Taylor Momsen – Cindy Lou Who to The Pretty Reckless

As Soundgarden was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, rock singer Taylor Momsen stole the show along with the surviving members of Soundgarden. Momsen took on the challenge of performing Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage,” a notoriously difficult song to sing, as any song meant for Chris Cornell has to be. Momsen took to the stage clad in a satin black mini dress, fishnets, and combat boots, a quick change from her sheer lace black gown she arrived in. As Momsen belted this gritty rock song on stage with the best musicians we have left from the grunge era, it can be hard to believe that this is the same star who played Jenny in “Gossip Girl” and Cindy Lou Who in the live-action “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Over the past two decades, since Momsen has been in the spotlight, she has grown both as a person and an artist, which is evident in the style she uses to define herself and these changes. 

Whoville Town Darling 

Taylor Momsen first came to fame as the adorable Cindy Lou Who, starring alongside Jim Carrey in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” When Momsen first appears on stage, she is in the memorably insane and intricate number of Whoville-style braids, and a red and white polka dot dress. With rosy cheeks and a button nose, and hair dressed in bows, Momsen stole our hearts as the adorable little girl to win over the Grinch and save Christmas. Momsen’s Christmas song in the movie “Where Are You Christmas?” has become a staple in almost every Christmas playlist. As this movie has become a Christmas classic, one could have guessed that Momsen would never truly be able to make a name for herself outside of the adorable little girl role. She could easily have been typecast into increasingly less serious roles and faded into obscurity despite being so young when her career began. However, through Momsen’s distinct fashion and style, she has been able to, time and time again, separate herself from the characters on the screen and avoid being stuck in a hole as a performer. 

Gossip Girl Teen Queen 

In her teenage years, Momsen became a household name through her character Jenny Humphrey on the hit teen drama “Gossip Girl”. “Gossip Girl” is undoubtedly one of the most famous teenage dramas from the 21st century with memorably improbable plotlines and adorable characters. This NYC-based show follows the love and sex lives of high society preppy high schoolers as they discover themselves and the world. Momsen plays Jenny Humphrey, the little sister of Dan Humphrey, played by Penn Badgley. Some of her other costars would go on to include Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and the late Michelle Trachtenberg. Although none of her other works as an actress would lead to the same level of success, this show did open new doors for the teen star. 

Taylor Momsen’s style evolution from little girl to rebel without a cause began during her stint as Humphrey. Throughout her time on “Gossip Girl”, Momsen had already begun to adopt an edgier style through red lips, leather jackets, and sunglasses. Starting off the series with a much cleaner style and lighter makeup, it is interesting to watch as both Momsen and her character age into themselves. Like the actress, her season one outfits were far more childlike — something that a show about children should probably have shown more of. The outfits clearly resemble some of the older, wealthier girls on the show as she attempts to fit into the scene. Momsen can be seen sporting plaid skirts and matching berets, a much cleaner look than she would opt for in the coming seasons. 

By the second season, there are clear 90s grunge elements as the fashion turns darker. It is only after season three that Jenny’s clothes become the dark rebellion that people now associate with Taylor Momsen. Momsen sports choppier hairstyles, brighter blondes, and a lot more jewelry, clearly reminiscent of an ’80s rockstar. The clothes become more form-fitting as Momsen’s character finds herself. In many ways, the fashion choices for the character reflect the fashion choices and style identity of the actress. Momsen went from a child on the show, desperate to fit in and make a name for herself, to a full-fledged rocker unafraid to shake things up.

We Belong Way Down Below 

In the late 2000s, Momsen took a drastic change in appearance when she released her first album, “Light Me Up,” with The Pretty Reckless. The album covers and music videos that would come from this band shocked audiences who had watched Momsen grow up as they began to shift farther and farther into X-rated territory. Momsen was making a statement that she was a rocker through and through. Although Jenny Humphrey was always a little more gritty than the other main characters on “Gossip Girl,” this new change was a significant drop from the much cleaner and sweeter fashion designer seen on the show. Appearing for the first time in deep, black eyeshadow, eyeliner and bleached platinum hair, Momsen shocked her fans with her newfound raw edge. Momsen’s music videos quickly turned darker as she began to dress in black skimpy dresses and skirts, mountains of silver and black jewelry, and her combat boots. Often on stage with a flannel and ripped stockings, there was no doubt that Momsen had become someone entirely new, and there was no mistaking her for the little girl in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” or “Gossip Girl”. Taylor Momsen shocked the world when she began to release rock music. Almost as much as she shocked the world when she came out in her new rocker aesthetic. 

In an already male-dominated industry, being a woman in rock with a clean slate already feels like a near-impossible feat. Momsen’s successful career as an actress was already a strike against her, not only for being the sweet little girl who saves Christmas, but starring in the teen drama “Gossip Girl” was working against her. Some critics were not going to take her seriously in her journey to rock fame. Momsen had to make a statement and fast if she was going to survive this new, cutting-edge scene. If Momsen was going to cut it as a respected rockstar and command an audience, she had to remind them that she was a rocker. As shocking as her new look may have been, it refreshed the audience and reintroduced them to the musical powerhouse that is the great Taylor Momsen. 

Where are You Christmas

Today, Taylor Momsen has seemingly blended her modern rocker style with her original Cindy Lou Who cuteness on the cover of her latest album with The Pretty Reckless, “Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Wreckless Christmas.” Released on Halloween of this year, the cover art for this album features Momsen in both her full rocker glory with heavy, dark makeup and signature lace-up combat boots, and a deep red deeply reminiscent of her Grinch days. The dress is a reminder of where the artist started and how far she has come. Momsen, as shown by her sheer free-the-nipple black lace dress from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame red carpet, is not the little girl she was when she was introduced to the world of fame. Momsen has managed to keep her rocker image, even while rereleasing “Where Are You Christmas.” The ability to recall her time as a child actress singing such adorable songs shows a lot of growth and confidence on Momsen’s part. She does not feel the need to steer away from the little girl she was, and is so comfortable now in her music career that she does not see her start as something that can make her an inauthentic rocker, but a part of who she is. Her ability to blend the styles of the adorable little girl in a red Christmas Dress and her classic rock style shows that she is not afraid to have fun with her style, as her aesthetic is so strong, she does not constantly need to prove it. Taylor Momsen, along with the rest of her band, is expected to play this new Christmas album as they take the stage together once again at The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27th. It will be exciting to see what she is wearing at the parade and to get another glimpse into the newly created idea of a Christmas Rocker. 

Style is more than just what you wear, but a statement on who you are. Taylor Momsen embodies the idea of wearable art because she uses it in order to define who she is today. From the little girl in pigtails to teen queen to rock goddess, Momsen’s fashion has aged with her. Even as her sound as an artist has matured, Momsen’s style has matured within the subculture of grunge rock. Over time, Momsen has developed her own sense of style just as she has developed her identity. Today, she is known for her signature eyeliner and boots, but there was once a time she was known for her preppy schoolgirl fashion and for her elegant, adorable  Christmas dresses. Momsen’s style has aged gracefully with her and shows her confidence as well as her rocker identity. The clothes may not make the man, but they certainly do paint a picture, and for Momsen, that picture is just pure confidence.