By achiu
4:30pm PDT, Jun 20, 2022
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Paula Abdul got her start cheering for the Los Angeles Lakers and choreographing everything from Janet Jackson videos to famous movie sequences like Tom Hanks' piano dance in "Big." But she broke out as a singer when her 1988 debut album, "Forever Your Girl," became the soundtrack of an era, and has never stopped redefining herself. Join Wonderwall.com as we celebrate the singer-dancer-choreographer-actress-reality competition judge's 60th birthday on June 19, 2022, by looking back at some of the petite powerhouse's straight-up most memorable early looks.
Keep reading for more of the singer's most amazingly retro fashion moments…
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Channeling Princess Jasmine! Paula Abdul resembled the Disney heroine in a blue sequined bralette and harem pants, though she covered up with a matching jacket at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1987.
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Paula Abdul looked like she was ready for prom in this iridescent strapless mermaid dress she wore to the Grammys in February 1989.
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So '90s! Paula Abdul rocked a sleeveless high-collared vest and a floor-length satin skirt with a choppy pixie cut at a Los Angeles benefit in May 1996.
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The only thing more retro than Paula Abdul's gold power skirt suit at the Grammy Living Legends Gala in November 1989? Michael Bolton's flowing locks!
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Adorable Paula Abdul opted for a gingham shirt dress — with a pop of color — at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Beverly Hills in May 1993.
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In case you forgot, Paula Abdul was once Mrs. Emilio Estevez! The singer and the Brat Pack actor, who wed in 1992 and split in 1994, didn't mind mixing prints when they hit the "Sleepless in Seattle" premiere in June 1993.
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Purple haze! Paula Abdul went all-in on monochrome violet at a Beverly Hills charity gala in November 1994.
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What's black and white and cute all over? Paula Abdul was easy to spot in head-to-toe polka dots at an event in May 1995.
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Paula Abdul dazzled in delightfully retro gold fringe and a super-high pony at the Grammys in February 1990. Keep reading to see her most coveted accessory that night…
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Paula Abdul hit the 1990 Grammys in head-to-toe gold — and arm candy in the form of John Stamos! Keep reading for more on the singer's long-forgotten dalliance with Uncle Joey…
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Paula Abdul rocked a red blazer with impressive shoulder pads — and a cute John Stamos by her side — at comedy legend Milton Berle's 82nd birthday party in July 1990. The pair dated for just seven months, and their split sparked an enduring rumor that Paula's hit "Cold Hearted" was about the "Full House" star. (John has clarified that the song was written in 1989 — before the short-lived duo met.)
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Paula Abdul looked like a "Beauty and the Beast" extra in a shiny low-cut frock and old-fashioned updo at the taping of the "Bob Hope Birthday Celebration" TV special in Los Angeles in May 1993.
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Paula Abdul's sassy high pony, hoop earrings, red lips, button-down shirt and shiny vest became iconic after the release of the video for "Forever Your Girl" in June 1988. Not pictured: her animated dance partner, MC Skat Kat.
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Paula Abdul stepped out of her comfort zone — and into a demure floor-length floral frock — at a Los Angeles event in January 1990.
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Paula Abdul wed clothing designer Brad Beckerman in October 1996 and two months later, the newlyweds stepped out — in his-and-hers suits — for the premiere of "Evita" in Los Angeles in December 1996. (Sadly their marriage never hit the right note and the pair divorced in 1998 after 17 months of marriage.)
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Va-va-voom! Paula Abdul showed some serious skin in a sparkly gown with sheer side panels at the American Music Awards in January 1996.
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Paula Abdul rocked a red blazer and half-up hair when she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 1991.
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Cold-hearted snakes? Paula Abdul went for serpent chic in a black dress with sheer paneling and a high collar at the People's Choice Awards in March 1991.
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With her ruffled sleeves and collar, big hair and double-breasted blazer with miniskirt combo, Paula Abdul was oh-so '90s in this colorful outfit she wore to a press conference in April 1991.
