Even Rihanna Can Recognize When She's Worn A Fashion Flop

Rihanna has become one of her generation's most recognizable fashion icons, but even the greats make mistakes. And she'll be the first to admit she has missed the mark here and there. The first instance that comes to her mind is the look she wore to the Parsons School of Design Benefit in 2017. While she loved the oversized tan suit designed by Parsons alum Matthew Adams Dolan, she recognized it didn't fit her like she thought it would.

In a 2024 interview with British Vogue, Rihanna reflected on the fashion flop, saying, "We all loved [it] so much, but the day we put it on I was like, 'Mmm, it's giving UPS driver,' and that is not cute. Not for the red carpet anyways." As seen in the photo below, she paired the coat with equally oversized pants in a matching shade and white stilettos. To some, the biggest issue here was the color. "Riri no! beige on beige is never a good look girl. This is definitely a GLAMOUR DONT! Still love you though," a netizen argued in the comments of a Daily Mail article about her look.

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The general opinion was that the outfit was a nope, but many defended her fearless approach to fashion and argued she could make anything work. "Oh Rihanna you are so damn pretty. Just beautiful. Even that outfit can't overshadow her beauty," another commenter wrote. While Rihanna knows she missed the mark with that tan look, she continued to embrace oversized coats. After all, we wouldn't expect her to stop pushing the envelope because of one mistake.

Rihanna left her music career behind to focus on the fashion and beauty industries and hasn't looked back since. Fashion has given her a new platform to explore her artistry across different stages of her life. Through it all, oversized coats have played varying roles in Rihanna's transformation. When she announced her first pregnancy in January 2022, for instance, Rihanna made a serious statement by wearing a Chanel puffer coat that exposed her belly. Similarly, she rocked an oversized suit that resembled the 2017 look she came to regret, but this time, she made it work.

Seen above, the outfit featured a relaxed light tan coat worn over oversized pants in a darker tan shade. Throughout the years, she's proven she can pull off the oversize jacket look on the red carpet and on trips. In 2018, she donned a giant black puffer that stretched to her ankles as she walked through John F. Kennedy airport. Oversized jackets may be risky, but she pulls it off.

In 2022, a Reddit user even created a carousel featuring her best oversized coat and jacket looks. "She looks gorgeous in literallly anything but I looove this style on her," a commenter raved. Rihanna is now a mother and has adjusted her style accordingly. In this new stage, Rihanna prefers more modest looks compared to the daring outfits she once rocked. "I guess as a mum and an evolved young lady — emphasis on young — there are things I feel like I would never do," Rihanna told British Vogue. Oversized coats suit this stage nicely, so they may be here to stay.