Stages of Stardom: Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens was once just a guest-starring actress and now she's a household name! See how her style evolved as her career did!

2004:

Vanessa Hudgens had her first guest-starring role on a TV show in 2002. This photo was snapped 4 years later at a movie premiere. We found a young, fresh-faced Vanessa looking ready for the world. Her pose showed her slight nervousness at the spotlight. But her outfit was casual and cool and didn't look out-of-place on this pretty teenager.

More on Vanessa

• Gabriella Montez' Style
• Vanessa Hudgens' 411
• High School Musical 2

2004:

Vanessa Hudgens is a member of the three initial club, preferring to use Vanessa Anne Hudgens early on in her career. Using three initials is usually regarded as a very young-minded thing to do, and this outfit certainly fit that bill. Her baby blue dress had ruffles and frills all over it. It looked good on her though and we liked her choice of gold shoes and clutch as accessories.

2006: Substance of Style

As Vanessa neared adulthood her style dramatically shifted. She suddenly appeared to stand with more pride on red carpets and her clothes were stylish and fun. We especially liked this black, white and red ensemble. The tunic-style top, over black leggings and with pretty heels was very stylish!

2006: Peacemaker

Vanessa looked smashing in this dropwaist, white dress with a black bow band at her hip. The fit of the dress was perfect and we liked how sassy she appeared with the black t-strap pumps. The peace symbol necklace was a little out of place, but we appreciated the sentiment behind it.

2006: Sparkle and Shine

We heart, heart, hearted Vanessa's sparkly, black dress at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards. The sheer cutouts on the sides were hot and her hair looked amazing. Our only problem was that she should have dressed a little more casually for this fun, laidback award show.

2007: Doing the Polka

We were completely smitten with Vanessa Hudgens' 2007 Kids' Choice Awards ensemble. Her simple, polka-dotted, strappy dress was sophisticated and looked great on her. We liked seeing Vanessa make a mature choice for a red carpet without losing her youthful, fun side.

2007: Cat's Meow

Wearing leopard print is a bold statement on any red carpet. And Vaness did it with pride and grace. We loved her tight and sassy dress and how it hugged her tiny figure perfectly.

2007: Printed Princess

GORGEOUS ... from Vanessa's loosely styled head to manicured toes. This dress for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. was easy going and beautifully, boldly patterned. We loved the teal against her olive skin. She looked so natural and elegant. We couldn't get enough!

2007: Stylin'

Celebrities are constantly analyzed for their poses on the red carpet. If we analyzed this pose by Vanessa Hudgens we would say she is a fun-loving girl who isn't afraid to be herself. She looked confident and happy on the 'Hairspray' premiere red carpet in this saucy black dress with strappy heels.

You've reached the end ... See more Stages of Stardom in the archive to the left!

2007: Gold Standard

Vanessa truly glammed it up in this light tannish-gold dress. It looked great against her glowing skin and the gold details were perfectly integrated. We loved the dainty purse and adorable shoes. Knowing that there are talks of a 'HSM 3' keeps us content. We hope we'll be seeing a lot more of this starlet on the red carpet.