Look of the week: Gigi Hadid’s midriff-baring look revives a 2000s fashion staple
If crop tops could talk, the triangle — also known as a handkerchief or bandana top — is the one most likely to gossip about you behind your back, and serves as a sure-fire signal of sex appeal and cool-girl status.
Famously worn by Beyoncé and Jennifer Aniston, the triangle top was inherently Brat two decades before “Brat girl summer” was officially coined. A quintessential going-out top, it evoked a sense of effortlessness; you were so hot, you could simply tie a hair accessory around yourself as a shirt and pull it off. The triangle spawned offshoots too — its sister, the scarf top, was suggestively tied into a bra by Christina Aguilera.
True to the legend of the aughts, Hadid styled the minimal fabric maximally with a matching yellow low-slung knee-length skirt and peeping black underwear, a super-wide brown belt and equally wide stacked bangles, pointed black pumps and a color-coordinated charmed-out handbag. The matchy-yet-busy Miu Miu ensemble (all in leather, which is having a sweaty moment this summer) was a perfect time-capsule of yesteryear, with internet commenters on Reddit dubbing it “Fergalicious,” referring to the singer Fergie’s distinctive application of millennium style.
But while Hadid’s triangle top stood out for its nostalgic appeal, the style has lurked on the fashion periphery in recent years as crop tops have remained a fixture. Emily Ratajowski, Bella Hadid and Sydney Sweeney have all worn variations on the style, with Kylie Jenner repping the same Miu Miu top and skirt set as Hadid’s in black last month.
Joined by her friend Blake Lively on the red carpet (clad in a lacy red Versace catsuit), Hadid’s look was meant to be a coordination of sorts, the hues evoking the signature colors of the franchise’s titular superheroes, played by Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, with Lively’s a more on-the-nose interpretation of Deadpool’s predilection for spandex.
But the appearance also marked a shift in the now ubiquitous world of premiere ‘method dressing’ for top-billed actors. — in New York, Reynolds and Jackman wore black suits, leaving it to Lively and Hadid (neither appear in the film) to pick up the theme. Perhaps reluctant to get too coordinated, a la the classic looks of Destiny’s Child, the result was ultimately discordant, with silhouettes and materials at odds, carefully avoiding the trap of looking too ketchup and mustard.
Though triangle tops are meant to seem easy and breezy, they can be a nuisance for small and large breasts alike; they’re also impractical anywhere there’s wind or an air conditioner. For that reason, Hadid hopefully had a jacket in tow for the chilly indoor theater — perhaps the translucent trench she changed into for the after party, also in Wolverine yellow.
The triangle top, with its inherent cool-girl charm, has been a staple in fashion style icons' wardrobes, such as Beyoncé and Jennifer Aniston, transforming it into a symbol of effortless sex appeal. In recent years, the fashion trend has shifted slightly, with celebrities like Emily Ratajowski, Bella Hadid, and Sydney Sweeney continuing to embrace the style in their own unique ways.
