Reba McEntire's Complete Style Transformation

Few artists have immortalized themselves in the world of music to the same extent as Reba McEntire. As a three-time Grammy winner, a seven-time recipient of the Academy of Country Music's Top Female Vocalist Award, and a twelve-time American Music Awards Favorite Country Female Artist —along with her multiple other prestigious accolades throughout her extensive career — the "Fancy" singer is one of the most decorated and recognizable female country vocalists in history. As if her musical accomplishments weren't enough, McEntire proved herself as a transformative and versatile entertainer when she began acting in 1989, which eventually led to her namesake sitcom, "Reba," in the early 2000s.

Years in the spotlight have not only showcased her performance acumen, artistic excellence, and magnetic personality but have also given fans a front-row seat to the evolution of her personal style. Having started her career in the late 1960s, McEntire's fashion sense has evolved with each passing decade while still honoring her roots. What started as earthy, rural charm shifted with the incorporation of glamor and edge, embracing the new and honoring the old in a delightful mix of classic country appeal and fresh modernity. Though McEntire has suffered a few fashion duds through the years, the majority of her style choices are worthy of a favorable place in public memory. 

Since signing with PolyGram/Mercury Records in 1975 and stepping into public life as a country artist with her first single, "I Don't Want to Be a One Night Stand" the following year, Reba McEntire not only devoted herself to her music, but also kept her finger on the proverbial pulse of the fashion trends of the time. The 1970s brought bohemian style to the forefront, emphasizing earthiness, flow, and organic softness. McEntire leaned into this aesthetic in a portrait from that era when she wore a whimsical, unfussy print dress with a simple scoop neckline and cinched waist. She also embraced the era's brushed-out, voluminous curls, a look popularized by Farrah Fawcett.

This stripped-back, unadorned style not only reflected the aesthetic values of the first half of the decade, but it also captured the homegrown, nitty-gritty trials of her early career, before McEntire had achieved the fortune and fame that fans associate with her today. What use was glitz and glamor when she was still fighting to break into the top 50 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and hadn't even assembled a band yet? 

The 1980s served as Reba McEntire's breakthrough decade, and her rising stardom in the country music world led to an era of embellishment in her style timeline. With the great success of her albums "Have I Got a Deal for You" and "Whoever's in New England," came lots of sequins, appliqués, tassels, and oversized belt buckles. She was able to embrace what many people now recognize as classic country style elements. One of the best examples of this niche finery can be seen in the blue suede gown she wore to accept her CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1986. The rhinestone-embellished lace appliqués at the neckline, coupled with the tasseled sleeves and stylized panel seams, gave the gown a rustic yet glamorous appearance that perfectly suited the occasion. 

Other notable outfits from this time included her sequin-covered, beaded, and embroidered long-sleeve blouse worn for a performance in Nashville in 1988. Her 28th Grammy Awards dress also featured a lace cutout neckline, peppered with bright rhinestones, structured shoulders, and a gigantic gold belt buckle. Her big, pouffy hair also embodied the quintessential '80s "big hair" aesthetic that dominated multiple music genres and became wildly popular with the general public.

The 1990s brought a sharp deviation from the nearly theatrical, Western-sweetheart look Reba McEntire adopted in the previous decade. As McEntire began exploring and expanding on her acting career, her fashion preferences also experienced a notable shift. The stylistic 180 features a dive into deeper, moodier colors, including a plethora of black, crisp lines, and an element of sleekness that wasn't present in the years preceding. She traded her big belt buckles for leather jackets, dark denim, and black boots, ditched the rhinestones and lace, and adopted the grungy minimalism that commanded the fashion scene. Though perhaps not her most decorated or exciting fashion era, it proves to be one of her most effortlessly stylish decades that produced some of the most stunning throwback photos of McEntire.

On red carpets and talk shows, McEntire often opted for black layers with variation in texture, opacity, and structure to maintain visual interest. At the 23rd People's Choice Awards, she paired a black sheer top with a black double-breasted blazer with bright gold buttons — it was simplistic, classy, and timeless, and McEntire's soft, curled hairstyle offered a pleasing contrast, harkening back to the drama and glamour of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. 

