Kim Kardashian and Kanye West began dating in 2012, following Kim’s 72-day marriage to basketball star Kris Humphries, but the former couple’s relationship ended bitterly in 2021

Kim Kardashian has undergone a style U-turn as she finally freed herself from ex-husband Kanye West’s control.

The 42-year-old has begun wearing pencil skirts and chic heels, which suggests she’s reverted back to her sense of style she rocked before she started dating the controversial rapper. When she first shot to fame in the early 2000s, Kim was a big fan of skintight Herve Leger bandage dresses, huge Christian Louboutin heels, pencil skirts and tight-fitting tops, as well as smart overcoats, and classy accessories, such as exclusive Hermes Birkin bags and minimal jewellery.

When she began dating Kanye in 2012, shortly after her 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries ended, Kim underwent a style transformation which the Stronger hitmaker had a huge hand in. He famously threw out most of the clothes in her wardrobe during an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, just months into their relationship, and during their entire relationship, Kanye had control over what his wife wore.

Kim was a big fan of skintight dresses and high heels ( Image: WireImage)

She became Kanye’s muse, and he dressed her in outlandish high-fashion outfits ( Image: Getty Images)
She became his muse, and dressed in pieces from his Yeezy clothing collection, and wore outlandish creations from fashion houses including Balenciaga and Balmain. When she and Kanye tied the knot in Italy in 2014, her sisters Khloe, Kourtney, Kendall and Kylie were even dressed in white bridesmaid dresses that the rapper had chosen, and momager Kris Jenner was in an outfit that was reportedly handpicked by Kanye.

Fashion expert Amber Graafland said Kim has been inspired to revert back to her former sense of style as an act of rebellion against her ex-husband, as she finally has full control over her image. “The Yeezy designer took control of her wardrobe, and Kim’s style diverged a million miles from her former self. She was completely reliant on his opinion, and it damaged her psychologically. Post divorce she felt like she lost her security blanket,” she told The Sun.

He had control over his ex-wife’s image, and she admitted she struggled when they divorced ( Image: Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Kim looks relaxed and happy as she reverts back to her former chic style ( Image: Getty Images)
In an episode of The Kardashians last year, Kim admitted it was hard finding her own sense of style after years of her ex-husband dictating what she should wear. “I definitely see what I like, but I’ve never really been the visionary. Kanye would come in and be like, ‘You should do your hair like this. You should do your makeup like this,” she explained. “That’s his love language, it’s clothes. I always just trusted in him.”

The mother-of-four continued: “I was always like, the Kardashians, with my sisters, and then I was like Kimye. Like, who is Kim K? That is the jump, how do I get there without Kanye? When I filed for divorce, it’s been like 10 months now and I’m finally just stepping out, being like ‘I can do this’.”