Kris Jenner is by far my favorite Kardashian.
She's the ultimate mama bear: a loving personality combined with a mercenary head for business, and a take-no-shit attitude that you can see from space. And in my humble opinion, out of all the Kardashian-Jenners, Kris has the best style. Really, she can afford to be the baddest bitch on the fashion block β her 2017 net worth is estimated to be $60 million.
Let's take a look at Kris' fashion transformation from 1990 to today. Sixty million dollars can buy you a hell of a glow up.
1990: Athleisure Kris.
Our story begins in 1990, a year before Kris married Bruce Jenner (now Cait). K-money is serving us coolest-mom-on-the-golf-course realness in a white lab coat and red hoodie.
1990: SEQUINS.
Kris never met a sequin she didn't love. We will return to this theme, guys.
1993: First suit.
Kris. Loves. A. Suit.
Seriously. We will return to *this* motif a lot, too.
(This photo was taken at the premiere of "Last Action Hero," which is the most 1993-est sentence I could possibly think of.)
1995: Maternity dress steez.
Kris also loves to wear sunglasses for dramatic effect, whether or not the situation really calls for it. She also never says no to a black dress, something to which I truly relate to.
Note that this is Kendall's first red carpet appearance, even though she is technically still inside Kris.
2001: Simplicity.
Jenner is wearing my high school prom dress, also from 2001, in black. Though she's about to start embracing a LOT of trends (all at once), Kris seems to be happiest when she keeps her style relatively streamlined.
2002: THEMATIC.
Kris never met an event with a theme β no matter how loose β that she didn't run with. This was taken at the ESPY Awards, so YES, let's do a custom cropped Lakers jacket! Why not!
2006: Mystifying body-con everything.
This dress is half nightgown, half Herve Leger. The hair is very punk rock Kate Gosselin. The accessories are probably heavy enough to sink a ship, and I'm living for it.
2006: IT BEGINS.
In 2006, Kim's sex tape was released, and Kris began shopping the idea of a reality show based on the lives of her family. So naturally, Kris started making the red carpet rounds with her daughters and potential stars β often dressing like one of them.
2007: Entry-level glam.
Here we are, friends β the world premiere of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." While I'm sure Kris knew that this show would be successful, her casual tunic tells me she maybe didn't realize HOW COMPLETELY it would change her life. 2017 Kris wouldn't wear this to the mailbox.
2007: One of the girls.
In the early days, instead of establishing her own style, Kris borrowed it from her daughters β and while she's looking like a snack in this party dress, it seems like she stole it from Kourtney's closet.
2008: Body-Con 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Kris continued to dress like her daughters throughout 2008 β body-con dresses, negligees over tights, cheap-looking satin party dresses, peep-toe heels.
2008 Emmy awards: Black and white.
Here we have sequins AND a black and white gown. All of Kris' favorite things, even back then.
2008: The suit returns!
This is an unremarkable paparazzi photo β what's special about it is that it captured one of the first times since the '90s that Kris started playing with menswear-inspired fashion again.
We will not discuss the ripped boot-cut jeans.
2009: Draped monochrome.
Kris can make mystifying fashion choices look so good. Is this a towel that she belted? Who knows! She looks DAMN good.
2010: Blazers are IN.
In 2010, Kris discovered that she fucking LOVED blazers. She wore them with everything β Cocktail dresses! Jeans! Sweatpants (no, I'm kidding, she didn't wear sweatpants in 2010). I'm especially into this sequin number, which she wore almost constantly through 2010.
Kim's dress is… fine.
2010 Emmys: Cersei Lannister.
Literally, you cannot tell me that Cersei wouldn't wear this metal-studded dress to watch some dumb-dumb get his head cut off.
Again, Kim looks… fine.
2010: Working hard for the money.
My favorite thing about researching this story was seeing the lengths that Kris went to to get Kim famous. There are DOZENS of photo sets on Getty where a photographer was clearly hired to follow Kim around and photograph her every move "casually." This is from a trip to Munich in 2010, and honestly, it's so endearing. Love Kris' dedication to her opaque black tights, and Kim's determination to wear the highest heels possible.
