As much as we all love a great style icon to emulate and look up to, we tend to get lost in who or what we are wanting to present ourselves as. In all cases of gender, style, and accessibility, people, especially Americans, tend to want to attain their favorite celebrities’ looks, and some choose to go against modern trends and dress in the opposite direction. Either way, how we want to be perceived by others plays a small role in the way we present ourselves. Mind you, this is not something everyone relates to or abides by, but it is safe to say that most people are aware of how they are viewed by others.
In no way is any single person’s personal style up for debate, but we can learn something from industry favorites—What separates the style choices they make and how we can learn from them, not just emulate them. For example, recently, new mother and fashion icon Rihanna has redefined how she wants to present herself as a mother.
She’s been spotted in baby-bump-baring bustiers, chiffon drapings, form-fitting clothing, and (open) oversized coats to accentuate her bump, a new, confident, and body-forward style that we will now see trickle through to mothers everywhere. Motherhood is not something that has to bring modesty in an era when you embed your pride and slayage onto your offspring. And it isn’t just mothers that are feeling a boom in confidence but young millennial and gen-Z men, too.
— Rihanna (@rihanna) April 12, 2022
Lil Nas X’s willingness to explore fashion and gender as a Black, queer man has become a topic of interest to many people on the internet. He has not only played with gender fluidity but color as well, and has become quite the red carpet standout in hot pink Versace leather straps and opulent gowns at the BET awards. Lil Nas X is giving young, Black boys and girls and gen-Zers everywhere a semblance of someone who looks just like them and will not be told he cannot wear color; he is color.
???? pic.twitter.com/VUWNAo8zYF — ☆ ‧dreamboy··‧̩̥˟͙冬˟͙‧̩̥l (@LilNasX) August 29, 2022
For the millennial crowd, Bad Bunny has become a force in the fashion world, playing with binaries and allowing his divine feminine to shine in his work and his public persona. A full set of nails, cute skirts, birds, and body hair; he has it all and wants to make sure that he is not defined by machismo or heteronormativity. Bad bunny is the hero we all need, radiating sexual energy as well as a humble aloofness that captures his audience.
https://twitter.com/sanbenito/status/1448007351743700997
Speaking of audience, pop star Lizzo has been holding them hostage with her beats and her looks. No longer are we living in the era where high fashion houses are unwilling to dress people who do not fit conventional body standards. Lizzo is big, beautiful, and looks great dressed up in Balmain and Alexander McQueen or dressed down in bodysuits and short shorts, owning her image and her style. Many people will be quick to criticize Lizzo and everyone on this list for being their own style icon, but we can learn from them.
THIS PICTURE >>> pic.twitter.com/ILFT1ffdhO — LIZZO (@lizzo) October 20, 2022
Learning not only to love yourself but owning how you want to be perceived by the world is the best thing we can learn from our style icons. In fact, that’s what all of the people written about here have in common. It isn’t the designer clothes, fame, fortune, or even the team behind them. These people own their image, and we should, too. With every piece of clothing we put on, all the hairstyles we try, and all the people we interact with, we should own who we are and express it in the most meaningful and organic manner possible.
