In Beyoncé’s most recent concert excursion, the “Mrs. Carter World Tour,” she brought back outfits from fan-favorite music videos, while some of her outfits were designed purposely for the tour.
Most of her costumes tend to focus on her legs and hips to bring out her sexuality – she is Beyoncé after all – and to allow her to pull off those complex dance moves. For flexibility, the singer tends to stick to jumpsuits and body suits. Her shows mostly consist of dancing so she needs room to move around, but she also likes to show off her legs with miniskirts.
For show opener “Run the World (Girls),” the star and her dancers recreated looks from the single’s video. She started off the show dressed as a queen, similar to Cleopatra, while her leading male dancers, Les Twins, wore jeans and their famous Converse shoes from the video. The female dancers were dressed in gold, glittery dresses that matched Beyoncé’s outfit and lined up as if they were at Beyoncé’s Egyptian-themed wedding as her bridesmaids.
Beyoncé personally asked a few designers to create some of the looks for her tour, including DSquared2, Emilio Pucci, Julien MacDonald, Ralph & Russo and Versace. For instance, Ralph & Russo crafted a white bodysuit, adorned with pearls and completed with a peplum skirt, which she wore with tights.
For the European leg of the tour, Versace designed a white mini dress with a sparkling silver pattern across it. She also wore a chainmail dress created with Swarovski crystals over a leather halter-top. One of Versace’s most memorable creations was a custom-made studded jacket that read “4” and “Bow Down,” on the back, a nod to her 2011 album and one of the standout’s from her recent self-titled release.
For the show’s slower numbers, Beyoncé wore a sparkly, sequined purple jumpsuit similar to looks seen on Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus’s latest concert outings. She showed off another bodysuit in black and covered in silver polka dots, with a deep V neckline to show off lots of cleavage.
Another unique piece is a black and gold leotard with a geometric pattern that recalls the cover of the “Great Gatsby” soundtrack. In another look, she came out in a black cap with rhinestones and cat ears along with a studded red flannel shirt inspired by the “Bow Down” video. To top off the “tough girl” image, she wore knee-high black boots.
Although this was Beyoncé’s tour and she was meant to be the star, her crew of dancers were also styled in top-of-the-line outfits – but everyone’s eyes were still solely focused on Beyoncé. With rumors all-but-confirmed that she will head back on tour with husband Jay-Z this summer, it won’t be long until Queen B one-ups her concert closet once again.
Rachel Arlin can be reached at [email protected]. Jake Reed can be reached at [email protected].
