Big Coat, No Pants: It's the Hailey Bieber Way
Leave it Hailey Bieber to perfect the art of pants-free dressing.
The Rhodes founder was out in Los Angeles recently with Justin Bieber in little else than an oversized camel wool coat, a red sweatshirt with some red short-shorts, and a pair of Mary Jane ballet flats. The look is so simple and so very Hailey Bieber — and it just about checks the box for the pants-free wave.
Again, Hailey is indeed wearing bottoms — and not briefs worn as pants (she’s been down that road). But it’s just that her New York sweatshirt is so oversized, and her shorts are so small that, at certain angles, she looks like she’s wearing nothing down below at all. Though, if anyone can pull off a casual daytime pants-free look, it’s Hailey.
Wearing no pants is a whole lot easier at night when it makes sense to add some sparkle and a pair of heels to dress it up and still not look basic. But a daytime no-pants look? That takes real styling mastery, and Hailey (and her stylist Dani Michelle) mastered it in 2023.
This fall season alone, Hailey sported micro-mini skirts with tights and loafers under nothing but a sweater and leather layers. Then, there was that Hailey moment, with the young celeb ‘fitted up in a nude bodysuit and black briefs topped with a long leather jacket. At another point, she even pulled out the tiniest pleated mini-skirt you’ve likely ever seen for a pantsless-adjacent look.
In short, Hailey’s “look ma, no pants” looks have range.
The key to Hailey’s no-pants looks come down to two things. The first is a great coat. While you don’t need an oversized jacket or coat, it doesn’t hurt when it comes to mixing up the proportions of the outfit, be it a massive wool coat like in this look or even a big slouchy leather jacket that hits just so at the waist. An oversized coat also makes not having pants on look intentional, diminishing the whole Winnie the Pooh effect of not wearing any trousers. It's a key point when we’re talking about, say, grocery shopping in briefs in broad daylight.
Hailey’s choice of footwear is also key. Sure, a pair of heels with tights will lengthen the whole visual of a bottomless outfit, but Hailey’s rolled-down white socks with a chunky loafer or these Mary Janes just look so classy and wholesome — it’s like you don’t even notice that she’s missing trousers (well, for a moment, at least).
Hailey's particular pairing of a baseball cap, pullover, coat, and flats echoes Princess Diana energy in bike shorts and a Champion crewneck. She already did the Princess Diana homage. So makes sense!
Of course, Hailey is one of many to pull off a proper no-pants look, day or night. Kendall Jenner, who shares the same stylist, has wandered around in just a buttoned-down shirt and loafers, among other trouser-absent outfits. As has her sister Kylie, who wore Loewe’s white briefs to the brand’s runway show.
And must I remind you of Bella Hadid’s moment of enjoying NY pizza while dressed in tight-whitey-level shorts and UGG’s platform boots?
Celebs continue to toy with this “no pants, no problem” style mentality. But the winning formula — big coat, chunky socks, no pants — was undeniably perfected by Hailey this year.
