The Stunning Style Transformation Of Tate McRae

Canadian pop star Tate McRae is one of the most multi-faceted artists of her generation. Not only is she a double threat thanks to her powerful vocals and skillful dancing, but McRae is also already establishing herself as a fashion icon. Classic Y2K pieces combined with a modern, androgynous style make up the singer's go-to look, as McRae isn't one to shy away from bold fashion.

McRae kicked off her career on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance" in 2016, but a year later, her path changed when she released her viral single "One Day." Since then, she has given us hits like "Greedy" and "Sports Car," only further showcasing that pop is back — and stronger than ever. And while McRae is still in the beginning stages of her career, her fashion transformation is already bold enough to be noticed.

After Tate McRae released her debut single, it was clear that music was her true calling. And while she hadn't had her big break just yet, the singer was tirelessly working on her music, even moving from Calgary, Canada, to Los Angeles, California, to follow her dreams. "Walking into this industry, you get a lot of different people telling you what kind of style you need to have and what kind of person you need to be," McRae told Elle Canada in 2025. "I remember when I was 16, all I wanted to do was wear baggy clothes and big T-shirts, and I didn't want to experiment with anything. And then I came out to LA and I started dressing in hot-pink dresses and very girly. And I was like, 'This is not me. I am way more tomboy than this.'"

Those who have been following the pop star's rise to fame know that McRae has always looked cool, and fashion played a major part in that. However, the singer admitted that exploring what she likes took some time. "It wasn't until I got to grade 12 and then graduated that I was able to explore being riskier in fashion and finding myself again," the singer told Fashion Magazine in 2022. "Because for the longest time I felt so judged by the people around me." McRae's fashion in the late 2010s was all about looking edgy and cool yet still being comfortable. As a dancer, she preferred oversized pieces, and that love transcended into her more glamorous looks, too. Nevertheless, McRae was still finding her style, and experimenting with what looks good on her and what doesn't was a major part of that. 

As the 2020s kicked off and the COVID-19 pandemic was slowing down, we got to see a lot more of Tate McRae at red-carpet events. In fact, in 2021, the pop singer attended her first red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards, and for the occasion, she went with a head-to-toe look by Rick Owens. The black-and-white look (which was a color scheme the artist was gravitating towards at the time) served as a hint to what we can expect McRae's fashion to give us: unusual silhouettes and skin-baring looks.

"If I just walked out and felt cool, that's what I would usually throw on," the star revealed in her Elle Canada interview, reflecting on her style at the beginning of her career. "So it was usually pretty sporty, but a touch of a feminine side to it." And that perfectly encapsulates her debut VMA look!

In 2022, Tate McRae was becoming a staple at music award shows. In her interview with Fashion Magazine that year, the pop star revealed that her fashion choices are often the result of her mother's help. "She is so involved in fashion, always watching the runway shows and keeping up with trends," McRae said of her mother, Tanja, in 2022. "She'll get all the outfits and then I'll put them together myself. I have no idea why I'm blessed to have a mom with really good taste."

One of her most-memorable 2022 looks is undoubtedly the teal Niné dress, which she wore to the MTV Video Music Awards. The asymmetrical look was the perfect choice for McRae, who is one of the stars responsible for the comeback of Y2K fashion, which we were styling again in 2024. However, while her look is revealing and feminine, McRae maintained that her core style is the tomboy aesthetic. "I'm a bit of a tomboy. I'll wear baggy stuff until the day I die. I like to be edgy, but as I'm getting older, there's a feminine touch to my style," she added in the interview. "I think there always needs to be some part of my outfit that is weird. I'll always add some sort of statement piece, whether it's super high platform shoes or a crazy necklace." While baggy and oversized fashion remained a staple for the singer, one thing was sure: As her career was evolving, McRae's style kept getting bolder and more authentic.

With the release of "Greedy" in 2023, Tate McRae's spot in the world of pop princesses was secured. The singer — whose sound is modern yet nostalgic — has managed to easily switch between various aesthetics and vibes, from preppy and sexy to nerdy yet cool. While we've seen musicians limit themselves to only one fashion style, ensuring they have a signature look, McRae allows herself to explore everything that the world of fashion has to offer, and in 2023, she definitely wasn't afraid of switching it up. Of course, with experimentation, one is also bound to have some fashion mishaps, which is why the pop star made it onto our worst-dressed celebs at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards list.

Talking to People in 2023, the singer opened up about the thought process behind the fashion she wears while performing. "Stage looks have always been tricky because I need to make sure I can move and dance on stage at the same time as pop under the lights," McRae revealed. "I can be a bit of a tomboy, but I also love feminine pieces. I really love vintage, but at the same time, I have been excited about bringing more designer pieces into my fold."

In 2024, Tate McRae played around with the nostalgic aesthetic that matched her sound perfectly. While the singer was already known for her use of Y2K elements in her looks, she was now leaning into the fashion trends of the early aughts even more. In fact, when she walked down the red carpet of the 2024 Video Music Awards, fans were quick to notice that her black lace Roberto Cavalli minidress was very similar to the Dolce & Gabbana one that pop icon Britney Spears wore to the same event in 2001. "For sure, the VMAs look was an homage to Britney, a million percent," the musician admitted to Harper's Bazaar. "I just thought she looked so stunning in that dress."

Another memorable fashion moment of the year happened at the Brit Awards, where McRae wasn't just nominated in the international song of the year category, but she was also performing. The singer walked the red carpet in a black Dolce & Gabbana maxi dress covered in sequins, but it was her chunky cross necklace that made this fashion moment so reminiscent of the early 2000s.

Tate McRae may only be in her early 20s, but there is no doubt that her place in the pop industry is sealed. And while a majority of that is thanks to her voice and her incredible dance routines — yes, we can't stop thinking about her "Saturday Night Live" performance of "Sports Car" — the truth is that McRae's experimental and fun fashion choices have also helped her become the beloved artist she is today. "I've realized everything is timeless to me when it's authentic," McRae told Elle Canada, and we couldn't agree more. "As a dancer, you want to be able to do everything, so the comfortability part of it is so important," the star explained to Harper's Bazaar in 2025. "Which is why I end up going more sporty a lot of the time because I'm just like, 'Screw the fashion, let me dance!'"

But while McRae's on-stage style is always sporty and functional (while still being stylish, of course), her red-carpet moments allow the singer to explore a more glamorous aesthetic. For the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, McRae decided to go with a custom silver Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown that helped the pop star show off her fashion versatility. And with stunning moments like these, we simply can't wait to see what the fashion future holds for Tate McRae.

Now, let's take a trip down the memory lane of another pop star's fashion history: Here's the stunning style transformation of Gracie Abrams.