Nicki Minaj Outfits That Were Total Flops

When rapper Nicki Minaj entered the scene in the early 2010s, it's safe to say that her over-the-top, campy outfits, makeup, and hair played a major role in her appeal. Bold colors and maximalist ensembles were a daily uniform for the "Super Bass" singer, who admitted that fashion had always been a passion of hers. 

"I've always been intrigued by color and by interesting hair," she shared with New York Magazine in 2012. "I've always been experimenting ... I like the idea of doing something that everyone else is not. I get high off that. Just the idea that other people don't have the balls to do something — that's my thing."

While Minaj's unique style undeniably helped pave the way for other artists to explore fashion and makeup, there's also no denying that the "Starships" singer had her fair share of fails. And while Minaj has had one of the celebrity makeup transformations that completely missed the mark, today's sole focus is her outfit faux pas. From creating a super busy look that just made no sense, to rocking barely any clothing at all — these are some of the rapper's worst fashion flops.

At the beginning of her career, Nicki Minaj was all about ultra-busy and over-the-top fashion. In fact, the rapper made it onto our list of the worst MTV VMA looks of all time, thanks to her 2011 attire. The "Anaconda" rapper showed up in an outfit that was clearly meant to be campy and costume-like, but it was so busy that none of it was memorable. We get it — she was going for something extravagant, but between the wig, mask, necklace, socks, and odd plus-one, none of it stood out.

As the years went by, Nicki Minaj embraced a simpler aesthetic, but that didn't necessarily mean that her fashion choices were immediately flawless. In 2015, Minaj attended the BET Awards in a black-and-white dress. In theory, the knee-length number should have been great, but in practice, the top portion with the numerous cutouts ended up looking sloppy and odd. The rest of the singer's look was great, which just goes to show how one element can completely ruin a perfectly fashionable outfit.

Even though some of Nicki Minaj's more recent fashion choices are questionable, there's no denying that the looks the star wore in the late 2000s and early 2010s were way worse. Right before her big breakthrough with her 2010 debut studio album "Pink Friday," Minaj was photographed at the M2 Ultra Lounge in New York City in December 2009. For the event, she went with neon yellow and black leggings, which frankly may just be her biggest fashion crime to date. The rapper paired the athleisure piece with a blazer, which actually didn't improve anything at all.

When it comes to her poor fashion choices, we had to include Nicki Minaj's inappropriate outfit at the 2018 VMAs which looked like she had just come from the beach. The rapper showed up to the press room in a look by Off-White, which featured a bodice that actually looked like a one-piece swimsuit over which she wore a completely sheer dress. Minaj was carrying the award for best hip-hop video, which she had won that evening, but when it comes to fashion, she undeniably lost.

While we've already talked about how animal prints are the new neutrals (and we're roaring in anticipation), Nicki Minaj's 2011 take on the trend isn't the best example of how to approach it. The rapper showed up to the Grammy Awards red carpet in a leopard print look that included a dress, tights, boots, and even a leopard-print hairdo. The look by Givenchy was definitely bold and unique, but also very overwhelming, showing that with animal print, sometimes less is truly more.

Even though animal prints can elevate your style, not knowing how to properly add them to your outfit can result in a ridiculous look. Cue Nicki Minaj at the Oscar De La Renta show during New York Fashion Week in 2011. The rapper was wearing a leopard-print bodysuit with black tights and leopard-print boots. While the prints were completely mismatched, Minaj decided to take things even further with a tiger hat and leopard-print hair. Sounds awful? It was.

When it comes to red carpet colors, any neon shade is hard to pull off. Often, it photographs poorly, distracts from one's beauty, and can also wash you out. And this is exactly what happened to Nicki Minaj at the 2012 American Music Awards. The "Super Freaky Girl" rapper walked the red carpet of the event in a neon green gown by Monique Lhuillier. The silhouette was incredible, and had it been in a different color, it could easily have been a great fashion moment.

There are some styling mistakes to avoid when trying to nail the sheer trend, as Nicki Minaj seems to have learned over the years. In 2016, the rapper attended a TIDAL event in New York City, and for the occasion, she decided to go with a head-to-toe lace bodysuit by Maison Margiela. Now, if it were a photoshoot or a music video, this would have been a great look. But for a red carpet, it was simply too revealing. The nipple pasties and black panties didn't really cover much, making this a rather cheap attempt at shock factor fashion.

We've already established that 2011 was a particularly colorful year for Nicki Minaj's fashion. For a Cash Money Records party prior to the Grammys, Minaj decided that aqua blue tights were the way to go. The rapper paired them with a colorful mini dress, criminally awful boots, and her signature at the time — bright pink lipstick. We doubt that the rapper would pick something like this today, but back then, she loved an eye-catching look, even if it was a bad one.

When Nicki Minaj showed up to the "VH1 Divas Salute the Troops" event in 2010, it's safe to say that nobody knew what to make of her look. The rapper rocked a big curly wig, an orange-and-blue mini dress, teal tights, and matching tassel heels. Her gold necklace was a dramatic piece on its own, and Minaj's makeup was colorful and bold. The look was completely incohesive, but we have to give it to her — this was what Minaj's style was all about at the time.