- American Idol aired a special 90s-themed episode on April 6.
- The judges got all decked out for the occasion.
- Carrie Underwood caused a bit of confusion with her all-pink look.
It was ‘90s night on American Idol, and, as usual, the singing competition pulled out all the stops for the theme episode. The judges pitched in to pick songs from the decade for each of the singers, and Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie even dressed up for the occasion.
Carrie stole the spotlight with her bubblegum pink dress, platform heels, and tiny pink purse. While the inspiration for her perfectly ’90s look was obvious to some, other fans were left scratching their heads.
Carrie’s outfit was an almost exact replica to one Lisa Kudrow wore in the iconic 1997 hit movie Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion. (Down to the post-it notes in her purse!) The singer credited Emmy-winning stylist Marina Toybina and professional costumer Courtney Webster for the custom look.
Fans showered her Instagram post with praise. One wrote, “Absolutely obsessed 💓 whoever is styling her this season is doing INCREDIBLE” and another wrote, “You look GORGEOUS !! One of my favorite looks on you yet!! You definitely nailed the look!! The pink suits you so well and the shoes just tie the look together beautifully!!”
Still, others were confused. “I thought you were Elle Woods from Legally Blonde😂 You look so cute!” one wrote, and another said, “I thought you looked like Cher from Clueless, Carrie!” Other fans confused her for ’90s celebrities, writing “Ok “Britney” 😍💕😍💕✨👑” and “If you put your hair in pig tails, you could really pass for Baby Spice!!!”
In honor of the special episode, Carrie shared a sweet ’90s photo of her own. Just a few years later, she would go on to win American Idol herself!
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.
