Miley's Latest Looks Put Her Back in the Saddle

Remember the good old days when Miley Cyrus was just, you know, being Miley, with her thick Tennessee accent; long, dark hair extensions; and sweet, tongue-in-mouth smile? The days when her wardrobe consisted of jeans, tank tops, and the occasional strapless sundress, rather than flesh-colored bikinis and teddy bear onesies? Those days may be long gone, but based on Cyrus’s series of outfit choices this week, it looks like the singer is feeling nostalgic for her life (or at least her fashion) as a country queen.

During Cyrus' MTV Unplugged performance on Wednesday night, the singer tapped into her Southern roots with a pair of over-the-top country-inspired outfits (we're talking the kind of outfits you would see at a country-themed college party or strolling around the streets on Halloween night, rather than something a Southerner other than Dolly Parton would actually be caught dead in). In an attempt to “bring Nashville to Los Angeles," Cyrus kicked off the show in a red gingham jumpsuit — an outfit that, for all we know, could have been made from an actual picnic tablecloth — complete with a bedazzled collar, sparkling belt, white cowboy boots, and a blonde bob wig.

Up next for the pop star was a jean-on-jean-on-jean ensemble featuring saggy, sparkly pants; a country-strong denim shirt; and (what else?) a blue jean bikini top, because let's face it: Going back to her roots or not, Cyrus will always squeeze in a skin-baring outfit somewhere.

Her country looks didn’t stop there, but fortunately the kitschy outfits did. Making an appearance on Jay Leno’s The Tonight Show Thursday night, Cyrus — who’s become synonymous with wearing anything that will show her butt, belly, or boobs (and bonus points if that happens all at once) — showed up wearing a surprisingly chic double-denim look. Her light blue denim button-down was paired with jeans of a slightly darker wash (both by Saint Laurent), a vintage Chanel belt, and simple black heels.

I’ll be the first to say I don’t actually miss Cyrus’s boring fashion from her Hannah Montana days, but it is nice to see her in an outfit that looks acceptable in public and doesn’t involve high-cut thongs or pasties-showing fishnet tops. With her Bangerz tour set to kick off in just a few weeks, we’re sure this return to her more conservative roots won’t last long (especially with designers like The Blonds and Jeremy Scott designing her bound-to-be-wild tour costumes). But, hey, let’s just enjoy it while we can.

Image: Miley Cyrus/Twitter