Kerry Washington's Style Evolution Is Full Of Red Carpet Risks

Kerry Washington is a style icon, though she claims it wasn't always the case. She wears fresh-off-the-runway looks with ease, completely blows everyone else's maternity style out of the water, and then does it again and again.

The "Scandal" star uses her fashion in other ways, too. She's spread awareness of financial abuse through purse design, co-designed a clothing line based on her hit television show and, as proven as recently as the 2017 SAG Awards, uses her platform to make political statements about troubling new policies.

A look back at the way Washington's style has evolved since those beloved "Save the Last Dance" days shows she's always had a flair for fashion, if not quite as high fashion as she wears today. Her gowns have gotten a chic upgrade, but the boldness and willingness to have fun through fashion is definitely unchanged.

In honor of Washington's 40th birthday, we revisit those earlier days, and celebrate some of our favorite recent moments, too.