When Rihanna made her big debut in 2005, she was a breath of fresh air to the pop music industry. Pon de Replay (Riri's breakout hit) was dominating the airwaves and with her love for hoop earrings, baggy jeans and crop tops she made sure she stood out from the rest. We'd like to celebrate this style icon's birthday by looking at five fashion lessons she has taught us.
1. You can look sexy in menswear
Rihanna says she has always had a love for baggy things and menswear items. She never wanted to look like any of the other girls at the party, so rather opted to look like one of the boys. For this Barbadian singer, actress and fashion favourite a superb blazer is a great way of buffing up an outfit. She keeps her silhouettes interesting by pairing feminine heels with items like tailored trousers and oversized jackets. Think big, bulky and sexy and you're nearly there.
"More than anything, I like a jacket. You can do anything with a great jacket, the bigger the better. You can have any silhouette underneath. It gives you an attitude. It makes agown look cool.” - Vogue 2014 2. A hairstyle can change your style
When you're feeling like you need a change, drastically altering your hair can spice up your entire look. Riri has demonstrated this through the years by rocking numerous exciting hairstyles, almost adapting a new persona with every change. From a pink boy's crop, long red locks, big and bold blonde curls and luscious brown hair to a half shaven head and black bob, Riri has tried almost everything and with every new style her clothes adapt to her look. With these styles she has proven how versatile her look is and how daring she can be.
3. It's all in the attitude
Known as BadGalRiri on Instagram, Rihanna definitely has confidence in abundance. She knows what works for her and is not afraid to show it off. Don't fret, you don't need to show up practically naked to follow in her footsteps, merely pair a beautiful pair of heels with a striking mini dress and you'll be well on your way. If you are not blessed with similar legs to Rihanna, choose a part of your body you like the most and flaunt that (wrists and ankles can also be sexy).
4. Be brave / Just do you
Riri wears what she wants and won't apologise for it. She does not care what other people think or say or how they look at her, she simply does Riri and that's the best way to wear something. So if you can take any lesson from Riri it's to just do you.
"Sometimes I’ll wear something and think, I’m going to get so much flack for this tomorrow, but if I want to wear it, I will. If I dress too sexy, then I’m a slut; if I dress sophisticated, then I’m a grandma. At the end of the day, I just wear what I want to wear." - Elle, 2012 5. Denim is everything
For the music video of her first song of her yet-to-be-released-album Riri and her two co-stars, Kanye West and Paul McCartney, looked like they were in a denim add. This is all proof we need that 2015 is going to be all about denim.
Watch the video for FourFiveSeconds here:
If you're in the mood you can also time travel back to 2005 and enjoy Pon de Replay once again: