Cardi B Taps the Stirrup Trend to Modernize a Dress Over Leggings

The dresses in my teenage closet always included a pair of leggings on each hanger’s lower bar. Whether it was a mini or maxi, I stayed loyal to the skintight layer for extra, albeit unnecessary, modesty. As an adult, I thought I’d never revive the dress-over-leggings looks of my youth—until Cardi B modernized the once-divisive duo with two rising trends at once.

Touching down in Manhattan on March 23, Cardi B doubled down on polka dots while doubling up on major appearances (her Little Miss Drama tour, plus a Grow-Good Beauty launch event). Cardi’s longtime stylist, Kollin Carter, dressed her in a spotted, brown-and-white set from Rowen Rose, featuring the stirrup leggings trend as her base layer. The equestrian-inspired bottoms—which circled the arches of her feet—emerged from beneath a matching polo-style dress. Even her Rowen Rose headband got the polka-dot memo.

Cardi B arrived in NYC dressed in a polka-dot version of the stirrup leggings trend.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Cardi’s dress-and-leggings set didn’t look anywhere near as corny as my circa-2007 takes, though. Perhaps the fact that each piece actually matched helped smooth out the set. (Mine almost never coordinated.) What’s more, stacking leggings underneath her maxi elongated the otherwise-concentrated pattern.

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