Nayanthara’s fashion evolution: The girl next door to style icon

Hailing from a small town in Thiruvalla to ruling the South entertainment industry, Nayanthara is a larger-than-life personality. Beginning her career in showbiz as a model, venturing into the glitz and glam of cinema through Sathyan Anthikad’s directorial 2003 film ‘Manassinakkare’ and later securing a chair in Tamil and Telugu movies, to getting severe backlash for her glamorous roles and personal life to regaining the glory and ruling the industry like a queen, Nayanthara is a phenomenal woman, who has broken the glass ceiling for real. Over the years, she has undergone drastic changes in terms of her career and off-screen persona and one among them is her fashion choices. From her iconic bouffant hairdo to her remarkably heavy mascara eyelashes, every look of Nayanthara has created ripples in the fashion world. And today, as Nayanthara is turning a year older, we have tried to track her style evolution over the years.

Take a look.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

During her modeling career, Nayanthara also used to host a television show, wherein she appeared in a girl-next-door avatar with middle-parted hair, thin eyebrows, half updo hair, and bindi. She was very active in modeling and her assignments were mostly associated with jewellery and outfits, so she experimented very much, ranging from the maroon lipstick to the slick back bun.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

After debuting in movies, which is during the mid-2000s, Nayanthara undoubtedly started grabbing eyeballs. The village-belle went for straightened hair that ended right below her shoulders. Her middle-parted open hair went with both ethnic as well as western outfits. Nayanthara sported the same thin eyebrows, eyeliner, and finished it off with a bindi. She used to wear straight kurta sets, teamed with a dupatta around her neck and also blousy tops and slim-fit jeans. And the pearl earrings and a necklace with pearl pendant became a trendsetter.

Nayanthara's beauty evolution

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Thought Kylie Jenner was the first to introduce overlined lips? Well, we are sorry to break it to you, but, towards the mid-2000s, it was Nayanthara who apparently popularized the overdrawn lips. After her stint in Tamil movies, through the Rajinikanth starrer ‘Chandramukhi’, she was seen experimenting with the slick back half updo and the overdrawn lips.

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After the success of ‘Chandramukhi’, Nayanthara returned to M-Town, but this time, she was no longer the naive village belle, but a bolder character and also appeared in some stylish sarees for the songs in ‘Thaskaraveeran’. Nayanthara appeared in halter neck blouses teamed with sarees, that have contrasting borders and dual tones. Her middle-parted straightened hair, long glittery bindi and stylish earrings surely caught the attention of fashion lovers in the state.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Although Nayanthara has once confessed that ‘Ghajini’ is a movie that she wished, should have never done, the film surely gave birth to the glamorous diva in her. Nayanthara played a college student in the film. She got glammed up and appeared in a fashionable avatar for the song. She decked up in leather crop top and shorts, and went for the winged eyeliner, long hoops, silver nose pin, and wavy wet hair look.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Nayanthara went all bold and daring for her Telugu debut ‘Lakshmi’. She appeared in a unique hairstyle for the film. Her elevated slick pulled-back bangs hairstyle was copied by thousands of college students. The actress also donned some intricately embellished sarees and the fashion industry surely benefited from it.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Nayanthara is someone who loves to experiment, be it in terms of the roles she plays onscreen or her sartorial choices. The diva underwent drastic weight loss by the time she starred in ‘Billa’ and also made jaw-dropping bikini-clad appearances and bodycon dresses. For ‘Billa’ she appeared in a side-parted straightened hairstyle and also a sleek high pony and those gigantic sunglasses became a trendsetter.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

During the late 2000s, Nayanthara was spotted embracing her long silky smooth hair and also added lots of highlighters in her makeup. The illuminating look was refreshing at the time. And she also started wearing nose studs both on and off the screen. She went for more red, orange, and rose-toned outfits, sleeveless, blouses, and one shoulder statement dresses.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Nayanthara never shied away from trends and towards the early 2010s, she started working on her hair. In the film ‘Bodyguard’ the diva slayed coloured hair extensions and braids, and high ponytail hairstyles. The actress also rocked low-rise denim pants.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

After the release of ‘Sri Rama Rajyam’, Nayanthara shifted focus to ethnic ensembles. She started slipping into ethnic sarees and teamed them with puffed sleeve blouses. The actress also wore glossy lips, bun hairstyle with jasmine flowers, and completed it with a bindi.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

After a short sabbatical, Nayanthara reclaimed her chair with the 2013 release ‘Raja Rani’. Her bouffant hairdo became a major trend. She wore simple sarees, and her hair highlights too won the hearts of fashionistas. The dewy makeup with bindi too made a comeback!

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Post mid 2010s she has mostly donned sarees in movies. In the Malayalam movie ‘Bhaskar The Rascal’, Nayanthara wore monochrome sarees with either a high neck or boat neck. The statement necklaces she wore in the film too gave fashion goals. In the 2019 release ‘Viswasam’ Nayanthara wore some ethnic sarees paired with braided hairstyle and jewellery and that too won the masses.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Towards the end of the 2010s, Nayanthara’s fashion evolution was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. From hair colours to sartorial choices, the actress experimented a lot and her personal style mostly reflected minimal, chic, and uber-cool outfits. For vacays she would stick to monochrome ensembles, while for public appearances, she tried her hands at power dressing and undoubtedly aced it. For the 2020 Women’s Day, Nayanthara slayed a polka-dotted power suit. Her outfit emphasized who is in power and yet gave that playful tone to it. Basic denim pants and shirts, as well as skirts and sweater tops, became her go-to for the airport. Over the year something that hardly changed is her choice of footwear, as Nayanthara finds comfort in wedges.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)