Hailey Bieber Plans to One Day Do Maternity Style Like Rihanna

Hailey Bieber may have moved into the beauty sphere, but fashion remains her no. 1. The 25-year-old model has always been obsessed with getting dressed up, typically in clothes she buys while scrolling on her phone in bed. Her new collaboration with the DTC luxury essentials concept Wardrobe.NYC, then, was a natural fit. Bieber worked with its cofounders, Christine Centenera and Josh Goot, on a capsule collection comprised of fresh takes on her wardrobe staples: big pants and blazers, and itty-bitty dresses and miniskirts. And if you buy one of the four- or eight-piece sets, it’s basically like Bieber styled you herself. Fresh from returning from the Bahamas, where she was celebrating her fourth wedding anniversary with her husband Justin, Bieber shares her online shopping strategies and hopes for her wedding dress’s future.

It feels like there are endless options for online shopping. What do you think makes Wardrobe.NYC stand apart?

I think the concept of releasing each drop as a wardrobe is really interesting. You can buy the whole thing together, or you can buy the pieces separately. You can find things to add into your current wardrobe, you can start over with one of their wardrobes. To me, it feels fresh and new.

With online shopping in general, a search for even a specific item can give you dozens of pages of results. What’s your strategy for sifting through?

It’s so overwhelming. One way I do it is if there’s something new coming out that I’ve had my eye on, I want to just get it as soon as I can; I’m intentional about what the item is. And then I’m somebody who just late-night scrolls and probably buys a lot of shit that I don’t actually want and end up returning it. Usually, I’m looking to see what’s available on sites like Net-a-Porter, Farfetch, and SSENSE. Honestly, I just love the convenience. I’m not the biggest fan of going to stores at all, so the best option is to order online. And I love receiving packages—opening up a new purse is just so satisfying.

What’s the last thing that you bought online?

I bought these leather Versace platform boots from the new season. They’re so dope.

Do you ever buy things you see when you’re scrolling on Instagram?

I actually buy a lot of things through TikTok. I’m into all the TikTok things.

Getting into the Style Notes questions, what are you wearing right now and why did you decide to wear it?

I was just on the plane, so I’m wearing a vintage white t-shirt, little cozy white pajama shorts, white socks, and Adidas speakers. Nothing too special. Tonight I’ll probably wear a little black dress with a cool leather jacket and some loafers.

You wear a lot of short hemlines and have been known to just not wear any pants.

I like the illusion of not wearing shorts or pants under a big t-shirt or a big sweatshirt. I’ll wear tiny shorts underneath so that if it rises up, there would be something there, but I like the appearance of it looking like there’s nothing underneath. It’s funny because I very much love everything baggy and oversized—slouchy pants, big tees, big coats—but I also love the polar opposite, a tiny mini skirt paired with a big jacket or a really tiny dress with a big blazer. I’ve always been drawn to mixing those two ends of the spectrum. They’re really my go-to, and I think that shows in the Wardrobe.NYC collection. There are little tanks, baggy pants, big blazers, and minidresses—all of my essentials.

What was your style like as a teen?

I’ve always loved to style myself, get dressed up, and put my outfits together. What was trendy when I was 16 was very different from what it is now. I had a younger sense of style because I hadn’t developed my taste yet. I was very influenced by dancer and ballet culture, with the buns and baggy pants to wear over your leotard and tights. I was a dancer, so my style was influenced through that world. In some ways, I think it still is.

What was your first major fashion purchase?

I’m pretty sure it was a pair of shoes from YSL or a bag. YSL was the first major designer I ever splurged on.

If you could have only picked one piece to bring with you on this trip to New York, what would it have been?

Probably a big leather jacket. The problem with me is that I’ll wear a leather jacket even when it’s 90 degrees out. But if somebody told me I had five items to pack, I’d be like, “Okay, I’m packing a white tank, a big boxy jacket, flashy pants, and a pair of sneakers.” I can live off that.

The Off-White wedding gown that Virgil Abloh designed for you was pretty iconic. Have you hung onto it?

I have. I actually put it into a special storage facility where they get it specially cleaned and they preserve it for you. Eventually, if there’s ever something to be done with it, I would be happy to do it. It’s the most special thing in my possessions, and just in life in general. One day, if I ever have a daughter and she for some reason wants to wear it, that would be super special.

Who would you say is your ultimate style icon?

The big ones for me have always been Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Rihanna. I think back to when I was a little bit younger and I was looking at people’s fashion on Tumblr to see what I wanted to emulate, and those two really stood out to me.

What are your favorite vintage stores?

Tokyo definitely has the craziest vintage I’ve ever purchased and seen. I also find a lot of really cool vintage online, through Etsy and Depop.

How much does a stylist play a role in the type of looks you tend to post on Instagram?

When I’m working with a stylist, I’m like, “All right, I have a bunch of stuff coming up and I want to put together some looks.” From there, it's really, really collaborative. A lot of the time, I send mood boards and photos of things I’m feeling and that have the vibes I want to create. I want to be involved in how the outfit comes together and how it comes to life. A lot of the time, I’m just putting stuff together totally on my own. On a day-to-day basis, I’m doing appointments or going to the office or running errands and I don’t need styling for that.

Do you have a biggest fashion regret?

I’ve had many, for sure. When I was younger and started going to red carpets and events, I was still learning and figuring out what photographs well and what works for my body shape. I think I wore certain things that were so ill-fitting and just not great.

What's your favorite fashion moment from pop culture?

The thing that jumps to mind, in part because you mentioned the Met Gala, is when Rihanna went in that long, long yellow [Guo Pei] cape that went down the whole staircase. And also, the sheer, see-through Swarovski dress she wore with a thong. That slayed me in so many ways.

She had such great maternity style, and since you just mentioned a future daughter, I’m wondering if you plan to take her lead in not shopping in the maternity aisle.

She was the most gorgeous, hottest pregnant woman I’ve ever seen. And I think I’ll only know when that time comes, but yeah—I definitely don’t want to feel like I have to sacrifice my style when being pregnant. My style is something that’s really important to me.