Victoria Beckham: Style evolution

Happy birthday to Victoria Beckham!

From Posh Spice to fashion royalty, Victoria Beckham's style transformation is now complete. The proud owner of an international fashion empire, she's a modern day style icon and she's certainly put in the legwork. Those trademark black bandeau mini-dresses, the his 'n hers leathers - VB's trialled every trend going during her time in the spotlight. (Remember the Outta Your Mind bandanas!).

Responsible for many of our favourite ever trends, we can totally credit VB for the invention of shoulder robe-ing, for our love of skinny jeans and oversized sunnies and for initiating the designer-logo fest that was WAG culture (go on, admit it, you enjoyed it in its heyday). Victoria's career has taken many major turns - Spice Girl, IT girl, solo artist, WAG, designer, mother, philanthrepreneur - and with each new role it seems her style has developed again and again.

When the Beckhams moved to LA she put her stamp on Hollywood style, when David played for Real Madrid she embraced flamenco maxi dresses. This is a woman who knows the global appeal of a great outfit and has proven her commitment to fashion again and again. 'I only stopped smiling when I got into fashion,' she once said. 'Fashion stole my smile!' Victoria's hair, too, has had its ups and downs. Everyone copied the 'Pob', and what about the bleaching phase, or that original Posh brown hair? All this experimentation, but VB's signature pout and angular poses have always been the same. These days Victoria tends to only wear designs from her eponymous label (well you would, wouldn't you) and, as she and David have cooled it on the couples dressing (for now, anyway) their four equally stylish children are starting to take a slice of the style spotlight for themselves.

From the plethora of Roland Mouret Galaxy dresses to old favourites by Armani, Marc Jacobs, Cavalli and more, there's one heck of a wardrobe at Beckingham Palace for Harper to get her hands on one day.

First up though? Victoria's giving us a masterclass in how to work colour into our summer wardrobes, wearing a sleeveless jacket from her own collection when out and about in New York.

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Victoria Beckham out and about in New York, December 2016.

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Victoria Beckham out and about in New York.

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Click on through our gallery to chart Victoria Beckham's style evolution...

Victoria Beckham

Later in the day VB slipped the jacket off to reveal a tailored navy jumpsuit for evening.

Victoria Beckham

And proving that sunshine yellow perhaps is her favourite colour right now, VB stepped out in an even brighter look the day before.

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Victoria Beckham flew into Cannes 2016 for the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival, wearing a chic monochrome ensemble while also debuting her upcoming VB x Estee Lauder make-up collection on the red carpet.

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The guest of honour at the amfAR gala in Hong Kong, Victoria stepped out in her own creation, looking glam in a navy blue wrap-around skirt and corset top with bold checks, proving she's the best ambassador for her designs.

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Stepping out of her flagship store in London, VB looked super chic wearing a monochrome ensemble, featuring a Victoria Beckham crisp long black jacket with white sleeve detailing, and a pair of white slip-on shoes.

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Just hours after showcasing her new collection at New York Fashion Week, VB stepped out in one of the designs (but who better to model your designs than, well, you) as she and the Beckham family celebrated the culmination of months of work at NY hotspot, Balthazar.

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In February 2016, Victoria was seen in not one, but three new looks - first, a mustard sweater and midi skirt combo, then a sharp white tuxedo and now this geo-print jacket and trouser suit - all as she prepared for her New York Fashion Week show.

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VB's mustard knit adds a punch of statement colour to her monochrome wardrobe.

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How sharp is this white tux? We love VB in a power suit.

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Reminding us that sometimes red carpet dressing can be successful when simple, Victoria sticks with a chic black gown and gives a masterclass in understated glamour.

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Now this is the kind of dress you want to twirl in. Here's VB out and about in New York in another of her own creations.

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Going for gold, we love it when Victoria brings a new hue bang on trend.

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What stunning statement detailing. The pop of print on this Victoria Beckham dress is divine.

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One of our all-time favourite Victoria Beckham day dresses, this ensemble was spotted on actress January Jones a few weeks after VB wore it herself.

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The side details on this white midi frock are what makes it. Polished and classic, but seriously cool.

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Braving some very chilly temperatures in New York, VB wraps up but still looks glam in these sky-scraping heels.

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Chain details are in, says Victoria on the British Fashion Awards red carpet, 2014.

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Victoria and David scrub up well, don't they? Here they are at the launch of Alexander McQueen; Savage Beauty.

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Effortlessly glam in a white shirt and black skirt in New York. These, people, are our workwear goals.

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VB dons a pretty summer dress from her own collection to watch the tennis at Wimbledon with David.

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Red hot in the summer, VB isn't afraid to match her midi to her heels.

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Victoria Beckham invented the art of shoulder robe-ing. As in that super fashionable styling tip where you drape your jacket over your back instead of actually wearing it. Here she is, showcasing the technique.

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It's VB off-duty! Note the denim, note the oversized sunnies.

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VB puts the lace slip dress back on the fashion radar, months before anyone else has caught on to the trend.

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A loose jumpsuit has the same effect as a cocktail gown on the red carpet, we learn from VB.

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Again, the shoulder robe-ing queen strikes. This time with burgundy wool.

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It's a grey steel column gown for VB at the Oscars after-party in 2012.

Victoria Beckham and Harper Beckham

Oh it's baby Harper!! Post-baby, VB was into bright colours and big sunglasses.

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Here she is again colour-blocking like a pro.

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Victoria does the thigh-high split, again mastering the new skirt to know before anybody else in Hollywood.

