The Rare Times Martha Stewart Showed The World Her Killer Legs

Some may know that before her fame, Martha Stewart modeled for a living (or extra pocket money, anyway), so it should come as no shock that she has killer pins — not that she's tried to hide that. On the contrary, while Stewart generally opts for classic slim tailored pants or leggings and slightly bigger tops, she's also rocked many a mini and even some very high slits right into her 80s. 

Stewart spoke of her longtime love for leg-baring looks in a 2023 "Today" show appearance. "I love short skirts," she gushed, speaking of her penchant for maintaining the same style throughout her life. The homemaker has also poked fun at the attention her legs have gotten on the occasions she's gone for a mini skirt or dress. Referring to her 2020 Vanity Fair Oscars Party ensemble, which drew both serious admiration and scathing criticism, she wrote in an Instagram caption, "Horseback riding weekly is very good for one's legs." No kidding, there — aged 79 at the time — Stewart's pins were as toned as could be. Judging by her playful smirk in the pic accompanying the caption, Stewart was well aware. 

Muscle tone aside, there's no question that Stewart is also super confident in her own skin. As such, we totally get why she's happy to put those killer legs on display. Whether in minis, shorts, or peekaboo slits, let's get into it. 

While Martha Stewart's 2020 Oscars dress got a lot of attention, it's worth noting that she wore something pretty similar a few weeks prior to that year's Golden Globes. As with her Vanity Fair Oscars Party dress, Stewart's Golden Globes outfit was a black minidress. However, it was differentiated with a dramatic coat by Ralph Rucci for RR 331. 

Though the coat and dress combo covered Stewart for the most part, her legs were certainly a major feature — and the former billionaire didn't shy away from sharing one of the things that helped them look their best for the evening. "I used a @Dior shimmer makeup on my legs instead of stockings ... It really worked!" she wrote in an Instagram post. No gatekeeping here!

Suffice it to say, Stewart's fans were grateful for the tip, with many heading to her comments section to share that they'd be trying it in lieu of pantyhose going forward. That makes sense. After all, they don't call Stewart the OG influencer for nothing. Of course, there were some detractors who complained about the amount of fabric, as well as haters who commented on her cosmetic procedures (her stance on plastic surgery is clear, and she's been honest about the only cosmetic procedures she's gotten). However, the look knocked it out of the park, and the critics were drowned out by those who loved the look and were interested in hearing more about Stewart's body makeup hack.

Given just how much Martha Stewart is worth, she certainly doesn't need to re-wear her clothes. However, ever an eco-conscious queen, she's shared snaps of a memorable little coat dress more than once on her Instagram. As is to be expected of the world-renowned perfectionist, she looked spectacular in it on both occasions. 

Stewart first debuted her Carolina Herrera coat dress with giant flower buttons in September 2022 for the brand's 2023 spring/summer fashion show. She then wore it again for a May 2023 outing. Both times, she accessorized the look with chunky heels — gold for the first wear and black for the second. Unfortunately, not everyone was a fan of those picks. In fact, in response to the gold pair, one critic complained that Stewart needed to rethink her shoe game. "This is not the first time someone really needs to show you what shoes go with what outfit," they scolded in the Instagram comments section. Admittedly, the platforms were a little on the chunky side. As for the black shoes, most critics complained that the shoes looked uncomfortable without weighing in on the aesthetic side of things. Granted, many were more focused on the hat she paired with the ensemble, with a handful of haters deeming it "witchy."

Accessories aside, Stewart looked stunning, as did her enviable pins. What's more, it was clear from her expression both times she wore the coat dress that she loved the piece, and that's what matters most.

One of Martha Stewart's most surprising minidress looks was her sparkly gold dress paired with a camo jacket and boots, which she wore in early 2020 to hang out with other A-listers during Super Bowl weekend. The fact that she posed leaning against a Ferrari in snaps posted to Instagram only made the image more unexpected — though there's no question that she looked incredible. 

The comments section was flooded with admiring fans, mostly sharing their own variations of "Yas queen." Some even pointed directly to how great her legs looked in the pics, with one fan writing, "Seriously Martha is whom I strive to be at her age. Look at those legs!" Another kept their praise more simple, writing, "Ok LEGS."

Of course, there were some who seemed to allude to Photoshop in one of the pics Stewart uploaded as part of her carousel. One even tagged BuzzFeed, likely hoping for an investigation. However, a closer look (not even that much closer, mind you) shows that she wasn't missing a leg; one leg was simply behind the other. As if Stewart would get caught up in a Photoshop fail, anyway. After all, this is a woman who called out critics of her history-making Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, who said her pictures had been airbrushed. "They're not. They are incredibly accurate pictures. I was really pleased that there was not much airbrushing," she told Variety. Stewart simply knows how to pose!

Super Bowl 2020 wouldn't be the last time Martha Stewart would rock a daring sequined dress. In October 2023, she shared a pic on Instagram of herself in a silver dress with a slit that reached the top of her thigh. As was probably to be expected, there were more than a few trolls who saw fit to body shame Stewart. Even so, as is generally the case with the beloved homemaker, the negative sentiments were far outnumbered by the positive ones. 

In particular, many of Stewart's fans praised her killer legs. "Okay girl! Show the legs," wrote one (fire emoji in tow). Another commended Stewart's pose in particular, popping in a heart-eyes emoji and writing, "Martha got that knee out." A few fans also drew parallels between the post and Stewart's history as a model. 

Even with all the chatter, Stewart made it clear that she wasn't particularly bothered by anything anyone had to say. Though there have been times when she's poked fun at the comments section (hello, horseback riding hack) or even come to the defense of a garment when people had a lot to say (like the time she and a friend wore matching denim Chloe minidresses and the general consensus was that the ensembles themselves were hideous), her sparkly carousel was essentially an "I said what I said" moment. Stewart simply left the caption as, "Fun to dress up every now and then. @49andrewyu designed and made my silver dress it's so versatile!" Love it for her!

Of course, when it comes to the times Martha Stewart has put her pins on display, her Sports Illustrated cover is one of the first things to come to mind. Many of Stewart's shots from the day were leg-baring, and as usual, she got a ton of love from her fans when she posted some of the pics to her Instagram. "Come on legs!!!" wrote one. Another variation? "Come on legssss." 

Other than debunking critics' theories that there had been a ton of airbrushing at play, Stewart did open up about her prep for the shoot. In addition to telling Variety that she added more Pilates to her schedule (no word if she kept the horseback riding as-is), she also got real about what she ate leading up to it. That included green juice (a daily ritual for her, Sports Illustrated or not) and limiting alcohol. The latter isn't all that surprising. After all, some may remember Stewart subtly taking Ina Garten to task for her pandemic advice, which included drinking large cocktails on the regular. 

In addition to eating healthily and keeping booze to a minimum, Stewart also told Variety her approach had been similar to her aforementioned Dior body makeup hack for glowing legs. As she told the outlet, "I also got a spray tan." Well, clearly, her approach works! Stewart looks incredible, and something tells us she's planning on many more leggy looks going forward.