Rapper Cardi B debuted a slightly shaggy pixie cut this week, and she's already putting the new 'do to work by styling an outfit around the chop. See, with Cardi's former Rapunzel-length locks, a sweatshirt and bike shorts is just a pre-gym get-up. But with her short hair, it's Princess Diana in 2024.
Cardi B's outfit was a direct reference to Princess of Wales's signature off-duty look in the '90s. She wore a slightly oversized white Harvard crewneck sweatshirt over grey bike shorts and accessorized with another classically Diana piece, big black sunglasses. Cardi added some sparkle with jumbo diamond studs, a chunky silver chain around her neck, and a black Hermés Birkin bag.
Perhaps the most historically accurate outfit element were her retro sneakers. Princess Di had a collection of white sneakers that she'd cycle through, from Reebok to Adidas. And Cardi's white Nike Air Jordan 5s made their debut in, of course, 1990.
Cardi isn't the first celebrity to copy Princess Di's iconic outfit recipe. Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner are both big fans of the oversized sweatshirt and spandex shorts combo. We've seen similar big sweatshirt, small shorts looks from Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, Taylor Swift, and more.
Stars and normal people alike began embracing the style as bike shorts re-entered the fashion zeitgeist, alongside athleisure and '90s/y2k aesthetics, around 2022. But we have to give kudos to Cardi for really nailing Princess Diana's details.
This stripped-down casual ensemble is out of the norm for Cardi, who typically opts for more glammed-up looks. At this year's Met Gala, back in May, it took five men just to unfurl the enormous skirt of her tulle gown. In January, the "Bongos" singer rocked a custom skin-tight, patterned dress with black strappy stiletto heels and gothic diamond cross earrings.
