Rihanna: Model for Responsible Fashion?

I’ve been thinking a lot about Rihanna. Of course, she is on everyone’s radar because she just had a baby and she basically decided she wasn’t going to change her style when she was pregnant. She’s leaned into her pregnancy and continued to be herself.

I’ve always been obsessed with her style and she’s been an icon of mine for a long time. I have many tear sheets of her outfits and looks. What I love about her is that in this day and age, she actually has her own style–very unique and singular to her. It’s not cookie-cutter in any way and it’s very distinctly ‘Rihanna’. She knows who she is and she’s expressing it through what she wears. She likes getting dressed up. I would describe her style as creative, glamorous, and always cool. She’s also a vintage lover and she mixes vintage with modern clothes–this also gives her a unique look and a signature style.

When people talk about clothes made out of hemp or recycled fibers, my eyes glaze over. I don’t want to wear boring and bland clothes. Even though I am not a global pop star, I want to express myself, too. I just think that there has to be a different lens and a different way of talking about what it means to be ‘responsible’. For me, that means knowing what your style is and buying things you love, that are non-disposable and made to last. Something that’s both not going to be dated in two months and made well. This applies whether you buy something vintage, second hand or a new piece. There has to be a space for things like beauty and showing off your individuality and creativity when it comes to clothes. Otherwise, all of the fun and joy of dressing ourselves is lost.

I know–Rihanna–she can buy whatever she wants. I feel like the same principles still apply, though. Maybe if you don’t have unlimited funds (like most people), you’ll have a budget and you’ll have to prioritize or approach shopping with different strategies in your toolbox. But she can still embody some aspirational principles for us so we don’t lose sight of why we’re dressing in the first place or how much fun dressing up can actually be.