Kaley Cuoco's Stunning Style Transformation Since The Big Bang Theory

After "The Big Bang Theory" went out with a bang in 2019, fans saw quite the style shift from "Penny" actor Kaley Cuoco. That year, the beauty sported a black lace number and flirty bright yellow gown — and almost everything in between — as she moved away from the character she'd played for 12 years. But the actor's style evolution actually began while she was still playing the iconic role, as Cuoco told W Magazine in 2021 that Penny's wardrobe naturally evolved with hers. "At 21, I was hot. I wanted to show that stuff off. You would not catch me dead in a sexy cat costume now!" she joked. "As the years went on, Penny grows up, Kaley grows up, all of a sudden it's like, 'Can I have a long sleeve shirt? How about a slack? How about a loafer? I never want to see that high heel again!'" she admitted.

The most drastic changes to Cuoco's wardrobe came after she closed her chapter on "The Big Bang Theory." The star got divorced, become a mom, and lived through a pandemic, which made for quite the stunning style transformation.

Five months after "The Big Bang Theory" finale aired, Kaley Cuoco strayed from Penny's signature bright colors, prints, and simpler cuts at the 2019 InStyle Awards. Clearly looking to forge her own path outside of the character, Cuoco wowed in a Dior gown that cemented her status as a luxury brand fashionista. The spaghetti straps and shorter skirt showed she was still flirty and having fun, but the looser fit, dark color, and lace overlay wasn't something we'd have expected to see on the actor.

The new look mirrored the big change in Cuoco's life, as she moved on from the sitcom into the more dramatic TV series "The Flight Attendant," which debuted in 2020. "['The Big Bang Theory'] was a great job. I thought, 'Maybe I'm, like, a sitcom girl forever,'" she told Variety in 2021. But her new style represented her unexpected turn away from light comedy.

Kaley Cuoco was all of us amidst COVID-19 restrictions. The star adopted a noticeably more casual wardrobe as the world shut down and paparazzi snapped her in September 2020 while out with her dog in New York in an all too relatable look. "The Flight Attendant" star wore a pink loungewear dress under a black jacket with barely-there flip flops. Cuoco appeared to be makeup-free during her understated outing, piling her long blond locks into a trendy messy updo at the top of her head. She also stayed safe in a mask.

Cuoco had spoken about how much the lockdown changed her look during a virtual interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" five months earlier, joking about her then-husband Karl Cook's take on her less polished look. "Karl would love it if I found my makeup at some point," she quipped.

One year after the 2020 lockdown, things couldn't have looked more different fashion-wise for Kaley Cuoco. The actor was back to her glamorous self in September 2021 as restrictions eased and she returned to the red carpet. For that year's Emmys, she stunned in a custom chartreuse Vera Wang Haute dress with a sweetheart neckline, thigh-high center split, and spaghetti straps with floral-inspired appliques. She paired the ensemble with matching strappy heels and simple silver, jewelry.

The bold gown saw Cuoco join the ranks of Taylor Swift as a revenge dress queen, as the event marked her first red carpet since her divorce from Cook was confirmed. The gown was super sexy (potentially to show her ex what he was missing), and clearly made her feel confident, which is the most important component of a revenge look.

Kaley Cuoco changed up her style again in January 2023, and for good reason. For the Golden Globes in January 2023, the former "8 Simple Rules" actor embraced looser garments to accommodate her growing baby bump. Cuoco was several months pregnant when she slipped into a stunning, delicate lavender dress with embellished spaghetti straps and a matching band over her middle. The pastel shade, looser fit, and celeb-worthy embellishments marked a new fashion era for the star that was a little softer than the other looks we'd seen post-"The Big Bang Theory." The beauty also further distanced herself from her character with much darker brunette locks.

Stylist Brad Goreski spoke to Us Weekly about dressing pregnant Cuoco's changing body, revealing she was chill about trying new silhouettes and styles. "She was like, 'Everything will be perfect ... I trust them,'" he said of turning to Vera Wang to dress her. He noted the whole process was easy too. "I was expecting us to try on a bunch of different dresses," he said.

In 2024, Kaley Cuoco's style choices changed again and, that November, she dempnstrated her most sophisticated fashion era yet. The actor embraced motherhood in more grown-up ensembles, including a dark green turtleneck tucked into a matching ankle length skirt and kitten heels. Though monochrome looks are winning outfits for lazy days, this was anything but. Her "Kaley Cuoco In Conversation" outfit was incredibly chic thanks to exemplarily tailoring and expert color matching. Her well-paired statement belt was on-trend, as were her pointed kitten heels. The color was also gorgeous with her rich brunette hair and skin tone, and may have washed her out if she still had her Penny-esque blond locks.