When it comes to dressing up for work, I very much lean on the side of barest of bare minimum. My morning routine consists of waking up just minutes before the clock strikes 9 a.m., resulting in at least a couple hours (okay, all day) typing away from the comfort of my bed. While I usually opt to stay put in my New York apartment, Hailey Bieber recently gave me some much-needed sartorial inspiration to ditch the sweatpants and head to the office to test out her new favorite, yet controversial, trend.
Fresh off of her holiday travel—where she gave us plenty of vacation outfit inspiration like a chainmail skirt on the beach—Bieber proves she's just like the rest of us, getting right back into work mode. On Thursday, she took to her Instagram Story, snapping a mirror selfie at the Rhode headquarters. While posing near an elevator in front of her brand's lit-up LED sign, she debuted her version of TikTok's buzzy "office siren" look.
While her friend, Bella Hadid, recently channeled the aesthetic with thick-rimmed Bayonetta frames and a plunging top, Bieber opted for a matching stone gray set featuring a fitted tube top and baggy trousers. She layered the ultra-minimal look with an oversized leather blazer on top, coordinating with a patent leather tote tucked right under her arm. The "It" girl kept the accessories simple yet chic as she stuck with her trusty pair of mini black sunglasses, gold earrings, and her signature "B" pendant necklace (and her morning drink in hand, of course). Her glam for the day consisted of matte skin, and she slicked back her brunette hair into a clean girl-esque low bun.
Though there are many parts to Bieber's outfit that I love (The blazer! The matching set!), my eyes can't help but gravitate toward her shoes. Unlike her go-to footwear choices in the past, like a kitten heel or chunky boot, Bieber switched things up with what appears to be a see-through pair of socks. But further inspection reveals that the Rhode mogul is sporting Christopher Esber's white "Minette Flats," a mesh slip-on style that looks a lot like being barefoot.
Fashion has always backed up the "unconventional" shoe. In recent years, there's been a seemingly never-ending craze surrounding pieces like Maison Margiela's hoof-toed Tabis and Bottega Veneta's cartoonishly chunky rain boots. Last summer marked the peak of a new-ish shoe trend—sheer flats—which were first popularized thanks to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's fashion label, The Row, and later, brands like Sandy Liang. Celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, were quick to endorse the barely-there shoe back then.
Hate it or love it, one thing's for sure: Everything Bieber touches almost always turns to gold, meaning that 2024 will, once again, be the year of the controversial mesh flat.
