FASHION

Rihanna Masters the Art of Seasonally-Opposed Dressing


Rihanna in New York City, May 31, 2024.
BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID

Rihanna’s summertime hero piece? No, not some linen basics. Not even an open-toe sandal or the seasonally appropriate floral dress. Instead, the Bad Gal is placing her bet on gargantuan faux fur. Vintage ’90s faux fur, for that matter.

Over the weekend, Rihanna re-upped her status as the Queen of street style as she stepped out in New York City. The Bad Gal took to the Big Apple in an oversized ’90s zebra Rifat Ozbek faux fur jacket sourced from Archive Vintage. She wore the statement piece, which featured a cocoon-like shape and extra large lapels, off her shoulder which allowed for a peek at the black lingerie dress she layered underneath. Rihanna topped off her pantsless fur with a black Gucci horse-bit bag inspired by a Tom Ford-era throwback accessory. For footwear, Rihanna went with classic Gianvito Rossi pumps accented by a silver anklet. Diamond tennis necklaces from Briony Raymond added even more glamour to the street style look as did the Fenty mogul’s tinted square-frame shades.

Per usual, glam was a focal point of Rihanna’s outfit. She complimented her night out moment with dewy skin, a bold red lip, and a braided updo hair style.

BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID

Rihanna is fresh off a string of Fenty appearances where she wore everything from business chic leather to siren red Ferragamo while promoting her brand in China. In New York City, however, she proved that getting dressed without checking on the weather outside is the key to pulling off a look of this quality.

Celebrities completely ignoring the temperature is a tale as old as time. Los Angeles resident Hailey Bieber has made a habit out of seasonally-opposed dressing, from wearing Saint Laurent wool coats in the dead of summer to sporting blinged-out bikinis in brisk locales like Aspen, Colorado. Kylie Jenner has also followed by a similar rulebook, most recently wearing a fuzzy jacket sans pants during Paris Fashion Week in February. Rihanna has been wearing whatever she wishes and looking good while doing so since, well, forever. And her latest outfit is only further proof that, yes, the no pants trend is here to stay. But also that we should all reconsider packing away our winter coats as the weather heats up.