Celebrity Style
9 Years Ago, Rihanna Wore Assless Chaps On Tour
Nearly a decade before the leg coverings became a cowboycore staple, she took them to the stage.
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter marked the beginning of a fashion movement. After the “16 Carriages” songstress dropped the Grammy-winning country album in March 2024, she fully embraced the Western aesthetic, repeatedly harkening to cowboy boots, hats, and her most controversial choice of the era: assless chaps.
Since then, the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Camila Cabello, and Khloé Kardashian have styled the booty-baring pantaloons. And with the corresponding Cowboy Carter Tour is about to kick off, you can expect the cheeky look to be even more ubiquitous.
But did you know that years before Beyoncé popularized the style, another music icon was already sporting the look on stage? That icon would be Rihanna.
Rihanna’s Western ‘Fit
In 2016, almost a decade before chaps made their way to fashion’s favorite ready-to-wear storefronts, Rihanna was already giving the cowboy staple a daring spin. Typically worn over jeans, chaps are meant to protect horse riders’ legs. The style A-list way to do it, however, is “naked.”
On the Italy leg of her Anti World Tour, Rih donned a white shirt-style bodysuit with twisted straps and the tiny underwear-esque hemline, made to resemble DIY folds. The “Diamonds” star paired the casual piece with cream chaps with a tapered silhouette. Coupled with the bodysuit, her look flaunted major thigh and booty real estate.
For the illusion of panta(chapsa)boots, RiRi paired the ensemble with boots in a near-exact shade match. She completed her look with minimal jewelry, save for massive silver hoop earrings that peered through her curls.
Though Rihanna has gifted fans with her different ventures, including Fenty Beauty, Savage X Fenty, and her Puma collabs, her followers are still waiting on new music, one she keeps teasing is in development. This outfit proves, however, that there’s more to waiting for new Rihanna tunes than just a love for music — it’s a love for fashion, too.
Celebs Who Love The Chaps Style
After a lull of no cheeky chaps looks, artists are back to rocking the look. Bey is the item’s biggest fan, wearing them nonstop on main, her Netflix Beyonce Bowl performance, and her album materials.
Even Megan Thee Stallion has joined in on the butt-flaunting fun, wearing furry iterations in black and pink.
Robyn Rihanna Fenty, for fashion’s sake, drop that next album, go on tour, and start the next trend.
