Gallery: Keira Knightley’s Style Journey

Keira Knightley is 30 today! So we’ve decided to take a look back at her style evolution. Considering she’s been walking red carpets since her breakout role in Bend It Like Beckham, it has been an eclectic journey. While the mum-to-be makes all the right choices these days – her Valentino dress at this year’s Oscars is possibly the best formal maternity wear we’ve ever seen – her initial forays into the fashion headlines was a mixed bag. Which is appropriate when you consider her age. There’s a lot of bronzer and pale lips action going on in the beauty department. While the clothes scream noughties teenage disco.

Remember King Arthur? Remember how the US promotional materials for the forgettable re-imagining of the English myth photoshopped Keira’s breasts to look bigger, and she called them out on it?

For some reason, every woman dyes her hair caramel at some point in her life. We don’t know why, and Keira too has flirted with this honey-haired trend. This hair style coincides with her role in Pride and Prejudice and her working relationship with director Joe Wright. There is a change afoot, for Joe and Keira shall work together on not only big-budget period films, but Chanel will come knocking like a fairy godmother.

Now this is how you do your first Oscar nomination. Keira donated this plum Vera Wang dress to an Oxfam auction following the ceremony.

Post Pride and Prejudice Keira’s style grew up fast. Her CV started racking up more leading lady roles. There was The Edge of Love with the woman who defined the mid-noughties, Ms Sienna Miller, which saw Keira channelling the post-war aesthetic of the characters in that film.

Some masculine tailoring was attempted.

However, it was the tragic Atonement that saw Keira transform herself from actress on the rise to style icon.

Chanel outfits became a common sighting, and her beauty look was solidified to a stained lip and smokey eye – two features Keira has rarely strayed from since.

Can we take a breather to appreciate her simple wedding dress, Chanel, which she ‘recycled’ at events after her ceremony?

Last year as she promoted indie movie Begin Again and The Imitation Game, she embraced an edgier look. Tousled hair, grungy eyes, daring designs. There was Some Simone Rocha.

In recent months, Keira’s been managing pregnancy style with aplomb. Prints and subtle cuts have been her go-to. We hope that as she enters her fourth decade and motherhood, that Ms Knightley continues to take risks, in both her wardrobe and movie choices.

Follow Jeanne Sutton on Twitter @jeannedesutun

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