How Betty White's style evolved in 35 photos: comedy's 'Golden Girl' remembered

The actress was not afraid to sparkle on the red carpet

Betty White, in a veiled hat and striped dress, poses for a headshot in 1955. Getty Images

Betty White, in a black and white floral dress, poses on the phone in a Hollywood studio in 1957. Press Wire

Betty White, in a pale gown, on a TV set in 1958. Reuters

Betty White, in a floral dress, appears on a game show in April 1963. Photo: NBC

Betty White, in a dusty rose top and strings of pearls, poses for a headshot in 1965. AP

Betty White, in a Grecian-style gown, attends 20th annual Radio and Television Guild Benefit Gala on May 3, 1968, at the New York Hilton Hotel in New York City. Getty Images

Betty White, in a velvet coat over a dress with a metallic handbag, poses with husband Allen Ludden at an International Broadcasting Awards dinner tribute to Mary Tyler Moore on March 19, 1974. Getty Images

Betty White, in a black sequinned top, with 'Mary Tyler Moore Show' co-stars Ed Asner, Mary Tyler Moore and Ted Knight at the 28th annual Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on May 18, 1976. AP

Betty White, in a white layered top, black skirt and embroidered blue belt, with Ted Knight at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on September 13, 1981. AP

Betty White, in a velvet jacket, white shirt and rose necklace, poses for a portrait in Los Angeles on March 5, 1982. AP

Betty White, in a white satin striped dress, attends the NBC Affiliates Party on May 16, 1983. Getty Images

Betty White, in a champagne sequin and satin gown, at the Emmy Awards on September 16, 1990. Getty Images

Betty White, in a metallic gold gown, with Estelle Getty and Beatrice Arthur at the 'Night of 100 Stars' recording on May 5, 1990, at Radio City Music Hall. Shutterstock

Betty White, in a blush dress and pastel kimono, attends the Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame on August 28, 1994, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Getty Images

Betty White, in a black dress with a white collar and gold flower broach, attends the 'Bringing Down the House' premiere in Los Angeles on March 2, 2003. Reuters

Betty White, in a green dress with gold detail, attends the Screen Smart Set Auxiliary of the Motion Picture & Television Fund event at the Regent Beverly Wilshire on October 8, 2003, in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

Betty White, in a lilac and green two-piece, attends the second annual TV Land Awards held at The Hollywood Palladium on March 7, 2004. AFP

Betty White, in a red shirt and sequinned jacket, poses during the Writers Guild Awards held at the Palladium in Hollywood on February 25, 2005. AFP

Betty White, in a mint green shirt and lion pendant, attends Old Navy's kick off event in its nationwide search for a new canine mascot at Franklin Canyon Park on April 29, 2006. AFP

Betty White, in a sheer floral jacket over a tan two-piece with pearl earrings and a gold necklace, arrives at the 59th annual Daytime Emmy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on June 15, 2007. AFP

'Golden Girls' stars Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White, in a turquoise three-piece set, attend the TV Land Awards at Barker Hanger on June 8, 2008, in Santa Monica. EPA

Betty White, in a repeated sheer floral jacket over a tan two-piece with glittering earrings, arrives at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences celebrating her 60 years in television at the Leonard Goldenson Theatre on August 7, 2008. AFP

Betty White, in a black and pink shirt, visits Fuse Studios on June 11, 2009, in New York City. AFP

Betty White, in a cyan gown, poses following accepting her Life Achievement Award at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 23, 2010, in Los Angeles. AFP

Betty White, in a black and red silk jacket and sequinned top, arrives for the Time 100 gala in New York City on May 4, 2010. EPA

Betty White, in a repeated lilac and green two-piece with a gold clutch, arrives at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on August 29, 2010. EPA

Betty White, in an animal print two-piece, arrives for the 12th Mark Twain Prize for American Comedy at the Kennedy Centre on November 9, 2010, in Washington. Getty Images

Betty White, in blue trousers and a blue floral twin set, signs copies of 'If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)' at Barnes & Noble, New York City on May 6, 2011. AFP

Betty White, in a red set with pearls, signs copies of her new book 'Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo' in Santa Monica on December 19, 2011. AFP

Betty White, in her repeated sheer floral jacket, backstage at the 18th Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 29, 2012. AP

Betty White, in a floral sequinned jacket, on stage at the 40th Daytime Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills on June 16, 2013. Reuters

Betty White, in white trousers and a top with a lime green animal print jacket, visits the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association's 44th Beastly Ball at the Los Angeles Zoo on June 14, 2014. AFP

Betty White, in an emerald sequinned jacket, accepts the Favourite TV Icon award during the 2015 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California, January 7, 2015. Reuters

Betty White, in a black and silver sequinned top, arrives at the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on February 15, 2015. Photo: Shutterstock

Betty White, wearing a repeated black and green floral sequinned jacket, onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on September 17, 2018. AFP

Comedy star Betty White died on December 31, aged 99. With a career spanning more than 70 years, there is no doubt that her style changed over the decades.

The beloved Golden Girls star began her rise in the 1950s, during which period she can be seen wearing demure dresses and veiled hats in her headshots, and floral dresses and stunning gowns on TV sets.

Fast forward into the 1980s and 1990s, sparkle was the name of White's sartorial game. For red carpet appearances and awards shows, she didn't shy away from giving her outfits a little pizzazz, donning metallic gold gowns, sequinned jackets and crystal blouses on multiple occasions.

In her later years, she often went bold, with colour blocking and two- or three-piece sets. The actress wore head-to-toe turquoise, cyan, red and green, often accessorising with glittering handbags, sparkling shoes and eye-catching jewellery.

She was also not afraid to repeat a red carpet look. In Hollywood, where many shy from being seen wearing the same outfit twice, she repeated her favourite looks time and time again. A sheer floral jacket got outings for events in June 2007, August 2008 and January 2012, and she sported a lilac and green two-piece for the TV Land Awards on March 7, 2005, and later for the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards on August 29, 2010.

The actress, who is remembered as beloved Hollywood royalty, said her career longevity was a result of good health, good fortune and loving her work.

“It's incredible that I'm still in this business and that you are still putting up with me,” White said in an appearance at the 2018 Emmy Awards ceremony, where she was honoured for her long career.

“It's incredible that you can stay in a career this long and still have people put up with you. I wish they did that at home.”