The showy style feels like a far cry from the Russian supermodel’s overall look when she was dating Bradley Cooper for four years during 2015-2019. (The pair officially broke up in June of 2019.) During that time, Shayk’s stepping-out get-ups felt constricted. Think: lots of turtlenecks, long dresses, and innocent-cute dresses. (Save for the red carpet appearances, which were fully flesh-forward.) Seeing those muted looks on the street juxtaposed with her showy numbers on the red carpet felt jarring, and belied Shayk’s street style potential.
Fast forward, it feels as if the mother, now single, is letting herself out to be seen. She’s going for it in short zip-up dresses and combat boots, or a full swishy tracksuit with heels. Her confidence radiates to all times of day, even when she is dropping and picking her daughter up from school, in which my favorite accessory of Shayk’s appears: Her daughter’s pink backpack. The adorable plastic carryall is a shade blinding pink and ice blue with the image of Minnie Mouse plastered on the front. Shayk totes the bright fuchsia beacon as if it were an it-bag.
Who knows when we’ll stop wearing masks and start wearing actual clothes from the waist down. But Shayk makes me want to try again. She makes dressing up feel interesting and experimental instead of compulsory or pointless. She even appears to be finding her style during this stilted time. Maybe in the near future Shayk will get me out of sweatpants, or at least get me to tuck them into some heeled boots.