2011: Streamlining.
Kris is all business bitch in a body-con dress and white blazer at Khloe and Lamar's "Unbreakable" perfume launch, which, the less we talk about, the better.
2011: YES, BITCH.
This is KLASSIC Kris β well-fitted suit, "wacky" accessories, all in black and white. On anyone else, this might look a little derivatively "Annie Hall," but Jenner is KILLING IT.
2011: YES, BITCH 2.
I can't. I love this so much.
2012: Backsliding into body-con.
You know how criminals always return to the scene of the crime? Kardashians always return to body-con dresses.
2012: Entry-level Amish.
Kim famously once called out Kris' love of "Amish"-style clothing… perhaps this black and white dress is where it all began.
This dress is like the evil universe version of her 2008 Emmys outfit. Time is a flat circle.
2013: The next generation.
Once her older daughters were spun off into the stratosphere of fame on their own, what was next for Kris? Launching her two youngest daughters in the same way. Here she is, looking flawless, at The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection with aspiring models / influencers / reality stars Kendall and Kylie.
2013: "Pilgrim Addams Family."
Ignoring Kim's order to abandon the "Omish shit" (lol), here's Kris knocking it the fuck out of the park in the most gorgeous Wednesday Addams dress you've ever seen in your life.
2014: Post-Kanye glam.
The entire Kardashian-Jenner family got a new fashion life once Kanye entered the picture. Gone were the old body-con dresses; hello, front row at Balmain.
Nobody took to this new fashion life like Kris β bury me in this dress. That's all I'm saying.
2014: POWER SHOULDERS.
The suit and the sequins return! Kris is flawless, I love her so much.
But truly, if you want a laugh, this is how Getty Images describes this event: "Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner attend the French Montana & Mohamed Hadid Birthday Party Powered By CIROC Pineapple and Produced By CultCollectiveEvents.com."
2014: More Pilgrim Addams Family outfits.
I love this. I would wear this now. Call me, Kris.
2014: The signature look.
By 2014, Kris had figured out what she likes in fashion β very expensive blazers with well-cut pants, metallic pops in the form of embellishments or big jewelry, and very tall heels.
The lace "shirt" is not actually a shirt, BTW β it's a bra from Agent Provocateur called the Annoushka. I used to have this piece until the lace tore; clearly Kris and I are kindred spirits.
2015: Front row risk-taker.
2015 was a fashion-y year for the Kardashians, but the only thing I care about is that Kris showed up to the Chanel show wearing see-through pants and a tweed jacket. Iconic, honestly.
2015 Met Gala: Imperial rooster.
Kris deploys color strategically; for the "China: Through the Looking Glass" theme, this red gown was both appropriate and beautiful.
Plus, I LOVE her massive, graphic cat eye.
2016: Good American.
Trust Kris to make ripped up black skinny jeans look so fucking elegant. I need a full-length white jacket with black piping, like, RIGHT now.
2016: All-black sequins.
This slithery, sparkly dark gown is the ultimate serpent queen dress β sorry, Taylor. Take a number.
Also, I've changed my mind. Bury me in THIS dress.
2016: Kris wants to swing from the chandelier.
Is a neck-to-stomach chandelier dress kinda ridiculous?
Yes.
Is it all you can look at in this picture, even though Kourtney is like 70% naked?
Also yes. Such is the power of Kris.
2017: Bondage and lace.
Kris hasn't diverged much from solid black recently, which again, I am very about. The combination of slightly wider-legged pants with a very structured blazer is one she's refined to an art β as is the softness of lace with the hardness of harness-inspired lingerie visible underneath. Nothing but respect for MY president.
2017: BRANDING.
But just when you'd pegged Kris as an all-black-everything Death Eater, she turns around and serves a sweet blush dress at the KKW Beauty launch. The family that brands together makes millions of dollars together, after all.
