Charli XCX’s Style Evolution: From Vivienne Westwood Punk Platforms to Sleek Tommy Hilfiger Sandals

At two very different moments in her career — the 2015 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles and The Fashion Awards 2021 at London’s Royal Albert Hall — Charli XCX approached fashion with the same instinct that defines much of her music: loud confidence mixed with a willingness to take risks.

The contrast between the two outfits is especially striking in terms of footwear. In 2015, she leaned fully into exaggerated platform boots and Jeremy Scott’s playful chaos during the peak of her rebellious pop era.

By 2021, her style had sharpened into something sleeker and more controlled, pairing a sculptural Tommy Hilfiger gown with minimalist strappy sandals that let the dress’s cutouts and silhouette do the work.

Sleek in Black Sequins: Charli XCX Refines Her Red-Carpet Style in Tommy Hilfiger

Charli XCX wore a black sequin gown by Tommy Hilfiger to The Fashion Awards 2021 in London, England, on November 29th, 2021. The dress featured a single shoulder strap with an angular bodice cutout, a thigh-high slit, and a short train.

Charli XCX brought dramatic edge to The Fashion Awards 2021 in a black sequined Tommy Hilfiger gown with a daring angular cutout, thigh-high slit, and minimalist strappy sandals that elongated the look without distracting from the dress’s sculptural silhouette on November 29, 2021, at Royal Albert Hall in London, England (Credit: Avalon / WENN)

Just days after suffering a major wardrobe malfunction, the musician paired the black dress with strappy sandals, long, sparkling earrings, silver rings, and long, straight hair.

The look worked because the styling stayed restrained. Her barely-there sandals, straight hair, and long crystal earrings balanced the sharp cutouts and thigh-high slit without competing with the gown’s clean lines.

Charli XCX emphasized the dramatic cutout and thigh-high slit of her black sequined Tommy Hilfiger gown with sleek center-parted hair, diamond drop earrings, and barely-there styling (Credit: MEGA / WENN)

Released in 2014 as the second single from Sucker, “Break the Rules” reflected the rebellious, punk-influenced image Charli XCX embraced during that era of her career.

She later distanced herself from the song, telling Q magazine in 2017 that making it a major single for the album was one of the creative decisions she regretted most.

Charli XCX finished her black sequined Tommy Hilfiger gown with long crystal earrings and soft glam makeup, keeping the focus on the dress’s dramatic asymmetrical neckline and sculptural cutout (Credit: MEGA / WENN)

The polished minimalism of the 2021 appearance felt worlds away from the louder aesthetic Charli XCX had embraced earlier in her career.

Six years before stepping out in sleek black sequins, she was experimenting with oversized platforms, neon vinyl, and punk-inspired styling that blurred the line between pop star and cartoonish performance art.

Platform Chaos and Punk Energy: Charli XCX Goes Full Jeremy Scott at the MTV Movie Awards

Charli XCX in a colorful patent trench coat by the crazy Jeremy Scott (Credit: WENN)

In April 2015, Charli XCX brought the house down with her Lady Gaga-esque props and energy when she performed her song “Famous” at the 2015 MTV Movie Awards.

However, her red-carpet performance was not quite as stellar. Charli XCX landed on numerous worst-dressed lists, including ours.

Charli XCX paired her cream lace-up Vivienne Westwood platform boots with a plaid raincoat (Credit: Brian To / WENN)

At the Nokia Theatre, Charli XCX wore a rainbow-toned patent trench from Jeremy Scott’s Fall 2015 collection with towering Vivienne Westwood platform boots.

The oversized lace-up silhouette pushed the outfit into deliberately chaotic territory, turning the footwear into the focal point rather than a supporting accessory.

Charli XCX’s towering cream Vivienne Westwood platform boots turned her 2015 MTV Movie Awards look into a full-on punk-pop statement, with exaggerated block heels and lace-up detailing that dominated the outfit (Credit: SIPA / WENN)

The combination captured the maximalist styling trends that dominated parts of the mid-2010s, when extreme platforms and novelty outerwear regularly appeared on music-event red carpets.

Still, the heavy cream-colored boots competed visually with the glossy trench rather than grounding the look.

Charli XCX leaned fully into mid-2010s maximalism in a rainbow plaid Jeremy Scott patent trench coat, pairing the glossy mini dress with towering Vivienne Westwood platform boots that exaggerated the look’s playful punk attitude (Credit: Brian To / WENN)

The mix of neon vinyl, nude laces, and chunky cream platforms made the outfit feel intentionally abrasive — a sharp contrast to the cleaner, more refined direction Charli XCX would later adopt on the red carpet.

Charli XCX with black wavy hair and red lips (Credit: WENN)

Do you like how she styled her plaid raincoat with Vivienne Westwood stripper booties?

Charli XCX at the 2015 MTV Movie Awards at Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles on April 12, 2015 (Credit: WENN / Brian To)

If you’re a fan of chunky footwear, you can check out the black-and-red versions of this unique Vivienne Westwood creation. A friendly warning, however: wear them at your own risk. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Vivienne Westwood Gold Label Boots, $1,200

From Punk Platforms to Sleek Sandals: Charli XCX’s Shoe Style Keeps Evolving

Whether she’s leaning into chaotic platform boots or refining her look with minimalist strappy heels, Charli XCX has never approached red-carpet fashion quietly. The contrast between her 2015 Jeremy Scott era and her sharper 2021 Tommy Hilfiger moment shows how dramatically her style has evolved while still keeping the same rebellious energy at its core.