Great Outfits in Fashion History: Lil' Kim in a Head-to-Toe Matching Chanel

The longtime Chanel devotee wore the bright-blue look to a store opening in 2002.

There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In ‘Great Outfits in Fashion History,’ Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks.

When it comes to female rapper style, Lil’ Kim was one of the blueprints; it’s hard not to see her influence when looking at modern-day stars like Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. In the late ’90s and early aughts, the tiny star set herself apart as an artist with head-turning looks and confident displays of skin. She also loved designer logos, Chanel being a particular favorite.

As current designer Virginie Viard just referenced in her Spring 2022 collection for the house, Chanel ready-to-wear had a particularly fun, playful sensibility in the late ’90s and early 2000s under Karl Lagerfeld. Case in point: the eye-catching Robin’s egg blue-and-red tracksuit set Lil’ Kim wore to a Chanel store opening event in New York in 2002. The color combo really pops, and the subtle logo print is also unique. I love that she went for the full, head-to-toe matching look — bag included — and also just how happy she seems to be showing it all off.

Lil’ Kim’s outfit also looks comfy enough to travel or lounge around in. With that in mind, shop a few stylish, brightly-colored loungewear sets in the gallery below.