The Alexa Chung Effect: Looking Back At Her Irreverent Style Evolution
As the British muse celebrates her 40th, we look back at her most iconic looks
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 02: Alexa Chung attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Alexa Chung is one of those OG 21st century ‘It’ girls whose outfits remain etched in the back of our minds and continue to inspire us.
From her beginnings as a scouted model and her first presenting job on the UK’s Popworld in 2006 to having her own clothing line and being a fixture on glamorous red carpets like the Met Gala, Chung has lived many lives. And yet, because of our perennial infatuation with her youthful style, she’s still the ageless talent wearing socks with heels and beaten-up leather satchels in our eyes.
Even in 2023, when microtrends and TikTok aesthetics dominate our fickle moodboards, the British icon stays true to her taste. And as we’re trying to get around low-slung jeans and velvet tracksuits again, her presence will always be a welcome palette cleanser. Throughout her time on our radar, a highlight of her style has been an inimitable knack for mixing and matching. Pairing luxury pieces like vintage Chanel bags and Manolo Blahnik pumps with high-street pieces and vintage denim, to clashing prints and layering delicate florals with grungey leathers and sneakers, she’s genuinely the GOAT of contemporary ‘It’ girls.
Moreover, Chung has achieved something quite special with her fashion choices: cultivating a distinct personal style, all the while keeping us on our toes with looks that are as fun to look at as they are to imitate.
As she turns 40 this month, we celebrate her impact by tracking some of her most iconic looks (that we’re sure you’ll remember), as well as how her style has evolved over the years. Scroll on to relive it all.
NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 16: Television personality Alexa Chung walks through Bryant Park on September 16, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 23: TV personality Alexa Chung attends the 37th International Emmy Awards gala> at the New York Hilton and Towers on November 23, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/FilmMagic)LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 20: Alexa Chung poses on the front row at the House Of Holland show for London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2010 at Bloomsbury Ballroom on February 20, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Danny Martindale/WireImage)PARIS – MARCH 09: Alexa Chung attends the Chanel Ready to Wear show as part of the Paris Womenswear Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011 at Grand Palais on March 9, 2010 in Paris, France. (Photo by Francois G. Durand/FilmMagic)NEW YORK – APRIL 14: Alexa Chung attends the LOFT launch of Style Studio at The Bowery Hotel on April 14, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)NEW YORK – APRIL 30: Alexa Chung attends Art of Elysium “Bright Lights” with VERSUS by Donatella Versace and Christopher Kane at Milk Studios on April 30, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/WireImage for VERSUS)NEW YORK – MAY 03: TV Personality Alexa Chung attends the Costume Institute Gala Benefit to celebrate the opening of the “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity” exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 3, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)NEW YORK – JUNE 17: TV personality Alexa Chung attends the YSL Belle D’Opium fragrance launch at The YSL Stage on June 17, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND – JUNE 25: Alexa Chung is seen backstage at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2010 in Glastonbury, England. This year sees the 40th anniversary of the Festival, which was started by dairy farmer Michael Eavis in 1970 and has grown into the largest music festival in Europe. (Photo by Claire Greenway/Getty Images)TV personality Alexa Chung attends the Mulberry LA Pool Party Bash celebrating the A/W 2010 Collection at Chateau Marmont on July 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 21: Alexa Chung is seen in East Village on June 21, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Alo Ceballos/GC Images)GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND – JUNE 29: Alexa Chung attends the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm on June 29, 2014 in Glastonbury, England. (Photo by Danny Martindale/GC Images)NEW YORK, NY – JULY 15: Alexa Chung is seen on July 15, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by David Krieger/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 19: Alexa Chung attends the launch of W Beijing – Chang’an, at Wyld on February 19, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images for W Beijing – Chang’an)LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 02: Alexa Chung arrives at The Serpentine Gallery summer party at The Serpentine Gallery on July 2, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Serpentine Gallery)NEW YORK, NY – MAY 01: Alexa Chung attends the 2014 Future Of Fashion Runway Show at The Fashion Institute of Technology on May 1, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Michael N. Todaro/WireImage)LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 04: Alexa Chung attends the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Preview Party at Royal Academy of Arts on June 4, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Alexa Chung attends the European premiere of “The Legend Of Tarzan” at Odeon Leicester Square on July 5, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 13: Alexa Chung is seen on September 13, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Gardiner Anderson/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 30: Alexa Chung