Makeunders: Six of the Best Celebrity Style Transformations

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

If you've seen Nicki Minaj's new Elle magazine cover, you will have noticed that the pop star has undergone a rather dramatic makeunder. Gone are the candy-colored frocks and locks of her Harajuki Barbie days. Instead, Ms. Minaj is looking rather sophisticated, opting for sleek black leather and a blond wig.

And she's not the only one. A handful of celebs we used to count on to churn out bizzarre or (at the very least) questionable looks have cleaned up their act, making us almost forget the many sartorial infractions they committed in the past. (Almost.) From Victoria Beckham to Solange Knowles, click through for six celebrities whose style has changed for the better.

Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj captured the fascination of the fashion world with her madcap (emphasis on mad) cartoonish style. But since she secured a gig as a judge for American Idol, the rapstress's style has toned down quite a bit. Ms. Onika's traded her wild, multicolored wigs and printed leggings for a platinum blonde sew-in weave and sleek, fitted frocks.

Victoria Beckham
It seems so long ago, but in the early aughts, Victoria Beckham looked like a walking, talking stereotype of a footballer's wife-- plastic parts and all. She's (thankfully) blossomed since then into a respected designer (she snagged a BFC in 2011 for designer brand of the year), and is a best-dressed list mainstay, thanks to her sleek and sophisticated aesthetic.

Kelly Osbourne
What a world we live in. the same young woman who once took the stage in a hot pink and black, ruffle-front pinstripe tux complete with sequin embellishments is now the host of E!'s Fashion Police. Let that sink in. But we do think Kelly's style has vastly improved over the years. While she still loves to play with fashion, her more experiemental looks are well-executed these days.

Angelina Jolie :At the 2000 Oscars via Virgin Media, and in London May 2012 at the Foreign Office Briefing on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, via Getty.

Angelina Jolie
There's no doubt she's always been beautiful, but at one time, Angelina Jolie lived life a little further out on the edge. Example A: she carried a vial of Billy Bob Thornton's blood around her neck. It was weird. These days, however, the actress has been too busy with humanitarian projects (and her brood of six children) to give off creepy Vampria vibes. Instead, the actress' style can be described as a cross between chic dark overlord and earth mother. We'll take it.

Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera's certainly had good reason to flaunt her body circa 2002, but somehwere between the assless chaps, egregious exposure of underboob, and multicolored dreadlocks, it got to be a lot. In her mature years, Xtina still loves her a sexy silhouette and a helping of multicolored extensions, but she's found a happy medium that skews toward tasteful, elegant looks, too.

Solange Knowles
For a while there, Solange Knowles was in the shadow of her superstar sister, Beyoncé. But as her style has evolved, Solo's also carved a space for herself as a beloved style star and girlcrush of fashion-girls everywhere. Ever since she cut her hair in 2010, trading straight weaves for natural tresses, and glitter for a more sophisticated look, she's become the fashion industry's favorite DJ-slash-sartorial muse (sorry, Leigh Lezark).

· Watch Nicki Minaj Parody Her Fan Girl Interviewers for Elle [Racked]
· 'Viva Forever' Premiered. Victoria Beckham Was There (Separately) [Racked]