Welcome to I Tried It Month, where we’ll be publishing a new fashion, beauty, or wellness article every day that features a first-person account of shaking up an old habit, pushing beyond a comfort zone, or simply trying something new. Follow along for 31 days of storytelling, including everything from trying new beauty treatments to copying the most risqué runway looks of the season.
Celebrities are hardly ones to shy away from a little fashioncontroversy. Sometimes I even get the idea they wear things on purpose just to stir the pot. Intentional or not, though, the celeb crowd has been churning out a number of memorable looks that have the internet in an absolute tizzy. Whether it be a divisive clothing item people either love or hate (or love to hate) or a risqué outfit that turns heads, celebs have been giving us plenty of fashion fodder for discussion these days.
I could sit and unpack “weird” celeb outfits all day long (and have), but I wanted to see how they actually held up IRL, so I went ahead and tried them out myself—six outfits, to be exact. From the extremely puffy bomber jacket that Kendall Jenner donned to the Katie Holmes outfit that gave every Millennial an early 2000s flashback (and not the good kind), I recreated some of the most controversial A-list looks of the moment. Sure, I felt a little ridiculous leaving the house in some of them, but I was equally surprised by how much I enjoyed a few others. They may be the talk of group chats everywhere, but some of these celebs really knew what they were doing.
Scroll down to see how I did and to read my unfiltered reviews of the looks.
On Kendall Jenner: Loewe Padded Leather Bomber Jacket ($7750); Khaite Danielle Straight-Leg Jeans ($460); Emma Brewin Hazel Marion Hat ($500). If you would have told me that a puffer coat would be the item at the center of a hotly debated celebrity outfit, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Sure enough, Kendall Jenner’s supersized Loewe puffer bomber jacket did just that when she sported the piece on her Instagram during a ski trip to the mountains. Jenner was one of the first people I spotted in it, although now the jacket has racked up a number of A-list fans including Lori Harvey, Hailey Bieber, and Taylor Russell. In line with other Loewe designs, the puffer is truly unlike any others and its exaggerated, balloon-like size quickly caught the attention of both fans and, well, critics.
Intrigued by all the hype, I jumped at the opportunity to experience the jacket for myself and quickly learned just why the piece has had such a meteoric rise to fame. We’ve all experienced trends that push us out of our comfort zone or require sacrifices (like warmth or the feeling in our feet). This cozy bomber jacket was the exact opposite, being both whimsical and wearable, and perfectly placed for these cold-weather months. Unsurprisingly, it was exceptionally warm. The windchill was pushing 20-degrees the day I took it for a whirl and I’m pleased to say that I hardly felt a thing, thanks to the winning combination of heat-trapping leather and extreme insulation. No matter your thoughts on the item, Jenner knew what she was doing. Copying her outfit idea, I contrasted the jacket’s volume with a pair of waist-hugging slim-fit jeans to mirror hers and for an added dose of boldness, wore a fuzzy hat to finish it off. We didn’t get to glimpse her footwear in the photo, so I took the liberty of wearing cowboy-style ankle boots to complete her western motif.
On Katie Holmes: Tove top; Reformation Wilder High Rise Wide Leg Jeans ($148). Nobody could escape the Y2K craze last year—not even celebrities, apparently. With all the inspiration imagery floating around the internet from the early 2000s, I genuinely had to do a double-take to make sure I was reading the date on this Katie Holmes outfit correctly. Yes, she did in fact wear it on a red carpet in the year 2022. While attending the iHeart Radio Jingle Bell in New York, Holmes dialed the clock back with her ensemble consisting of a strapless dress layered over a pair of relaxed jeans. It immediately sent everyone spinning.
No shade to Miss Holmes, but I did things a little differently. I made a few small but effective changes to recreate the same chaotic layering while keeping truer to my own personal style. Instead of going with satin which shows every seam and belt loop of her jeans underneath, I opted for a thicker fabric that lent a more streamlined look and also chose sneakers with a slim profile—my trusty Adidas Sambas—instead of ones with a visible tread sole to keep things looking as polished as possible. The light wash baggy denim I wore were consistent with the same denim style she had on, but I think next time I’d go with a more tailored fit and a darker wash, again to lend more polish. Overall, I enjoyed wearing this look more than I had anticipated, so thank you, Katie, for inspiring me to try a combination I probably wouldn’t have picked out otherwise.
