Vanna White's Worst-Dressed Moments On Wheel Of Fortune Over The Years

Vanna White has dazzled Wheel Watchers with her style choices since 1982, serving lewks that usually appear to be worth far more than every vowel in the alphabet combined. But while her puzzle board might be the best step and repeat in the entertainment business, she's worn a few outfits that are pretty, well, puzzling.

Vanna White has undergone a major transformation since the early days of "Wheel of Fortune," and she'll be the first to admit that many of her wardrobe items from the '80s and '90s look extremely dated today. Speaking to Us Weekly about some of her older outfits, she joked that one made her look like a skydiver. She also said that a yellow dress was reminiscent of Sesame Street's most famous avian resident. "In the '80s it was the big shoulder pads. When you look back at those clothes, it's like oh my gosh! I can't believe I wore that," she told InStyle.

The fad of looking like a linebacker has been in White's rearview mirror for many years now, and post-Y2K, she developed a habit of playing it fairly safe with her style decisions. She often opts for classic silhouettes, monochrome outfits, and anodyne floral patterns. It's a bit sad, really, seeing as how her wardrobe options are almost limitless; White has said there's only one type of dress she can't wear on "Wheel of Fortune," but one time when she decided to stick to the tried and true, she killed a crazy impressive style streak.

In September 2020, Vanna White wore a fairly unremarkable blue knit dress while shooting an episode of "Wheel of Fortune." It featured a knee-length skirt and a knotted detail on the front. A week later, White filmed a video for the show's YouTube channel revealing that she had just committed the style equivalent of landing on the "Bankrupt" wedge. "For the first time ever, I wore the same dress twice — after 7,000 dresses!" said the exasperated letter toucher. White blamed the error on the disaster of a year that 2020 was turning out to be.

So, how did she accidentally end her streak of wearing a different outfit for every "Wheel" episode, and with such a dull dress, no less? "I don't know how it got lost in the shuffle, because we take a picture of every dress and we have a list of everything," she told TV Insider. Her best guess was that there were two entries for the dress on the list and that they were not identical.

While the garment was just a snore and not an absolute eyesore, it sounds like White might include it on her personal list of her worst "Wheel" dresses after doubling its appearance on the show. "I was so distraught over this," she said. Thankfully, White didn't decide to throw in the towel and retire because of her sartorial slip-up.

In January 2023, Vanna White hopped aboard the Barbiecore trend by rocking a hot pink dress. She seemed to have the doll who has everything on the brain that year. While speaking to "Good Morning America" about her relationship with host Pat Sajak, White said, "We called ourselves Ken and Barbie. ... Ken and Barbie go together and always have." She also told InStyle that what made one of the "Wheel of Fortune" looks that she absolutely loved so appealing was its resemblance to a Barbie gown she owned as a little girl.

The strangest thing Vanna has ever worn 😳 #WheelOfFortune 💅🏻 it's fashion, sweetly 😂 pic.twitter.com/BvCQ7iHn6p

— WeenLebowski the Metaphorical Oracle🎳 (@WeenLebowski) January 19, 2023

Had White's Barbie-esque dress just been a one-shoulder maxi gown with a crisp fold detail on the sleeve, most fans probably would have briefly admired those chic details and resumed trying to beat the show's contestants at solving puzzles. But White's garment went in an unexpected direction below the waistline — it featured an asymmetrical skirt that was completely open on one side. Underneath it, she wore a pair of black tights that blended in with her high-heeled boots. "The strangest thing Vanna has ever worn," one person tweeted. "What the heck is Vanna White wearing today? Her outfit lookin unfinished," another person wrote. But come on, people — White has to remind Sajak that he's just Ken somehow.

They say a leopard never changes its spots, which is unfortunate — Vanna White would have benefitted greatly from possessing the power to shrink the bold animal-print pattern on the knee-length dress that she wore for a January 2023 episode of "Wheel of Fortune." The print was so enormous that it overwhelmed White's petite frame. The Bonus Round category even seemed to shade her attire by asking, "What are you wearing?" In case you're wondering, the answer was "Plush bathrobe," not the skin of a Cybertruck-sized leopard.

The outfit was actually White's second attempt at pulling off a leopard print that month. She'd previously worn a mini dress with much smaller, true-to-life spots. However, it also featured some details that commanded attention: Wide black trim on the skirt and dainty puff sleeves to match. The former looked as if it had been tacked on as an afterthought to add a little length to the garment. "What in the Sam Hill is Vanna wearing tonight?" wrote one Wheel Watcher on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Over on Facebook, the frock also had some fans wondering what in tarnation White was thinking when she picked it out. One person suggested that it looked more appropriate for a teenager, while a harsher fashion critic wrote, "Worst I've seen her in EVER!!!" Another shady commenter chimed in to ask, "Budget cuts on wardrobe?"

Surely you remember THEE dress. Many moons ago, the debate du jour on the internet wasn't whether Donald Trump being three years younger than Joe Biden makes him a better presidential candidate. Instead, back before Trump snatched the headlines away from virtually everything else, people were arguing over whether a rather unattractive, lace-trimmed dress was blue and black or white and gold.

In 2021, Vanna White rocked a frock reminiscent of that viral garment on "Wheel of Fortune." It was a shade of ruddy blue similar to the hue in the faded, much-debated photo. (And yes, the OG dress was actually blue). Black lace appliques were overlaid diagonally on the top and bottom of the dress, and the two colors clashed horribly. Pat, we'd like to buy a vowel — an "a," as in "aesthetically displeasing."

On Facebook, some fans suggested that the thin dress would make more appropriate sleepwear than game show attire. "No, not really a good look," read one critique. Another comment read, "This was a strange dress." At least no one was trying to claim that it was not black and blue. (Those are the colors you see too, right?)

Perhaps Vanna White was really looking forward to Turkey Day in September 2021 when she strolled up to the puzzle board rocking a black mini dress. It was giving sexy pilgrim Halloween costume with its white collar and double rows of buttons down the front, but some fans weren't thankful for White's choice of getup. Many thought that her frock was an attempt at turning back the clock. "A cross between a habit and schoolgirl dress," remarked one Facebook commenter. "Is she going to Catholic school," another quipped.

The outfit would have made a great uniform for a Thanksgiving-themed restaurant, and the Bonus Round puzzle solution worked with the concept as well: "Happy customer." White would be able to carve that bird up like butter, too, as she told InStyle that she works hard to ensure that her arms look good in sleeves dresses such as her fresh-off-the-Mayflower ensemble. "I spin and I do Pilates, and I also do 10-lb. weight arm exercises. I even have two 10-lb. weights at the studio, and usually, prior to the show I do 50 reps," she said. She also told the publication that she'll try on as many as 50 garments to prepare for a taping of "Wheel of Fortune," but only a dozen make the cut. So, that black mini had to make mincemeat pie out of a lot of other clothing to appear on the show.