Leave it to Rihanna to make the walk from her hotel to her car look like the most covetable street style moment of the season. The Barbadian superstar stepped out in New York City on 31 May in what she presumably thought was a low-key outfit — denim jeans, a zip-up, and a trench coat. And yet, somehow, the rest of us are already scrambling to copy it. Classic Rih.
The 'Anyone Can Do This' Look That Nobody Else Could Quite Pull Off
At first glance, Rihanna's ensemble looked deceptively simple: a cream quarter-zip sweater, wide-leg medium-wash blue jeans, and a honey-beige Burberry Kensington trench coat. Throw in a pair of oversized Tom Ford sunglasses and two gleaming gold chain necklaces — plus a sparkling cocktail ring for good measure — and you've got the kind of effortless cool that takes decades to perfect. The trench was accented with a thin gold collar clasp and double-breasted tortoiseshell buttons, because even Rihanna's basics come with details.
That £500 Cap She Just Keeps Wearing
Perched atop the singer's head was a navy blue and burgundy Miu Miu Drill Baseball Cap — a soft cotton style embroidered with the brand's signature rounded lettering — which retails for a cool $650 (roughly £515). And here's the thing: this isn't the first time she's been spotted in it. Just a fortnight ago, the same cap made an appearance on a late-night workout run. When Rihanna wears something twice, it's practically a uniform.
The Trainers With a Waitlist — Obviously
If there's one piece sending fashion fans into a frenzy, it's the shoes. Rihanna stepped out in the Nike x Jacquemus Moon Shoe in a chocolate-brown colourway, a retro lace-up style with a ballerina flat-inspired silhouette, crinkled nylon panelling, and a slim recycled rubber outsole. The trainers — which first went viral after a steamy campaign starring Nicholas Alexander Chavez — are currently only available on a waitlist, with a price tag of $180 (around £142). Somehow, Rihanna has already made them the shoe of the summer.
The Lesson: Basics Are Only Basic If You're Not Rihanna
What makes the whole look so maddening — in the best possible way — is how achievable it seems on paper. Trench coat, jeans, cap, trainers. It's practically a formula. But as Rihanna has demonstrated time and again this year, elevating the everyday is all about the quality of your classics and the precision of your accessories. Whether she's in a blazer and trousers or off-duty leggings, every outfit tells the same story: nonchalance is a skill, and nobody does it better.
"Rihanna doesn't need to make the walk from her hotel to her car a runway — just a glimpse into her wardrobe, which seems to be as full of high-quality classics as we always assumed."
