Athletic Chic: Reinventing the Rihanna x PUMA Collaboration for Less

BY Amanda Gibbs

When Rihanna debuted her first ready-to-wear collection called FENTY PUMA, fans of NY fashion week swooned. Like Kanye West’s Yeezy Adidas collection, which debuted just a few days before, Rihanna’s collection is everything urban, bold, and athletic. 

In an interview with Vogue, Rihanna explained that she wanted her show to display attitude more than anything else. This fresh, modern collection, consisting entirely of black and white clothing, does that in the most Rihanna-esque way possible.

For what many Rihanna fans are hoping to do—copy these looks for less—Zipped has assembled a few ways to translate bold runway ideas into your daily style. Below are six looks from the FENTY PUMA runway that can be reinvented into similar, less expensive outfit ideas for college students’ everyday wear. 

Look 1: The Sweatshirt Dress

This outfit sports an athletic, baggy sweatshirt or hoodie as a dress. An alternative to this outfit, but still clinging to the same idea, is a light sweater dresses or baggy sweatshirt with shorts, as seen below. From left to right, these outfits are from H&M, ASOS, and Urban Outfitters. To recreate Rihanna’s look even more, accessorize with a beanie, dark lipstick, thigh-high boots, or a choker.

Look 2: The High-Waisted/Crop Top Combo

Look 2 is all about the midriff. Crop tops can be found in virtually every store, but what is unique about this FENTY look is the cuts across the body: a cropped top, a high-waisted bottom, and thigh-high boots. Alternatives to this look are a cropped sweatshirt paired with shorts or a high-waisted mini skirt, as seen below. From left to right, these outfits are from Forever 21, T. J. Maxx, and FashionNova. To recreate Rihanna’s actual runway look, try adding a bold lip color, pulling your hair back into a sharp bun, or adding thigh-high boots.

Look 3: The Full-Length Bodycon Dress

This look is all about shape: a fun, bold way to hug your curves. What is essentially alluring about Rihanna’s full length bodycon is the lace-up feature and bold color, but alternatives to this dress can be found in many familiar stores, as seen below. From left to right, these outfits are from FashionNova, Forever 21, and Old Navy. Add a pair of fun sneakers, a thick choker, or an edgy beanie to style your “runway” look.

Look 4: The Oversized Jacket

This look can take many forms: varsity jackets, leather jackets, trench coats, and utility jackets. With this outfit, Rihanna accomplishes the sporty chic aesthetic, creating an outfit that is both simple in styling and complex by design. As seen below, this jacket trend has a vast spectrum of choices to compliment everyone’s style. From left to right, these outfits are from Pacsun, Garage, and Wet Seal. To accessorize this outfit, try pairing it with a long necklace, crop top, a pair of shorts, or a fun pair of sneakers.

Look 5: The Crop Top/Joggers Duo

This look amplifies the allure of the jogger-sweatpants aesthetic by establishing a sense of that classic, Rihanna-esque athletic chic. There are so many pieces to this outfit, yet, it is still so simple. The way you can either dress up or dress down joggers leaves you with so many distinct options to try, as seen in the images below. From left to right, these outfits are from Brandy Melville, Garage, and GoJane. To recreate Rihanna’s look, consider adding a cape, bomber jacket, sneakers, or baseball cap.

Look 6: The Sheer Dress

The sheer black dress has that amazing capability of being both sexy and classy with minimal effort. Rihanna’s look, as our muse, features a bold and blunt sheer dress that comes across with the perfect amount of sexiness. How revealing the sheer is up to your personal style and preference. This look is also especially popular for it’s ability to be a day or night outfit, as seen in the images below. The first two looks are from Go Jane (first and second) and the last outfit is from Charlotte Russe. To recreate the athletic Rihanna look, add a baseball cap, ponytail, or ankle boots.

Last thing to remember…

Any runway look, regardless of its prestige or complexity, can be transformed into an ideal ready-to-wear outfit for campus or a night out. Bold, eccentric styles can always be toned down, or, emulated exactly from the catwalk. All you need is a little inspiration, creativity, and confidence, and your OOTD will look and feel runway ready.

 
FENTY Photo Source: http://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2016-ready-to-wear/fenty-puma/slideshow/collection