Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber ditched winter for a weekend in paradise complete with palm trees, bodycon dresses, and 818 tequila-spiked beverages. It's a shame they couldn't have invited the rest of us on their trip—God knows I would've jumped at the chance to trade boots for mesh slippers and snow for sand, if only for couple days.
On Dec. 16, however, the pair marked their return with Instagram photo dumps that quickly revealed the reason behind their trip: a destination wedding held in honor of Cherry Los Angeles founder Joe Perez and his now-wife Jessica Lageyre. Perez is brother to Jenner and Bieber's longtime friend Lauren Perez, so it makes total sense for the two to fly in for his beachside nuptials.
That said, one snapshot from Kendall Jenner's photo diary stopped me in my tracks. Apparently, the model's packing list for the weekend included a pair of mesh mule flats with beaded black flowers for embellishment.
Already a closet staple for grandmothers worldwide, flats like Jenner's take inspiration from slippers that have been worn in East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian cultures for thousands of years. In an interview with Hypebae, Dr. Sarah Cheang—head of the Design History program at the Royal College of Art in London—noted, "As a fashion garment, the kind of mesh slipper that is popular now reminds me strongly of the Chinese/Malay fashions of Singapore and Malaysia."
Hispanic and Black communities can also be credited with popularizing mesh mules long before they became a mainstream trend in the '90s and early 2000s. A decade later, the toe-baring style rose to popularity again when labels such as Balenciaga and Gypsy Sport sent them down the runway in 2016 and 2017. Now, we're in the midst of a see-through slipper renaissance once more, thanks to Alaïa’s bestselling fishnet Mary Janes and Bottega Veneta's mesh flats, which have been spotted on the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Zendaya respectively.
@kiarabencosme ♬ original sound - Kiara Bencosme
On TikTok, however, growing fatigue with designer takes on the mesh slipper seem to have sparked a renewed interest in the accessibly priced original. In fact, styling videos like the one linked above from creator Kiara Bencosme could be where Jenner got the idea to pair her black mesh slippers with matching black trousers for a stroll on the beach. So even if you can't afford a snowbird trip to somewhere tropical, a pair of mesh slippers like Jenner's won't set you back more than $30 at most.
