Dressing for spring can be a challenge. They don’t call it the transitional season for nothing. These tricky in-between months call for some wide-ranging wardrobe staples, ranging from cozy fall knits for those cooler spring evenings to beachy but still pavement-appropriate footwear for when it gets sweltering out. In just these past few weeks, we’ve already seen stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Katie Holmes step out in their best transitional fashions—but there’s also crop of stylish stars who are ignoring all of that, who are, quite simply, ready for full-on summer. At least, their shoe choices would suggest so.
It’s officially flip-flops season, people! According to celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Zendaya, that is. This weekend, all three trendsetters were spotted stepping out in their chicest black thong sandals—typically worn poolside or to the beach, and decidedly less so on the streets of New York or Los Angeles. And yet, the trendy footwear feels fresh again, thanks to their various modern styling approaches. Kylie Jenner, for one, styled her leather top (likely from her own brand, Khy) and jeans with a pair of discrete flip-flops for dinner at celeb hotspot Sushi Park. It instantly added a dash of nonchalance cool to the look, being just a little more subtle and less dressy than the staggering stiletto Jenner usually prefers.
Photo: Backgrid
Bieber also styled her black flip-flops in a similar fashion, with blue straight-leg denim and an off-duty white crewneck. The sandal, it seems, is just effortlessly chic, somehow more sleek and dressier than, say, a sneaker, while still offering that sense of comfort. Zendaya took the same approach for an outing with (rumored) husband Tom Holland, pairing a black platform style with white wide-leg jeans, and a knit casually tied across her shoulders.
Photo: Backgrid
Photo: Backgrid
Clearly, the new approach to the flip-flop is treating it like an errand shoe: it’s a subtle way to elevate your weekend best, with intention. It’s not the first time the humble sandal has trended, either—remember a few years back, when all the stars were donning flip-flops heels?—but the contemporary approach for the transitional months focuses on the flatter nondescript versions. Sometimes, less is more! And that extends to the soles of your shoes. Plus, the good news is that it’s a relatively affordable shoe style you can add to your spring wardrobe. Or, you could do like Jennifer Lawrence and Dakota Johnson, and wear The Row’s luxe $600 version. To each their own.
