We’re always looking for celebrities who turn heads without too much help from a stylist. We’re talking real, self-aware, un-faked steez — think more Andre 3000 and less Denim Timberlake. And there are few people who exude more “just being herself”-type style than Lena Waithe. Whether she’s rocking a suit, keeping it casual in some basic sweats, or wearing that latest pair of sneakers you weren’t able to cop in time, Waithe’s Instagram feed is dripping with fits so dope that following her is constant style inspiration.
And envy. Seriously, Waithe’s sneaker collection has so many gems it brings tears to the eyes of sneakerheads everywhere. As we slowly reenter public life and plan our first public outings in over a year, we’re going to need some direction from someone who it seems kept her signature style intact through the pandemic. So we hit up Waithe to get her style philosophy.
“Honestly, I would just say comfort first,” she tells us. “And I know people may be surprised by that because I think people think, ‘Oh, you tend to think about style first.’ No. Everything I think about when it comes to clothes is comfortability. I feel like I’m always looking for something that I can wear around the house, but that I also can wear to bed. That’s my thing. I feel like the clothes that I’m wearing, I can always go to a meeting in, but I can also sleep in, and that’s my philosophy.”
But how exactly does she manage to rock a pair of sweats without looking like someone who is… you know… just wearing sweats? Turns out that all comes down to attitude.
“If you’re a person that wears them a certain way then you can even wear sweats into a board meeting — if you play it correctly,” she notes. “Sometimes you just got to wear what you want and wear it with pride.”
In the event you can’t figure out what you want, Waithe’s fits are always tagged on her Instagram — which we appreciate.