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It's VB off-duty again! Here she is rocking impeccable airport style, in this gunmetal leather biker jacket and jeans.

Victoria Beckham at the Royal Wedding

So this is what Victoria wore to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding. We have to say, we love the sleek navy dress and the statement fascinator.

Victoria Beckham

VB's silhouette is striking in this floor length gown. It fits and flares in all the right places to make her proportions look almost cartoon-like.

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham has a new favourite designer: herself! The fashionista stepped out yet again in a dress from her own collection when she accompanied her husband David to a Milan Fashion Week party. (20 January 2008)

David and Victoria Beckham

Ohhh wow. Remember the hat days? You've got to hand it to her, there's no trend Victoria Beckham won't try.

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VB works a huge bun and equally enormous sunnies on the red carpet at the Epsy awards.

Victoria Beckham at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, 8 February

Zesty orange is a challenging colour to pull off, but somehow Victoria manages to do so in a simple Donna Karan number.

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Oh David. It's hard to focus on VB's draped sandy dress, when David's right there, looking all coordinated.

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Throwing it back to the corset days, and here's a look that was once a VB signature.

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Again, a corset top, this time teamed with a vivid turquoise crop jacket.

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Of course we all remember the Pob - Victoria's blonde bob that made every noughties look that little bit edgier.

David & Victoria Beckham

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Victoria Beckham looks super-chic as she leaves the Oscar De La Renta show during Mercedes Benz fashion week. We love the simple, black accessories as well as the essential over-sized sunglasses. (10 September 2007).

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It's a rare thing to see Victoria step out in vintage attire, but she did just that for the spring/summer 08 Chanel show in Paris last year. Her polished look goes from top-to-toe with oversized shades, a high round-neck and sweet bubble hem. http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/celebrity/a-z/158438/victoria-beckham.html

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Rex Features

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Marc Jacobs' new muse Victoria Beckham stepped out in LA for a spot of shopping at the trendy Maxwell boutique in a Sixties-style tunic dress from the designer's collection. And the gorgeous cream tote? Giorgio Armani (17 March 2008)

David and Victoria Beckham

Rex Features

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As usual, Victoria Beckham was right on trend with this asymmetrical Marc Jacobs dress at the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York. (2 June 2008)

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PA Photos

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Victoria Beckham kept it simple in this chic black wrap-around dress as she partied with her designer pal Marc Jacobs at the Andre Leon Talley Toasts Jennifer Hudson's Debut Album bash. And as we all know, no outfit would be complete without a pair of sky-high Christian Louboutin stilettos. (9 September 2008)

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The ever-so-dapper Beckham clan rolled into New York for their 2008 Thanksgiving celebrations, causing a much-expected media frenzy. The family was in the Big Apple to catch a glimpse of their pal, Katie Holmes, in the Broadway show 'All My Sons', which put paid to rumours that the two superstar families had fallen out. Victoria Beckham led the way in a trademark, oh-so-tight pencil dress, Chanel tote and over-sized sunnies. Her hubby, David Beckham, wasn't far behind looking as dashing as ever in a slate grey three-piece suit and two-tone tan shoes. Romeo, Brooklyn and Cruz obediently tagged along for the pre-Thanksgiving trip. (27 November 2008)

David and Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham

What was the main attraction at the Giorgio Armani flagship store opening? Victoria Beckham, of course. All eyes were on Posh as she preened and posed for photographers outside the new Armani store in New York, and boy did she make an entrance. Vicky B looked sensational from head-to-toe, dressed in a shimmering asymmetrical Armani dress, with lashings of fake tan and her perfectly coiffured crop. She's definitely back to her ultra-glam best. (18 February 2009)

Victoria Beckham, Diane Von Furstenberg dinner at Claridges, 23 June 2010

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham looked as though she'd been taking style tips from her driver as she strutted her stuff through a Milan airport today in an all-grey ensemble. The star donned a soldier-style hat, but kept her look girlie with suede platforms and a sequinned Valentino tote worth almost £2000. (6 March 2009)

Victoria Beckham

When David got his OBE in 2003, Victoria was naturally right there beside him. And so was her enormous (probably tickly) fascinator.

David and Victoria Beckham

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Victoria Beckham at the Net-a-Porter party

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David and Victoria Beckham

David and Victoria Beckham

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You can always rely on Victoria Beckham to embrace the season's trickiest trends, so it's no wonder she's already snapped up the hottest look in shoes a pair of thigh-high over-the-knee boots. Out to promote her dress collection at Bergdorf Goodman Fashion's Night Out in New York, the fashionista eschewed a style of her own design for a miniscule Giles Deacon bandeau dress, teamed with the fierce footwear. And while the styling might have been new season, we spotted a hint of old Posh is that the return of the WAG tango-tan we spy? (11 September 2009)

David Beckham and Victoria Beckham

Brand Beckham was out in force last night, as David and Victoria launched the latest in their string of eponymous products - the Beckham Adidas Originals clothing collection. The reason why Mr B had ditched his typical dapper look, he dressed down in his-designed line, wearing jeans, trainers and a hoody. Creating a somewhat mismatched look, Posh was, well, posh as ever, in a striking William Tempest strapless dress and amethyst court shoes. (1 October 2009)

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David and Victoria Beckham

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Always the chicest of the group, Victoria's working white tailoring like there's no such thing as a coffee stain. PS. that's mini Prince Harry! 

Victoria Beckham

Back to where it all started. Here's Posh Spice in one of her first promo images - and even back then she was donning one of her signature looks, all black every-thang. Some fashionistas will try all the trends and then just come full circle, won't they?