In nearly a decade as a fashion reporter and editor, I've watched celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner write and rewrite fashion rules before my eyes. They've cast hot pants as real pants and piled leopard-on-leopard layers together; they've made intentionally extra-oversize suits, trousers, and bags look like a bespoke fit. This fall, the A-list crowd seems to have a more accessible but equally surprising fashion agenda in store for me to absorb: making the humble, timeless gray sweater feel sexy.
All throughout fashion month, I've watched my laptop screen fill with as many chicly insouciant gray sweaters as I have naked dresses, corset tops, and thigh-high boots. It appeals to my knitwear-loving heart and my more sensible personal style: Finally, a celebrity-approved find that doesn't feel like a risk to wear. The piece itself—a button-up cardigan or a pull-over crewneck—is completely familiar. The elevated pairings are what make it special.
The first, most everyday-applicable example of celebrities' fall gray sweater renaissance comes from Mrs. Bieber herself. Out to a Sushi Park session with Kendall Jenner, she styled a Leset gray sweater like a light jacket over a white T-shirt. Paired to barrel-leg jeans, an enormous tote by The Row, and tinted sunglasses—plus her blackberry manicure and signature slicked-back bun—the Rhode mogul looked every bit ready for business or for a deep gossip session. Never have I ever seen comfy fall basics so....cool.
5,645 miles away in Paris, Goop founder and CB2 collaborator Gwyneth Paltrow proved just how chic a basic V-neck sweater can be. She dipped into her own G.Label by Goop line for a light, cashmere knit, haphazardly tucked into loose jeans with a leather belt cinching the waistband. The aviator readers tugging down the neckline and the half-rolled sleeves added to the laidback appeal—burgundy Birkin bag or no.
There were plenty of other charcoal and slate gray sweaters between Gwyneth and H.Bieb's. But the look that really dared me to throw away my assumptions about a gray sweater came courtesy of Rosalía. The morning after her star-studded Paris birthday party, she left her hotel in a longline trench coat unbuttoned all the way to reveal a gray cardi and a matching pleated skirt. That might sound bookish–but it was made into birthday princess material with the cardigan fastened by the two topmost buttons to showcase a bare stomach underneath. The juxtaposition of a plain, conservative top with the flash of skin was simply *chef's kiss.*
All these stylings feel like the heirs-apparent to Katie Holmes's 2019 Khaite cashmere cardigan and matching bralette. (You know the ones.) These are pieces anyone with any budget can wear, because they're sold in infinite varieties. And with a few buttons undone or the right layer underneath, they're not just a fall closet essential. They're a staple that borders on sexy. Thank you, Hailey, Rosalía, and Gwyneth, for the reminders.
