Olivia Rodrigo Puts a Grungy Twist on Lingerie Dressing

It girls, gather ’round. Olivia Rodrigo is proposing a new outfit formula: languid, light-as-air dresses with sturdy, heavy-duty footwear.

On Thursday night, the 23-year-old star was spotted leaving a restaurant in Brooklyn in a two-toned ensemble that expertly melded nostalgic minimalism with downtown edge. The exacting details on her understated ivory slip dress—from its ultra-thin straps to its subtle V-cut neckline—exuded pure ’90s polish. But instead of finishing the look with delicate kitten heels and a tiny purse, her accessories struck a satisfying contrast. She wore Paloma Wool’s soft leather rectangular Cayetano bag and black zip-up boots with bulky buckles towards the toes.

It’s not the first time the star has paired grungy accents with classic feminine codes. In her “stupid song” music video, she appears in a crowd of tutu-clad ballerinas wearing charcoal moto boots festooned with heavy-duty metal fastenings. On Jimmy Kimmel Live! in June, she paired a dainty sheer polka-dotted skirt with patent-leather knee-highs. And at a performance earlier on Thursday night, she wore a pink itty-bitty babydoll dress with what appeared to be the same black boots she sported last night.

Worn by the likes of Hailey Bieber and Anya Taylor-Joy, the satin, skin-hugging lingerie slip has seen a rise in street-style popularity this summer. But Rodrigo’s unexpected, utilitarian shoe levels up the look from slinky simplicity to subversive statement. Could this be the new pop star uniform? It’s too early to say. But as far as Rodrigo is concerned, every look is better off with boots.