attends the ALEXACHUNG London Launch & Summer 17 Collection Reveal at the Danish Church of Saint Katharine on May 30, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for ALEXACHUNG)LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 04: Alexa Chung attends The Fashion Awards 2017 in partnership with Swarovski at Royal Albert Hall on December 4, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)NEW YORK, NY – MAY 07: Alexa Chung attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/FilmMagic)CHANTILLY, FRANCE – MAY 25: Alexa Chung attends the Christian Dior Couture S/S19 Cruise Collection on May 25, 2018 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images For Dior)PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 04: Alexa Chung attends the Chanel Ready to Wear Spring / Summer 2012 show during Paris Fashion Week at Grand Palais on October 4, 2011 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 05: Alexa Chung arrives for the Miu Miu Ready to Wear Spring / Summer 2012 show during Paris Fashion Week on October 5, 2011 in Paris, France. (Photo by Trago/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 13: Alexa Chung arrives at the ELLE Style Awards at The Savoy Hotel on February 13, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)BICESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 21: Alexa Chung hosts the Bicester Village British Designers Collective launch on March 21, 2012 in Bicester, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 28: Alexa Chung attends the Isa Arfen Spring/Summer 2019 collection launch at San Lorenzo on November 28, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images )LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 18: Erdem during London Fashion Week February 2019 on February 18, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images)PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 04: Alexa Chung attends the Stella McCartney show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2019/2020 on March 04, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 06: Alexa Chung attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 04: Alexa Chung attends the Royal Academy of Arts Summer exhibition preview at Royal Academy of Arts on June 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND – JUNE 28: Alexa Chung is seen on day one of the Glastonbury Festival on June 28, 2019 in Glastonbury, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 27: Celine Womenswear Spring/Summer 2020 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 27, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 30: The Business Of Fashion Celebrates The #BoF500 2019 at Hotel de Ville on September 30, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage)PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 01: Alexa Chung attends the Miu Miu Womenswear Spring/Summer 2020 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 01, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pierre Suu/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: Alexa Chung during London Fashion Week Fall Winter 2020 on February 16, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 17: Erdem at National Portrait Gallery during LFW February 2020 on February 17, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Neil Mockford/GC Images)PARIS, FRANCE – FEBRUARY 25: Paris Fashion Week – Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 : Day Two on February 25, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images)PARIS, FRANCE – MARCH 01: Valentino show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 on March 01, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND – JUNE 24: Alexa Chung is seen on day one of the festival wearing her vintage Barbour jacket on June 24, 2022 in Glastonbury, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 04: British Vogue ‘Forces For Change’ dinner hosted by Edward Enninful and Vanessa Kingori at The Londoner Hotel on December 4, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 19: ERDEM front row during London Fashion Week February 2023 at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on February 19, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Perfect Magazine Party during London Fashion Week September 2021 on September 19, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Neil Mockford / Ricky Vigil M/GC Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 29: Alexa Chung attends The Fashion Awards 2021 at the Royal Albert Hall on November 29, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 01: Alexa Chung attends the Shrimps ‘Shrimpsmas’ Party at The George on December 01, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images )LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 08: Alexa Chung attends ‘The Fendi Set’ book launch event at the Royal Academy of Arts on February 08, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for FENDI)NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 02: Alexa Chung attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images)PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 29: Isabel Marant Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 29, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pierre Suu/Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: The Fashion Awards 2022 at the Royal Albert Hall on December 05, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images for BFC)LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 20: Tommy x Shawn: The “Classics Reborn” Global Activation VIP dinner at The House Of KOKO on March 20, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Tommy Hilfiger)LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 20: National Portrait Gallery Re-Opening on June 20, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