On Elsa Hosk: Helsa Studio top and skirt; Worn Vintage jacket; Hermès bag; Prada heels. Viral doesn’t always imply risqué, statement-making, or nostalgic, though. It can also be a product of a certain moment and its significance. Take this Elsa Hosk look, for instance, which was the first glimpse the model shared of her clothing brand, Helsa, which she’d been teasing the launch of on her Instagram. Here, Hosk wore a bone-colored maxi skirt from the first collection, which she styled with another major trend, a distressed leather jacket. The look may have been a big marketing moment for her forthcoming brand, but fans and fashion insiders alike ate it up, myself included.
Recreating this look was easier than I expected it would be and I was delighted to find all the fixings of Hosk’s outfit recipe already sitting in my closet. I appreciated how it combined two trends, distressed leather jackets and maxi denim skirts, into one approachable and easy-to-wear outfit. The only adjustment I made was to wear a turtleneck bodysuit instead of a cropped version to make the look office-friendly, but it was an easy swap that didn’t take away from the rest of the outfit. Not one ounce of me felt like I was playing dress-up the day I wore this (to the office and to dinner afterwards) and I already plan on wearing another version of it as soon as I can. If that’s not the sign of outfit success, I don’t know what is.
If Justin Bieber’s red carpet look for the 2022 Grammy Awards was one thing, it was memorable. The recording artist wore an oversized men’s suit—and I do mean oversized, Bieber garnered comparisons to a kid trying on his dad’s suits—and one of the last items we expected to see on a red carpet: a bright pink beanie. Bieber is hardly one to shy away from a controversial fashion choice and this one was definitely a choice.
Can you blame me for wanting to try it out myself? Of all the divisive celebrity outfits I looked at, Bieber’s big pantsuit felt just weird enough to get me out of my comfort zone while still being wearable. Purveyor of wardrobe classics with a forward twist, The Frankie Shop proved to have the suit for the job. The Bea blazer is cut for an extra-wide fit that purposely hangs away from the body as Bieber’s did and the matching trousers pooled at the ankle for the perfect puddle hem. I found the proportions to be just right—they lent an upsized look without veering costume-y. The combat boots offered a dressed-down feel, but the fuchsia beanie was really the star of the show. I felt über-cool and carefree in this. Okay, Bieber, you might be onto something.
On Hailey Bieber: Saint Laurent Faux-Fur Coat ($15000), Cowl-Back Dress ($2490), and Le 5 À 7 Patent Leather Bag ($2500); Calzedonia Premium Matt Second Skin 15 Denier Tights ($20). Hailey Bieber is the embodiment of how I want to look this season: rich, unbothered, and dressed like a Saint Laurent model. Mrs. Bieber cloaked herself in a massive faux fur coat from the French house atop a simple LBD, sheer tights, and strappy heels for a night out in NYC and I nearly broke my ankle sprinting to recreate it. Note how the length of the coat contrasts the mini hemline of her dress for a bare-legs moment that’s ultra-chic, if slightly impractical, for the cold-weather months.
I channeled this luxe winter outfit with sheer tights, a pair of Manolo Blahnik slingbacks I recently found on The RealReal and my great grandmother’s vintage fur coat (yes, it’s real but it’s also 30-plus years old—please don’t come for me). I thought it translated extremely well IRL and with faux fur coats being aplenty in the market right now, it’s definitely worth a try. I like the one below from Mango in you’re also looking to copy and paste Bieber’s look.
On Laura Harrier: Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 550 Sneakers ($416); Khaite Flinn Cropped Leather Jacket ($3800); Levi’s jeans. Laura Harrier isn’t reinventing any wheels here, but dang does she look cool. Sometimes the genius of a fashion moment lies in its simplicity, and Harrier is teaching a masterclass in the power of basics. While attending the Khaite spring/summer 2023 show during NYFW, the actress paired a leather flight jacket from the brand with relaxed jeans and sneakers and finished it off with a belt. It may not be complicated, yet it’s an approachable look our editors all raced to re-create.
I can already tell this will become the weekend uniform I’ll be living in for the foreseeable future. It’s cool without trying and on-trend without being in-your-face about it. My version consisted of a faux leather bomber from Hudson Jeans that, while still pricey, is a more affordable alternative to Khaite’s flight jacket. Agolde’s ’90s denim offered the right amount of relax in the fit and Eterne’s ribbed tank layered to perfection. I loved the way that this reads as a basic outfit to the everyday person but communicates my knowledge of current trends to those in the know.
