It’s somewhat shocking that Beyoncé, of all people, has yet to purge the beginnings of her Instagram account. The legendary musician is (in)famously protective of her image, and yet the fit pics she first began posting in 2012 remain online. To say they’ve reached a whole new caliber since is an understatement, and particularly in the lead-up to Beyoncé’s 40th birthday on Friday. She now regularly stages photoshoots to share a dozen or so different looks at the same ensemble, the better to showcase it in all its glory. (Her recent snapshot of a Christopher John Rogers look, complete with a Telfar bag, practically broke the internet.) At this point, they’ve come to replace official event photos, and could even be mistaken for an Ivy Park ad or editorial. The same can’t be said of their forebears, which appear to have taken just as much time and energy to produce—just in quite a different manner. Take a look back at the evolution of what’s now a medium in its own right, here.
November 2012
Presenting the very first fit pic ever uploaded to @beyonce.
December 2013
After a period of sticking to the preset formula, she moved on to her own, more singular way of sharing multiple images.
July 2014
You’d think the caption would provide some insight into at least one of the Beyoncés’ thinking here, but no such luck: “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful we must carry it within us or we find it not,” reads a cryptic quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
August 2014
In the pre-carousel era, Beyoncé simply squeezed as many Beyoncés as possible into the same post.
May 2015
With a little help from Photoshop, Beyoncé (or her social media manager) did her best to replicate the motif on her tote bag.
October 2016
Mother-daughter shoots are a whole other sub-genre. Here, Bey kept it playful yet elevated by incorporating Gucci’s signature snake motif.
September 2017
Beyoncé made sure you didn’t miss out on her pink stilettos with an illustrated collage.
September 2017
Whoever was running her Instagram that month went all out, posting a series of looks in all manner of styles within a matter of days.
October 2017
What’s up with the disembodied hand?
November 2017
Here’s one of Beyoncé’s first real standouts—part of two carousels full of glorious hair.
January 2018
Beyoncé kept it simple ahead of the 2018 Grammy Awards, putting the focus on the Nicholas Jebran gown that took 100 hours to make. At least, at first…
January 2018
While that photo was a standalone, she later posted a carousel full of additional looks at her ensemble—and, as her followers quickly noticed, opted not to crop out the random woman gaping at her presence.
July 2018
Beyoncé’s snapshot of her studded denim short shorts might as well have been an album cover.
October 2018
Why did Beyoncé feel compelled to add dramatic black borders to this excellent fit pic? We’ll never know.
February 2019
Beyoncé again channeled Juergen Teller by embracing the flash.
March 2019
Beyoncé took care to pose in this standout white Balmain ensemble ahead of being crowned Entertainer of the Year at the 50th annual NAACP Awards.
September 2019
An early look at the genius of KJ Moody, the stylist behind Bey’s most recent Instagram outfit posts.
February 2021
“Malibu Bey” was somehow even more successful than the more elaborate “Malibu Barbie Bey” she’d go on to share later this year.
April 2021
Beyoncé has started to sneak some playful photos in with the many showcasing her full glamour.
June 2021
Beyoncé posted no less than 17 photos of this look, amassing well over 100 million comments containing countess fire emojis.
July 2021
Get ready for a summer full of hits. Fashion Twitter lost its mind when Bey suddenly returned to Instagram for the first time in a month to give a shoutout to both Telfar bags and the up-and-coming designer Christopher John Rogers.
July 2021
Bey put the emphasis on her Mara Hoffman mini-dress with matching borders, which certainly made for an artier look than her past ones in dramatic black.
August 2021
Even Donatella Versace couldn’t believe her eyes when Beyoncé transformed into “BarBey,” complete with a $1,100 crystal-covered Versace travel cup.
Source: W Magazine
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