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Gwen Stefani has always been known for her edgy style, especially back in the day. While her looks these days are a lot more tame, the No Doubt alum wanted to remind fans of where she came from by posting a throwback that shows off her signature look from decades ago.
Posted to her Instagram stories, the Voice judge’s younger self can be seen wearing an Adidas tracksuit while she grins at the camera with her hair rolled up on top of her head and a scarf tied around it. The singer showcased her pencil thin eyebrows as she carried around an enormous vanity case with a sticker that says, “RUDER THAN YOU” on the front.
While she was known for being a style icon at the time, her look has evolved a lot since her days being the only girl in her band, No Doubt. She’s spoken before about how that influenced her style, dressing like a tomboy to fit in with the rest of her bandmates--but now, she’s her own woman, and she wears a lot of different things that she probably never would have considered back in the day.
Gwen has always been fascinated by fashion and costumes, even before becoming the style icon that she is today.
“I remember back when No Doubt was just starting out: We didn‘t have a record out, and I was in school. I would spend my time daydreaming about what I was going to make for my costumes,” she told Glamour in 2009. “That’s something I’ve always done. As soon as I knew we had a show, I’d be off to the fabric store. And I’d be really excited. It’s just something I’ve always, always done.”
As for where she found her own style, the mother of three gathered inspiration everywhere, from the glamorous style of old Hollywood stars to the happiness of Disneyland in her hometown of Anaheim, CA.
“I grew up near Disneyland, and my brother‘s an animator, so I was always really inspired by bright, cartoony colors and that whole feeling of happiness. But then again, growing up in Orange County, I was also really into chola gangster girls, too,” she shared with Teen Vogue in 2014. “Even being close to L.A., I was always inspired by old movies and Marilyn Monroe and the glamour of Hollywood. I even remember the day I discovered James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. I don’t know why it affected me so strongly, but I walked down to the corner store and bought every poster of them, and I did my whole room up. Overnight.”