Celebrity Style
23 Years Ago, Beyoncé Bared Her Cleavage In A Santa-Coded Mini
You’ll feel so in la-la-la-love with this Destiny’s Child throwback.
Even with Christmas one day away, Beyoncé isn’t hanging up her cowboy hat just yet. On Dec. 11, the Grammy award-winning singer put a festive twist on ranch-core as she previewed her Cowboy Carter Christmas NFL halftime performance on Instagram, complete with a white faux fur cowboy hat, white latex pants, stacks of diamonds, and a cactus Christmas tree.
As the BeyHive prepares for the inevitable Texas-meets-North Pole sartorial crossover that Bey will debut at her upcoming Christmas Day show, it’s the perfect time to take a look back at what’s arguably Beyoncé’s most iconic Christmas look to date: the plunging Santa Claus-coded minidress she wore 23 years ago.
Years before the Plastics donned little red and white dresses for an iconic performance of “Jingle Bell Rock,” Mrs. Carter did it first as part of her own R&B girl group. Back in their Destiny’s Child heyday, Bey, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams released their only Christmas album (their fourth studio album total) on Oct. 30, 2001. To kick off the 12-song album, which was called 8 Days of Christmas, the trio brought their signature beats and dance moves to a title track that was inspired by the carol “12 Days of Christmas.”
In the accompanying music video released on Dec. 16 that same year, Beyoncé showed Regina George how it’s done as she confidently marched into a store wearing a Mrs. Claus-approved look.
Beyoncé’s Red Minidress
Singing, “On the eighth day of Christmas my baby gave to me, a pair of Chloé shades and a diamond belly ring,” the “No Scrubs” star leaned into the season’s aesthetic as she wore a long-sleeved little red dress with a faux fur trim that accentuated her plunging neckline. She flashed her cleavage as she styled the flirty crimson number with one sleeve completely off her shoulder in an asymmetrical design.
As she twirled in the aisles while grabbing presents and adding them to her shopping cart, Bey gave fans a better look at the black patent leather belt that cinched in her waist and the minidress’s full A-line skirt, which featured a upper thigh-high slit edged with white fluff.
Her Faux Fur Accessories
If her festive red dress wasn’t already a giveaway, her accessories also looked just like the ones that Santa Claus might wear (minus the giant silver hoops, of course).
Along with Rowland and Williams, Beyoncé wore a red Santa hat trimmed with white faux fur and a little pom pom at the end. She jauntily perched the cap on top of her blond hair, highlighting her hoop earrings and the lightly frosted side-parted bangs that were curled away from her face. The Santa transformation continued from head to toe, as the “Single Ladies” songstress also showed off a pair of faux fur-trimmed black boots as she danced in the video.
Of Course, She Put A Ring On It
In addition to her silver hoop earrings and stacks of silver bracelets around her wrists, Beyoncé added some unexpected sparkle to the music video with a multi-watt diamond engagement ring. A man playing her romantic interest gave her the bling while they were riding on a carousel, and the star flashed her hand at the camera, singing, “On the fourth day of Christmas my baby gave to me, a candlelit dinner, just for me and my honey.”
Bey added some extra shine as she leaned into a Y2K metallic beauty look for her music video appearance. A warm blush, a frosted peach lip, and subtle silver smokey eye with black liquid liner finished off her festive look.
Honorable Mention: Michelle Williams’ Santa Crop Top
The classic Santa suit also got the crop top treatment, thanks to Michelle Williams’ ab-baring iteration. In the “8 Days of Christmas” music video, the Broadway star flaunted her toned midriff in a barely there red top with faux fur-trimmed long sleeves and a plunging V-neckline. In contrast to her bandmates’ little skirts, Williams opted for a pair of low-rise red pants that flared out into giant bellbottoms with knee-high slits on the sides. White faux fur lined the hems, tying the whole Claus-inspired look together.