As the new millennium came around, Reba McEntire was just as on board with new trends as she had ever been: metallic tops, studded embroidered jeans, low-rise skirts, camisoles with mesh overlays, and statement jewelry filled her wardrobe and made their appearances across a multitude of events. The reintroduction of color into her closet sets these early 2000s years apart from the '90s, though the cuts and silhouettes of this era remained more closely related to the decade prior than any before it. Her aesthetic during this time was playful and displayed a willingness to experiment with new styles while integrating elements of sparkle and glamour from the '80s in new iterations, such as bedazzled and embroidered jeans, beadwork on her more formal outfits, and fun, eye-catching textures. 

Though the Y2K aesthetic is commonly reserved for more youthful participants, McEntire managed to seamlessly adopt some of its key elements while maintaining an air of flattering maturity. She wore rhinestone-encrusted clutches on the red carpet and rocked chunky belts, hip-hugging waistbands, and dazzling, gigantic hoops while letting her bright personality shine. 

In the midst of a star-studded, wildly successful music career, Reba McEntire took on the 2000s musical theater scene, first with her Broadway debut as Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun" and later with her performance as Nellie Forbush in the Broadway musical "South Pacific." Also during this time, McEntire began work on her daytime sitcom "Reba," which ran from 2001 to 2007 and earned her a Golden Globe nomination. This salt-of-the-earth comedy embraced the clumsy domesticity, complications, and heartfelt warmth of family life, and McEntire's style choices at the time reflected those homegrown values. 

She attended red carpets in blue jeans and casual knit tops or cardigans, accessorized with a stylized belt or a simple necklace, and let the frills of years past fade a bit into the background. As in years past, McEntire held to a few style elements commonly associated with her country roots. There was still room in her closet for cowboy boots and bootcut jeans, and the subtle boho elements of flowing, organically shaped tops served as a callback to the humble beginnings of her career. 

Like Reba's 1980s-to-1990s shift, the jump from the early 2000s to the 2010s brought a similar shake-up. She displayed her elegance and grace with a plethora of gorgeous floor-length gowns for all sorts of high-profile events, including multiple Academy of Country Music Awards, which she hosted a total of 18 times throughout her career — five of which occurred between 2010 and 2019. During this time, she was also honored as an inductee of the Country Music Hall of Fame and attended many other award ceremonies for music and television to receive honors and nominations. Needless to say, McEntire had multiple worthy occasions to whip out her best formal attire during this decade, and she delivered. Her gowns ranged from modest, whimsical, and feminine nude illusions with soft, airy, sheer overlays to bright, daring, form-fitting gowns, to sparkly, sequin- and rhinestone-drenched works of art. 

The late 2010s and 2020s brought Reba McEntire into her pantsuit era. Arguably just as refined as her many ballgowns, her excellently tailored pantsuits have wowed on red carpets, on TV, and on stage. In September 2024, for the 76th Emmy Awards, McEntire brought out a fabulous emerald green damask set that complemented her iconic red hair beautifully. She completed the look with silver star brooches and a metallic camisole to add variations in finish and texture while keeping the overall look elevated. 

Another notable pantsuit appeared in 2025 when McEntire rocked a black, sequin-embroidered, velvet-lapel combo that photographed like a dream for the 60th AMC Awards in Frisco, Texas. She paired the ensemble with knee-high black glitter boots, simple but dazzling diamond jewelry, and a huge, tastefully bedazzled belt that certainly gave that glamorous country feel. 

Though the pantsuits of this timeframe are more understated than their gown predecessors, McEntire styles them in a manner that makes them equally gorgeous and almost as formal and distinguished. Moreover, the versatility of these outfits is unmatched, as they can be dressed up or down to best suit the occasion.

Since becoming a judge for NBC's "The Voice," Reba has worn a collection of stunning jackets on set for the blind auditions, coaching sessions, battle episodes, and other segments of the show. From bright colors to studded leather, she displays a diverse array of styles and ornaments for this signature garment. 

Since the focus of the show is centered more on the talent of the contestants than the star power and intrigue of the judges, McEntire dresses to uphold her high standards of style but doesn't pull the audience's attention away from her mentees. Her teal tassel jacket from the blind auditions for Season 28 paired well with her demure black turtleneck, chunky cross necklace, and huge silver belt buckle. Other notable jackets include a rusty orange suede paired with turquoise jewelry, a hot pink stunner with rhinestone lapels and crystal-tasseled shoulder pads, and a black leather piece embellished with hundreds of silver and — you guessed it — even more tassels.