By Wonderwall.com Editors
1:22am PST, Jan 25, 2016
Ariel Winter is turning 18 on Jan. 28, 2016! The "Modern Family" actress has been through a lot in recent years, from legal dramas over her guardianship to a 2015 breast reduction surgery she credits with giving her newfound confidence. In honor of her milestone birthday, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at how Ariel has transformed from child star to red carpet stunner, starting with her appearance at iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball in New York City in December 2015. Ariel made a bold statement in a burgundy jumpsuit with a wrap top and matching trompe l'oeil pants. Keep reading for more of Ariel's remarkable transformation…
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At the age of 10, Ariel Winter was already hitting the red carpet. She attended the Los Angeles "Speed Racer" world premiere on April 26, 2008, and was absolutely adorable in her shiny gold dress and matching sandals.
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A tween Ariel Winter, just 11 at the time, flashed a peace sign at photographers while attending the Los Angeles premiere of "Hannah Montana: The Movie" on April 2, 2009, wearing a pretty and age-appropriate white sundress with silver floral detailing.
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Ariel Winter — just a few days shy of her 12th birthday at the time — looked elegant in a long, black gown at the FOX Golden Globes afterparty on Jan. 17, 2010.
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At the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards in 2010, Ariel Winter was dressed to the nines in a dark blue ball gown with a corset-style bodice. With her hair in a fabulous half-updo, she looked more mature than her 12 years at the time.
Ariel Winter started developing her own unique style in 2011. She wore a black lace dress with a prim white collar to TV Guide's 2011 Hot List event in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2011, accessorizing the look with cute blue, red and black shoes.
Then-13-year-old Ariel Winter looked like a trendy young teen in floral leggings, fuzzy earmuffs and black knee-high boots on the red carpet at Disney On Ice's "Toy Story 3" performance in Los Angeles on Dec. 14, 2011.
At the Los Angeles premiere of "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" on Aug. 6, 2012, a 14-year-old Ariel Winter could not have looked cuter in her coral-colored baby-doll dress. She looked like a doll herself!
At the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, a 14-year-old Ariel Winter wore a high-low gown by Katharine Kidd. The shimmery patterned frock made a statement with its bold pattern and cascading train.
In 2013, Ariel Winter hit the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 27 — one day before her 15th birthday — looking like a fairytale princess in a voluminous peach chiffon gown featuring jeweled floral and ivy detailing on the bodice and arms.
For a "Modern Family" fan appreciation event on Oct. 28, 2013, 15-year-old Ariel Winter suited up in high-waisted black pants and a strappy white top with a pair of very high peep-toe heels.
Sweet 16! On July 27, 2014, Ariel Winter wore a form-fitting, short floral-print dress to the Young Hollywood Awards. At this point, she had her signature pose down: hands on her hips, legs crossed at the ankles.
At the People Magazine Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on Dec. 18, 2014, a 16-year-old Ariel Winter addressed how her changing body was affecting her style choices. "It's interesting, because I'm very young, but I have a more mature body," she told People. "So it's a blessing and a curse. I have to find things that are appropriate to wear but also fit my body well, so it still looks good." For this event, she wore a custom black NBD x Naven Twins jumpsuit.
After Ariel Winter wore this white number to the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 2015, headlines like "Ariel Winter Rocks Crazy Cleavage" surfaced. Her look was dubbed "sexy," and it was hard for many to believe that she was just three days shy of her 17th birthday at the time.
Ariel Winter donned a classic, mature white dress for the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles on March 29, 2015, when she was 17. But she still looked youthful, thanks to the pop of turquoise color she'd added to the ends of her hair.
Ariel Winter showed off her back at HBO's 2015 Emmys afterparty in Los Angeles on Sept. 20, 2015. The body-hugging dress was a design by Lorena Sarbu, and she looked stunning in it.
In December 2015, Ariel Winter went through another personal transformation when she implied that she'd split from her boyfriend Laurent Claude Gaudette — with the help of Beyonce. On Dec. 7, Ariel posted a screen shot from Beyonce's "Single Ladies" music video and captioned the pic, "Start of a new week, start of a new chapter #dancinglikebeyoncemood." Dance on, Ariel!
