While a celebrity’s style often feels out of reach due to their designer wardrobe, there are select moments when stars choose stylish yet affordable items. This may come as a surprise, as celebrities are known for sporting the most exclusive pieces on the market. However, like the rest of us, It girls aren’t immune to a good deal, and these items are proof that their taste doesn’t always come with a hefty price tag. Runway royalty like Kaia Gerber and up-and-coming superstars like Rachel Zegler have recently been spotted in the chicest items that currently retail for under $200.
Brands we know and love, like Madewell, J.Crew, and Steve Madden, have been seen on these A-listers. Read on to shop the celebrity-approved items along with pieces to complete the look.
The only thing better than transitioning to sweater weather is when it’s finally time to change shoes, swapping out sandals and sneakers for boots. One or two pairs could suffice, especially if you don’t live in a place where snow is a concern. But in my experience, it takes at least three styles of boots to get through winter and fall in style.
Chelsea boots top the list as an essential wardrobe staple because they go with everything, are easy to walk in, and look totally timeless. Invest in a well-made pair, and keep them looking pristine with shoe polish, waterproofing, and regular sole maintenance, and they’ll last for seasons to come.
Next are flat, lace-up ankle boots. These run the gamut from sturdy snow shoes to cool combat boots and can be found in an array of materials from leather to nylon. Opt for a chunky sole, or look for a combat-boot style with buckles and embellishments. It’s a subtle statement shoe no matter how you wear it.
Finally, the prettiest boots in our closets are often knee-high heeled boots. They’re not always practical but are guaranteed to take any outfit to the next level. Choose a stacked heel for maximum comfort, or try out a short heel in stunning suede to wear with a mini or midi skirt. And don’t forget boot inserts or hangers to help the tall shaft keep its shape while in storage.
Ready to complete your capsule wardrobe with a new pair just in time for the holidays? We’ve pulled several versions of each style that demonstrate the versatility within each category. The only hard part is choosing which new boots to break in first.
Olivia Rodrigo has shown that she knows a good pair of flat shoes when she sees one. On her off-duty time, she’s often photographed wearing loafers and sneakers. But the shoes she’s most often photographed wearing are Dr. Martens—from platform lace-ups to boots and everything in between. But the style she’s been wearing lately is the prettiest style that Dr. Martens makes.
On two separate occasions this month in NYC, Rodrigo has worn the brand’s 8065 style (with white crew socks and other casual pieces, I might add). Dr. Martens 8065 shoes are a pair of chunky, double-strap Mary Janes with all of the classic Dr. Martens details. The thing is, given the popularity of the Mary Jane trend, the shoes aren’t that easy to find right now, but find them I did, and on sale. Keep scrolling to shop them if you’ve been (understandably) influenced by Olivia Rodrigo.
We here at Kotaku get plenty of tips via email. Some are spam, others are error-filled hate messages, and a few are serious allegations that require serious investigation. So it’s refreshing when something comes in that just points us toward something breezy and cool, as was the case with a recent tip regarding the slay-the-house-down-boots fashion of the Like A Dragon: Ishin! developers, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.
A development subdivision of Sega whose roots trace back to 1998, Ryu Ga Gotoku (“RGG”) is a Japanese studio responsible for the 2012 third-person shooter Binary Domain. However, you’re probably more familiar with RGG’s most prominent work, the Yakuza series. Since 2012, RGG has been in charge of the action-adventure franchise, developing new mainline entries and remastering old ones while putting together spin-offs such as the Judgment series and the latest remake, Like A Dragon: Ishin!
It’s that latter game, which was originally a 2014 Japan-only release before making its worldwide debut earlier this week, that was the topic of the tips email we got this week. Enamored with senior editor Alyssa Mercante’s “fashion callout” of The Game Awards’ bland drip, the reader (whose name we’ve decided to keep hidden) said we should check out this making-of Like A Dragon video to see some “cool suits.”
“I loved The Game Awards fashion callout and follow-up article and 40 seconds into this video about Ryu Ga Gotoku making the next Like A Dragon game there is an amazing staff promo photo,” the reader said in an email to Kotaku. “I guess if you’re in charge of the Yakuza/Like A Dragon series, you’re basically obligated to wear a cool suit.” And they ain’t lying! RGG is literally stunting over the entire industry in one shot.
SEGA Asia(EN)
In the first episode of a multi-part series on Sega Asia’s English YouTube channel, we get a quick glance at RGG’s fashion sense. Japanese fashion is pretty captivating if you follow it. Filled with flowy silhouettes, wild colors and patterns, and an interesting blend of casual and smart aesthetics, folks in the Land of the Rising Sun know how to dress. RGG is no exception. Sure, the suits the developers wear about 40 seconds into the above video are all black, but the nuance is in the details. Two staffers have jackets with interesting markings: one with a variety of white dots and another with copious small crosses. A different staffer has a coat with tastefully accenting white lines. Three other staffers have all-over patterns, with two of the staffers’ suits having a nice sheen. If you told me this was an alternative J-Rock band and not a bunch of video game developers, I’d believe you.
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Even the developers’ boots, while nondescript on the surface, really add to the developers’ collective drip. Most in the photo have round pointed-toe, glossy-looking boots with no laces like they all just stepped off the set of The Matrix or something. Two others mix things up a little bit, with one staffer having what appears to be round lace-up boots a la Dr. Martens (though maybe not that exact brand) and another seemingly wearing some very dark, perhaps suede-looking boots. Either way, RGG’s fits are on point! I may not be the fashionista that Kotaku’s Alyssa Mercante is, but I, too, am gagging over the confident simplicity RGG exudes in their almost-matching looks. It’s dope to see, especially in an industry known for some of the most predictable (graphic-tee-and-blazer) outfit combos ever.
Anyway, shout out to RGG for slaying the entire industry in a matter of seconds with both their killer fashion and their even more-killer samurai game, Like A Dragon: Ishin! In fact, staff writer Sisi Jiang called it “the best samurai game that you can play right now.” You should check it out.
