The Most Inappropriate Outfits Worn By Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani has been known as a fashion icon in her own right since she began with her band No Doubt. From rocking ultra-cropped tops, baggy pants, and lots of mix-and-matched prints to wearing beautiful couture gowns on the red carpet, she knows a thing or two about putting an outfit together, and her style is constantly changing. She described her fashion from her younger days as "a little bit tomboy with like, a little bit glamour," in a 2019 interview with Vogue (via YouTube), and has since stood out for her bold and spunky choices. Stefani even has a few brands of her own, including her fashion line L.A.M.B and her makeup brand GXVE Beauty. Her looks have turned heads so frequently that she was even awarded the Fashion Icon Award at the 2019 People's Choice Awards. 

But there have been moments where some of the "Hollaback Girl" singer's looks have raised eyebrows for being a bit "bananas," and not in a good way. In particular, some of her looks have been criticized and questioned for inching over the line of what's considered cultural appropriation. While Stefani has regarded most of her looks as being inspired by various cultures, some people haven't viewed it the same way. Here are some of her most inappropriate outfits broken down and explained.

Gwen Stefani and her band No Doubt faced heavy criticism for the music video for their song "Looking Hot," after which they were definitely not feeling hot about their stylistic choices. The music video, which has since been taken down, pictured an American Western environment while Stefani wore Native American-style clothing, such as feathers tied to her head and a beaded vest.

Whether the choice of clothing and storytelling was chosen by the director, Melina Matsoukas, or was influenced by the band, it was taken by audiences to be incredibly insensitive to Native American culture. In particular, there is a scene in the video where Stefani and bass player Tony Kanal are dancing around a bonfire and then pictured in a fight against cowboys — Stefani throws a feathered spear before being captured. At the end, Kanal, who is seen stuck inside a jail cell, throws a tomahawk toward the rope constraining Stefani's, cutting her loose to run away.

No Doubt released a statement saying, "As a multi-racial band, our foundation is built upon both diversity and consideration for other cultures. Our intention with our new video was never to offend, hurt or trivialize Native American people, their culture or their history," (via LA Times). The move to take down the video was a good one as many people have pointed out that the whole production made light of colonialism and the history of Native Americans. 

Gwen Stefani's fashion has always been edgy, but some fans have criticized her on social media for not wearing age-appropriate outfits. But one thing we can be certain of about the singer: She's going to continue rocking the crop top, short skirt, and fun dress, and she's going to look good doing it. In fact, at the same time that she receives hate for wearing fun and seemingly "too young" outfits, she's also always asked how she manages to look so youthful and age-defying.

In a 2024 Instagram post, Stefani wore a patchworked mixed denim skirt and jacket matching set, paired with a bra top and denim boots for the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. One commenter wrote, "I love her but she dresses like a 15 year old," followed by similar sentiments. Stefani told Glamour in 2014, "For me, fashion is not really about age as much as it is reflecting your personality." That bears a lot of truth looking at the evolution of her style, as she still loves her bare midriff and red lipstick. She merely tries to stay true to who she is, regardless of her age. She told the Daily Telegraph's Stellar in 2021, "It's really hard for everyone to age and have to face life. Especially for females and people who have been in the spotlight it can be daunting, but you tackle it by just trying to be the most beautiful version of yourself inside and out."

While Gwen Stefani's song "Luxurious" was a real banger, the music video, on the other hand, caused some red flags for fans. The song was on Number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 20 weeks, giving people a bit of time to mull over the record and visuals that came along with it. Some people noticed that Stefani included Latina-influenced clothing and makeup, and it raised concerns, yet again, about whether it was inappropriate or not. In the comment section of the music video on YouTube, a lot of users note that they appreciated their cultures being represented. One user commented, "People forget that Gwen grew up in LA. She was surrounded by culture and it influenced her. Just because she's white doesn't mean she can't do the culture she was exposed to and grew to love."

Some critics emphasize that this still counts as appropriating rather than appreciating because Stefani makes money from these videos, therefore commodifying a minority culture in a way. There are more and more conversations surrounding cultural appropriation now that may not have been happening when the music video originally came out in 2004. When discussing how Hispanic cultures have impacted her personally in an interview with Allure, Stefani said, "The music, the way the girls wore their makeup, the clothes they wore, that was my identity."