-length Alberta Ferretti dress complete with a hood. The unexpected choice confirmed Carpenter still knows how to slay even without her signature sparkle and proved she's not afraid to try something different.

Her bravery stepping outside the fashion box may well be down to her work with stylist Jason Bolden. "We started with taking some of these more daring fashion risks that I probably would have never seen on the rack and been like, 'That's the one for me,'" Carpenter told WhoWhatWear the following year. "He was really good at pushing me in those ways."

Sabrina Carpenter proved once again how to seamlessly blend delicate and sexy when she walked the red carpet for the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards in September 2023. Carpenter wore a custom Vera Wang dress, featuring a Swarovski crystal covered bodice with draped white tulle. The ensemble looked like two dresses in one, which mirrored Carpenter's penchant for combining multiple aesthetics and trends. "I felt a bit like a fairy, which is very nice to feel," she told WhoWhatWear of the ensemble.

The only thing we'd have done differently? Swapped out the champagne sheen platform peep toe heels for a more delicate silver heeled sandal. However, we love that her shoe choice elongated her leg and didn't detract from the look.

Though Sabrina Carpenter has relationships with some of the biggest designer brands in the world, the fashion darling is not afraid to source her outfits from unexpected sources. For her 25th birthday party, she paid homage to Kate Hudson's character "Andie Anderson" in the movie "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days" by wearing a yellow satin dress from clothing resale site Depop.The cute mini featured a deep V cut adorned with yellow embellishments that also ran across her hips. The warm color not only emphasized her healthy tan, it also allowed her to stand out on her big day in a dress she clearly felt comfortable in. Plus, the fans loved it. "THE CAKE... iconic. also the dress???? obsessed," one fan commented on Carpenter's Instagram upload showing photos from the event. "THE YELLOW IS GORG," another wrote in all caps.

Sabrina Carpenter channeled her inner Barbie for the 2023 Spotify Best New Artist party in February 2023. Her ultra-girlie ensemble — made up of a hot pink, zig-zag stripe crop top with striped briefs and a sheer, sequined mini-skirt — won't be for everyone, but it was oh-so-Carpenter. The "Taste" singer added ultra-high, double-strap platform heels to finish the confident ensemble. It was a total masterpiece in feminine dressing and also proved Carpenter is a trendsetter. At the time, the underwear-on-the-outside look hadn't quite caught on with the masses yet, though the pantless trend would go on to become huge in 2024. 

It seems the brave look was an amalgamation of the Carpenter's style icons. "I look at old photos of Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin and even young Dolly [Parton]; a lot of the things they wore feel very close to the things that I like to wear now," she told W in April 2024, also revealing she's inspired by her mom's outfits when she was younger. "She used to wear these cute little sets, and I feel like now I'm very much a set girl," Carpenter noted.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Sabrina Carpenter doesn't stray from sparkles, bright colors, and short skirts very often. But that's actually not the case, as she has quite the versatile wardrobe. Especially when she's not on the red carpet or the stage. In December 2023, Carpenter wore an unexpected look on Instagram, rocking an oversized navy blue and green flannel jacket with a black turtleneck, jeans, and dark silver framed retro sunglasses.

Carpenter's seemingly left-field ensemble confirmed what she told Rolling Stone in June 2024 when asked about her personal style. "I would argue that I haven't even found my thing. I think this is my thing at the moment," she admitted. "If I feel comfortable in something. If I walk a little taller, my posture is a little better, I'm just a happier person when I'm in something that I feel really good in." So it sounds like we can expect plenty more fashion-forward outfits to come as Carpenter's style evolves.