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Paula Abdul, seen here with late actor Dudley Moore, chose a long-sleeved figure-hugging frock with sparkly details for the Academy Awards in March 1990.
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Paula Abdul hit the Teen Choice Awards in August 2003 looking like a teen herself in a little green-and-yellow dress with strategically placed ribbons and a matching handbag.
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Was she trying to blend in with her surroundings? Paula Abdul was almost camouflaged in a leaf-patterned top with sheer sleeves paired with a long skirt that she wore to the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1991.
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Paula Abdul channeled a figure skater in a sparkly long-sleeved minidress with a flouncy hemline at the American Music Awards in January 1990.
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Paula Abdul was a petite purple wonder at the AIDS Project Los Angeles Dance-a-Thon where she hung with model Tyra Banks in April 1997.
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Paula Abdul looked pretty and perky in a plunging strapless minidress with ruffles and matching fingerless gloves at the American Music Awards in January 1989. Keep reading to see her rock another version of the outfit later that year…
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Paula Abdul was a vision in white in a dress-and-gloves combo at the Emmy Awards in September 1989. The big hair, chunky bangs and hoop earrings completed the pitch-perfect '80s look.
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Paula Abdul showed off her enviable abs in a gold satin ensemble at the American Music Awards in January 1997.
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No dress, no problem for Paula Abdul, who opted for a pantsuit with a pop of pink at the People's Choice Awards in March 1990.
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Paula Abdul wore satin and lace — and ice around her neck — to the Fire & Ice Ball in Beverly Hills in December 2000.
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Who you gonna call when you want an adorable addition to your red carpet event? Paula Abdul! The pint-sized singer stood out in a multicolored midriff-baring ensemble at the premiere of "Ghostbusters II" in Hollywood in June 1989.
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Paula Abdul covered her famously fit body in head-to-toe white at the Songwriters Hall of Fame's 20th anniversary celebration in New York City in May 1989.
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Paula Abdul wore a rainbow tube top, leg-swallowing white pants and a choppy new 'do to the Wango Tango concert in Pasadena, California, in May 2003.
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Paula Abdul has always been partial to a comfy red blazer — and her performance outfit at a Z100 radio party in New York City in August 1989 was no exception.
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Paula Abdul donned a figure-hugging little black dress to show off her svelte figure — and then-boyfriend Colton Melby — at the American Music Awards in November 2003.
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Paula Abdul looked cute as a button in a casual retro-print dress at Mercedes-Benz Fall Fashion Week in Culver City, California, in March 2004.
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The hair, the brows, the ornate top with sheer paneling: Paula Abdul rocked her classic look at a June 1990 event in Los Angeles.
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Paula Abdul struck a power pose in a strange and strappy top at the launch of the Barely There Tagfree Bra Collection in New York City in September 2004.
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Opposites attract! Petite Paula Abdul and her old Lakers pal Magic Johnson shared a moment at a TNT Sports celebration honoring the NBA legend in Los Angeles in February 2004.
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Paula Abdul looked positively be-dazzling in a blinged-out halter dress at the Emmy Awards in September 1990.
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Paula Abdul had flower power at a FOX event in New York City in May 2004 thanks to matching pink blooms on her chest and her sandals.
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Between the low-waisted trousers, belly-baring mesh top and choker, Paula Abdul brought multiple '90s trends into the aughts at the premiere of "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" in Los Angeles in June 2001.
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Paula Abdul channeled her inner adolescent in a drapey gold halter top and jeans at the Teen Choice Awards in August 2004.
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Paula Abdul looked sophisticated in navy lace as she hit the red carpet with fellow "American Idol" judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell at the show's season 1 finale in September 2002.
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All hail the queen! Paula Abdul rocked a little black dress and a tiara at FOX's Emmy Awards afterparty in September 2004.
