As anyone who has fallen down the rabbit hole that is #FashionTok would know, often the best solution to your sartorial woes is choosing the “wrong” shoe.
Popularized by TikTok’s resident stylist Allison Bornstein, this styling tip suggests that the most unexpected footwear choice for an outfit could be the key to unlocking its potential.
But now, on the streets of New York, Taylor Swift and Gigi Hadid have not only proven this theory correct, but that footwear is the essential eveningwear ingredient to take your looks from day to night.
Fresh from Swift’s sold-out hometown Eras Tour concert in Pennsylvania, the Grammy winner joined her long-time best friend for a girl’s night at Nobu Downtown.
While the pair were walking out of the restaurant, the respective A-list musician and supermodel were pictured putting very different spins on a best friend’s date night ensemble.
In the images, which you can see for yourself here, Swift was spotted donning a monochromatic sleek fit, with an asymmetrical woollen-knit halterneck from The Row tucked into a pair of black, softly pleated slacks.
While at first glance this look appears to be pulled straight from Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag costume department — for those who don’t get this reference, we highly implore you to familiarize yourself with the merits of the millennial “Fleabag jumpsuit” — this ensemble is two separate pieces disguised as one.
For her footwear, Swift sported a pair of black stilettos accented by bold linework.
Hadid, on the other hand, cut a more casual feature in her white crop top and black scalloped hem maxi skirt. A look she styled with her quintessential maximalist jewelry stack, featuring a 2020-era craftcore necklace from cult-favorite New York accessory designer Susan Alexander.
Rather than keeping with Swift’s more elevated look, Hadid continued her relaxed styling streak by choosing a pair of schoolgirl derby shoes and ankle-grazing white socks.
The pair certainly wouldn’t pass TikTok’s “match my energy” vibe check on the sartorial front, but their respective footwear styles highlight the versatility of what can be dubbed as evening wear.
This doesn’t mean we’ll be eschewing our party heels for study loafers or lace-ups à la Gigi Hadid, but for those evenings when a dinner time soirée turns into a night on the dance floor, we’ll certainly be taking a leaf out of her book for styling a supermodel-approved day-to-night look.
