Who\'s that girl?

Before the wilderness years of Brazilian toyboys, body builder biceps and open-all-hours crotch-flashing, Madonna was a bona fide fashion icon. If you were a child of the Eighties, you\'ll have put a tablecloth on your head to emulate Like A Virgin Madonna; if you\'re a child of the Noughties, you may well look through this photo gallery and ask, \"Isn\'t that Lady Gaga?\" Quite.

Whether on a live tour, attending a film premiere (more often than not on the arm of then-husband Sean Penn) or simply being papped on the street, everyone\'s favourite Material Girl sure knew how to work it. Born Madonna Louise Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan, she was destined for stardom from an early age - moving to New York City at the tender age of 19 for a career in modern dance and releasing her self-titled debut album, Madonna, six years later.

Her Madgesty\'s rise and rise in the style stakes was linked to the explosion of MTV, and each of her music videos - think Papa Don\'t Preach, Like A Virgin, Material Girl - gave us a Madonna look more covetable than the last. And don\'t even get us started on her big screen incarnations, in such cult classics as Desperately Seeking Susan, Who\'s That Girl and Shanghai Surprise...

As underwear worn as outerwear powers up the trend-o-meter for spring/summer 2010, check out Madonna showing us how it was done, like, 30 years ago. The platinum hair! The red lips! The Gaultier conical bra! Read on, and relive the magic.

Picture: Madonna wears a sequinned tank, black tube skirt and oversized denim shirt with fishnets and a key pendant in this undated early shot, taken in New York.

Prom queen

Performing in London in 1983 in a white prom dress, leather biker jacket, fishnets and ankle boots.

Here comes the bride

Madonna - dressed in white lace lingerie and matching fingerless gloves, pearls, and her iconic Boy Toy belt buckle - poses after performing Like A Virgin at the 1st Annual MTV Video Music Awards in New York, September 14, 1984, where she stole the show.

Crossing over

Long hair, a heap of crucifies and a halterneck velvet bustier for the 12th Annual American Music Awards in 1985.

Time for T

A young Madge, caught in a candid shot in 1984. The red lip, blonde curls, jewellery pile-ups and beauty spot are there, but the tummy-baring T-shirt and oversized black knit are yet to be replaced with something more headline-grabbing.

Skirting the issue

Accompanying then-husband Sean Penn to the premiere of At Close Range at the Manns Bruin Theater in Westwood, California, in April 1986 wearing a tulle-underlay skirt with black jersey bodice and carrying a then-trademark leather jacket.

Daddy\'s girl

Shooting the 1986 video for Papa Don\'t Preach in a black T-shirt bearing the slogan Italians Do It Better - a nod to her Italian roots - under the now-ubiquitous leather jacket.

Material girl

In an undated shot taken on the street during the Who\'s That Girl era of the mid-Eighties, Madonna layers up armour-like lingerie and a chunky knit with printed red trousers, a blue cotton jacket and fingerless leather gloves.

In the spotlight

On stage in a black bustier and high-leg pants in Los Angeles, August 1987, as part of the Who\'s That Girl World Tour.

And the winner is...

Showing off her award in the press room at the 1987 American Music Awards wearing an off-the-shoulder, ruched, pearlescent white gown with gold chandelier earrings.

The dark side

Madonna papped outside New York\'s Plaza Hotel in June 1990, wearing head-to-toe black but for those tan frames.

Giddy up!

Performing on her Blonde Ambition tour in May 1990 wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier corset over black leggings, and her hair pulled into a don\'t-mess-with-me ponytail.

All wrapped up

In an embellished white slip dress and organza trench-style evening coat - plus newly-dark hair - for the Love Ball 2: The Crowning Glory Benefit in May 1991.

Getting to the point

Arriving for the premiere of In Bed With Madonna (also known as Truth Or Dare) at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991, wearing a pale pink silk Jean Paul Gaultier cone bustier and mini skirt beneath a lavish wrap.

Tell me about it, stud

Madonna leaves her apartment in New York City in September 1991 sporting an immense studded leather jacket, trapper hat, boyfriend jeans and, of course, sunglasses. Even though it\'s clearly dark.