While Lifetime’s Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B biopic was horribly criticized from the beginning (the family conflict, lack of any Aaliyah music, and casting controversy, to name a few), to the end (music producer and friend to Aaliyah Timbaland took to social media to express his distaste for the TV-film on more than one occasion)—the one thing it did try and recreate perfectly was the fashions.
R&B legend Aaliyah changed the scope of both music and fashion with her chill, urban, anti-diva look. From her go-to hair accessory (the bandana), to her signature midriff baring tops (perfect for the “Aaliyah body roll” move she perfected in every music video and live performance), Lifetime’s Aaliyah biopic really did try to capture the look of a young Aaliyah as best they could—even if other elements of the movie fell flat (seriously? No Aaliyah songs? That’s a red flag right there).
Chronicling her rise to fame, and thus her increasingly grown-up look, the Aaliyah biopic showcased a teenage, (too) baggily clothed Aaliyah transform into her sleek (lots of leather, overalls, and dark colors), one-in-a-million persona. If, like every hip-hop-obsessed nineties girl, you wanted to take an outfit (or five) of inspiration from the closet of the R&B princess herself, just be sure you can rock some camo print—and stay comfortable. Aaliyah never let anyone change her image, even if it wasn’t what was to be expected from a young singer—that’s what made her so different.
Did you think that the costume on Lifetime’s biopic did Aaliyah justice? Or was it an unsalvageable, televised mess from the first act?