Rihanna and Hailey Bieber are, for me, the two main players in a holy trinity of sartorially-inspiring celebs. Position three TBC, but Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner make for strong contenders. Sure, both Ri-Ri and Bieber's on-stage and red carpet ensembles are forever worth shouting home about (Rihanna's Oscars 2023 dark brown Alaïa ensemble paired with Moussaieff High Jewellery and custom-made strappy heels by Gianvito Rossi had me on the floor) – but it's their ~off-duty looks~ that provide me with the most inspiration on the daily.
It's that time of year again (spring), when we're facing the challenge of transitioning our wardrobes into the new season – and while I'm begrudgingly holding onto my puffer coat, I'm keen to shed the superfluous layers. As such, I've got my eyes and ears to the ground when it comes to what my most-adored celebs are donning.
Wonderfully, this week has provided me with the upmost inspiration, ‘cos the Barbadian megastar and supermodel-turned-skincare mogul have – in a very rare occurrence – been spotted sporting the very same outfit in the very same week. Gasps. There's got to be something in it. The star of the show, marrying both #lewks together? That’d be Loewe's £695 striped, wool polo shirt.
Hailey Bieber was the first celeb to make an appearance in hers, stepping out for a chilled day with husband Justin Bieber. She styled it with a pair of vintage Levi's 501 jeans, the Miu Miu Wander Matelassé bag, a leather bomber jacket and pair of cowboy boots before fimishing her look with the sunglasses of 2023: the Saint Laurent SL 57 Shades. A play on the Matrix fashion trend that Margot Robbie, Gigi Hadid and Hailey herself have all been experimenting with of late.
Leather trench coat and teeny oblong sunglasses? Check.
Rihanna then stepped out in her Loewe rugby shirt just two (!) days later. The singer also paired her top with a pair of baggy jeans, but rolled it atop her growing baby bump à la her signature bump-baring maternity style. Who could forget her iconic first pregnancy announcement, which saw her stroll through a snowing New York street with her baby bump visible under a Chanel puffer jacket? No-one.
As for Ri-Ri's accessories? She paired her sweat-and-jeans get-up off with a Louis Vuitton monogram clutch. About as cult an accessory as you can get.
While the double appearance of a Loewe striped wool polo top is quite the rarity, the curation of a jeans-and-a-cool-top outfit choice is not. It's a foolproof formula: easy to assemble, ever-impactful and adored by fashion bigwigs, editors, Rihanna and Hailey alike. Hence why we'd encourage you to take this golden opportunity to (very easily) follow suit.
Of course, Loewe's striped wool polo top comes in at a sweet £695, but there's a plethora of designer-inspired polo tops available to shop on the high street with sub-£100 price tags. Take Whistles' blue and red-striped rugby shirt, for example. Colour palette? Identical. Oversized collar? Check. Classic long-sleeved cut? You bet. Elsewhere, Tommy Hilfiger's famed rugby shirts – one of which is currently reduced in the ASOS sale – serve-up an easy throw-on-and-go outfit solution for when the weather is a tad formula. The red and white knitted badge polo jumper gets our vote.
After more SS23 fashion trends? Shop spring dresses, spring jackets, the best bikinis from the hottest swimwear labels of the season, trench coats, the best jeans and white t-shirts to create the backbone to your capsule wardrobe. For more from our Commerce Editor Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx.
