Kim Kardashian West has a new uniform, and there’s not a waist trainer in sight. For the second time in a fortnight, she’s stepped out in New York wearing a blazer and cropped leggings. The look is peak Spice Girls, it’s an homage to 1998, an ode to Mel C, an elegy to Girl Power dressing.
Like a four-part paean to the ‘90s, Kim’s outfit taps several distinctive elements straight out of the Spice World handbook. If we start with the blazer and work down, you’ll notice she’s girl boss'd her sheer Gucci bra like she’s about to belt out a cover of Wannabe by promoting underwear to outerwear.
Next, she added a pair of pedal pushers. Spoiler, about to show my age here: for anyone who doesn’t remember the ‘90s, pedal pushers were the great fashion equaliser of their day. Mums, kids, celebrities, teachers, everyone owned and wore them even though they were more unflattering than not and had an awful habit of making thighs look like sausages. After Kristen Stewart wore a pair to the recent Chanel couture show, I guess it was inevitable that more celebrities would follow suit. Kim’s are navy and – from this distance – look like they are made of velvet.
If there is one thing the Kardashians excel at it’s self-promotion, so it’s only natural that Kim would team her outfit with a pair of Perspex heels from her husband Kanye’s Yeezy line. But, what came like a shot out of nowhere was her accessorising. With barely any jewels on, Kim clutched a nylon Prada bag.
It is more than just another pocketbook, it’s an anti-It bag emblem. It’s a marker of minimalism and utility. It’s a Prada icon that’s a symbol of the women Muciccia designs for, someone practical and subtle, who values form and function. It’s barely decorated and the opposite of the ornate designs of competitors, like Chanel or Hermès. It’s industrial, useful and importantly a style totem right out of the 90s.
Liked this? You might also be interested in:
Follow Lucy on Instagram @lucyalicemorris
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.