Rihanna holds so much power not only in the music industry, but also in fashion. So many trends that took over the world were started by Rihanna. She has broken the internet on more than one occasions.
The style icon understands how to be fashionable and she once said “you’ll never be stylish if you don’t take risks.”
She is willing to put herself out there, not afraid of being different, being bold and wearing trends years before they pop off. Let’s talk about some popular fashion trends that started with Rihanna.
1. Colorful Furs
Rihanna really loves her colorful furs, whether she’s stepping out on the town, performing on stage or giving us iconic cultural moments on the red carpet, she has a fur for every occasion. Who can forget her joker inspired green moment at the iHeartRadio awards or when she shut down the Met Gala in a yellow Gopay fur gown.
What about that massive red heart-shaped Saint Laurent coat? Bow down, because Rihanna is officially the queen of coats.
2. Bucket Hats
Rihanna has been sporting the bucket hat for years. Every 90s trend is making a comeback, but nothing is as difficult to pull off as the bucket hat. While most incorporate the floppy hat into casual wear, Rihanna rocks it differently.
In Sydney, she arrived at the Fenty Beauty anniversary event in a custom Atelier Versace python mini dress paired with a matching hat. A long time bucket hat enthusiast, Rihanna has worn numerous styles over the years (minimalistic, tie-dye, army floral and fuzzy bucket hat) that made everyone want a copy.
Eventually, when bucket hats lose their trend status, Rihanna will still make them look cool.
3. Going All Out
Never afraid to cause an issue, Rihanna does not shy from showing some skin. She broke the internet with her 2014 CFDA dress. Wearing a sparkling see-through gown covered with Swarovski crystals she accepted the style icon award.
The iconic moment marks the start of a new era of sheer dresses that can be summed up by this quote from Rihanna: “there are rules to fashion, but rules are meant to be broken.”
4. Dark Lipstick
From red to black, Rihanna matches every shade of lipstick, but nothing was as bold as when she stunned us with her black lipstick, delivering us goth chic while looking like a goddess.
Rihanna sported the iconic lip look during her auntie era. Apart from black, she has also worn dark-red, blues and wines. With Fenty Beauty, Rihanna gave a nod to her iconic dark lips with a lipstick line filled with darker shades including black, which she perfectly named “stunna”.
5. Pyjamas
We all have those days where we’d rather just stay on the bed, Rihanna is no different. But unlike the rest of us, she brings the bedroom with her. On more than one occasion, she showed the world pyjamas are fashionable for a night out, on the red carpet and just about anywhere else.
Rihanna’s love for her pyjamas probably helped inspire her Savage X Fenty lingerie line full of stylish pyjama sets for both men and women.
6. Mullet
Rihanna sported multiple iconic haircuts in her career, but recently she started wearing her hair in a mullet again. She first got the cut in 2013 and brought it back for Savage Fenty 2.0. Unlike the 80s business in the front, party in the back mullet, Rihanna’s style is a modern mullet, the shag is customized for her face, bringing out her best features.
The mullet is a major trend recently and more people are trying it out.
7. Strappy Heels
A style icon like Rihanna never wears a boring shoe, she usually likes them strappy. Rihanna has been rocking strappy heels since forever and has helped bring them to the forefront of fashion. She has paired them with everything possible, from jeans to oat couture.
Recently, she collaborated with Buzzworthy Shoe designer Amina Mahdi for a line of strappy sandals. The partnership was a huge success as many pairs sold out.
8. Sweater Set
Before sweater sets became a major fashion trend in 2020, Rihanna perfected the look for a decade. The classic combination of a cardigan plus a matching top has been around since the 1940s and it remains a comfortable wardrobe staple today.
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It truly started to come back after Rihanna stepped out on the town in a sweater set back in 2019. But as a true style icon, Rihanna has been matching her jacket to her shirts and dresses since forever. She has given monochromatic looks after looks, proving single shade outfits are never a bad idea.
9. Fringe
Recently fringe made a comeback in fashion, from the runway to the streets. During FW20 fashion week, a slew of trend-setting brands brought back fringe including Prada, Bottega Veneta, Dior and Givenchy.
Rihanna appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar, wearing a fringe embellished piece from Bottega Veneta’s collection. But she has been sporting fringe even before its big comeback in fashion.
10. Mini bags
You know the saying, “the bigger the better” but not when it comes to bags. Throughout the years, Rihanna has traded her ordinary backpacks for the cutest mini backpacks. Who could forget when she stepped out with her mini Louis Vuitton backpack. Don’t let the size fool you, because each bag costs $1910.
Apart from backpacks, Rihanna helped put the world’s tiniest bag by Jacques Mas on the map.
11. Chokers
If there’s one necklace Rihanna can’t quit, it’s the choker. Are chokers really a 90s thing, because whenever rihanna wears one it doesn’t seem like it. She doesn’t look out of style as she keeps it fresh by going big and bold, often coordinating it with the rest of her outfit.
Some say chokers faded out in 2016, but Rihanna still remains faithful to them.
12. Double Denim
We can all learn something when it comes to Rihanna’s denim looks. She pairs denim on denim like it’s nothing.
Typically a fashion faux pas, the style icon makes it look fashion forward. No combo seems too outrageous whenever she wears it, inspiring us to think outside the box.
13. Sporty
Only queen Rihanna can make a sports bra and sweatpants look high fashion. Her closet is full of athleisure staples, hoodies, leggings, tracksuits, tennis skirts and varsity jackets. She mixes her casual sportswear with high-end accessories like heels and sunglasses.
She even made puma trendy after their collaboration. The collection was an instant hit, with everyone trying to get their hands on those creepers.
Have you tried any of these fashion trends Rihanna started?
