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If the legitimation of the “pap walk”, a staged run in which a celebrity tips off photographers to capture their image in flattering light, has taught us anything, it’s that street style is a more lucrative business than anyone has ever assumed. From Hailey Bieber inconspicuously soft-launching her husband’s brand of wired headphones whilst grabbing a bite to eat at Sushi Park to Kylie Jenner subtly promoting Timothée Chalamet’s performance in Marty Supreme by wearing the film’s coveted merchandise, these off-duty outfits prove to be anything but.
In recent years, couple dressing, an extreme version of this fad, has evolved into a highly strategic public relationship mechanic that leverages both parties’ influence and power. But what happens when complimenting someone’s personal style crosses the threshold from honouring to imitating? “When we become close to someone, there can be a natural process of convergence in our habits, language, interests and preferences,” explains Professor Carolyn Mair, PhD, a fashion historian and author of The Psychology of Fashion. “Clothing is an obvious expression. Although we retain our individual identities, we may also develop a sense of ‘us’, so dressing similarly can become a way of communicating a shared identity.”
In the mid-2000s, the Daily Express published a now-infamous article calling Brad Pitt the “man who likes to look like his girlfriend”. “He likes to end up looking just like the new love of his life,” wrote the journalist, citing the time he and Jennifer Aniston showed up to the 1999 Emmy Awards with matching tousled waves or the instance he and Angelina Jolie attended an event in Switzerland in 2006 looking like Neo and Trinity from The Matrix. When the piece resurfaced in 2018, it was instantly meme fodder for the internet age. It quickly made the rounds before becoming viral enough for Gwyneth Paltrow to weigh in on the discourse herself: “Or we like to look like him, let’s face it.”
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Now, in an era of hyper-manicured and ultra-sanitised stardom, garnering cultural cachet requires more than being spotted holding hands with someone notorious. Running errands in designer clothes can be parlayed into coveted ambassadorship roles, so why can’t the wardrobe of the person you date translate the same way? Harry Styles is someone who epitomises this. Throughout his entire career, the Grammy Award winner’s dating history has been inspected with great scrutiny. However, it’s only since his solo endeavours that his fashion pedigree has been solidified. And who’s to blame? French-American model and actress, Camille Rowe.
Sure, this might underplay the role that his long-term stylist, Harry Lambert, has had in revitalising his image, taking him from his frat-boy era when he was dripping in Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent to David Bowie-esque suits and Alessandro-Michele-for-Gucci flamboyant tailoring. Still, it’s something Styles confesses himself on his sultry sophomore album, Fine Line. Crooning on the folk-pop single “Cherry”, in which an old voicemail of Rowe’s appears in the outro, Styles laments: “I noticed that there’s a piece of you in how I dress. Take it as a compliment.”
Styles isn’t someone who needs to elevate his stature; he’s one of the most commercially successful global pop stars of his generation, with record-breaking residencies at iconic venues and legions of fans. Yet, at a moment when he’s being criticised for tepid iteration of dance music and lukewarm attempts to capture the hedonism of Berlin’s nightclubs, circulating with one of the world’s coolest dressers certainly helps his reputation. Indeed, his engagement to actress Zoë Kravitz, arguably the poster girl for innocuously chic street style, has helped give him new fashion credibility, with their effortless synchronicity a sign of newfound fashion know-how.
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Decked out in Jessica McCormack jewellery and a collection of woven leather bags that would rival Jane Birkin’s, Kravitz’s refined sensibility has helped temper Styles’s own penchant for gaudy patterns and threadbare tote bags. He might’ve known about Jacques Marie Mage before they started dating, but seeing him wear these brands now, as her boyfriend, makes the choice feel that much more genuine.
Jacob Elordi is someone who has also picked up on the advantageous nature of complimenting your girlfriend’s outfits. Though he and Kendall Jenner have orbited the same well-dressed circles for years, both fronting campaigns for Bottega Veneta and regularly shopping at The Row, their pairing has made them more of a commanding force in each other’s respective fields. When Jenner hit the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival back in September, she didn’t look like an interloper encroaching on one of Hollywood’s most prestigious events, but a natural. When Elordi sat in the front row during Milan Fashion Week, he looked more like someone accustomed to it than a random plus-one.
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“Similarities may be more noticeable because celebrity couples are photographed and discussed so extensively,” adds Mair. “When couples naturally or intentionally coordinate their clothing, it can be a form of behavioural mirroring that signals connection and identification with one another.” These pairings inevitably have strings attached. We wait on tenterhooks to see how these stars harmonise with each public appearance. We instantly analyse every piece for signs of something deeper. We add those clothes we like to our baskets in hopes of wearing them ourselves. After all, we can’t tell if we want to be them, be with them, or simply dress like them.
Shop Pieces Inspired by Harry Styles’ and Jacob Elordi’s Wardrobes
AGOLDE
90’s Pinch Waist Straight-Leg Jeans
TOTEME
Waxed-Cotton Jacket
Bottega Veneta
Barbara Tote
Jimmy Fairly
Aela Sunglasses
With Nothing Underneath
The Boyfriend Shirt
Rise & Fall
Wool V-Neck Jumper
POLO RALPH LAUREN
Cotton-Twill Baseball Cap
