Sabrina Carpenter is a woman who seems to just have hit after hit, in music – and outfits too. Her influence is immense, and this recent dramatic rise in fame is in no doubt largely attributed to touring with musical juggernaut Taylor Swift on the Eras tour. The end of the tour timed perfectly with the release of Carpenter’s hit single, ‘Espresso,’ which marked the beginning of her crafting an aesthetic that would become synonymous with her Short n’ Sweet album. But what, exactly, are the hallmarks of her style? 

Vintage Vibes 

Aside from being an incredibly catchy tune, ‘Espresso’ also stuck in people’s heads thanks to the glamorous, retro-inspired music video. Carpenter crafts numerous looks inspired by the late 1950s and early 1960s, with one such outfit including a pink headscarf and wispy curtain bangs. The headscarf is a staple garment of the sixties, sported by none other than Audrey Hepburn on her wedding day. Carpenter also sported a headscarf in a red and white striped Jacquemus ensemble that calls to the French riviera inspired style of Brigitte Bardot. 

Besides outfits that evoke certain styles and trends, Carpenter has also sported a number of garments that are true vintage pieces. At BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Carpenter wore a vibrant orange minidress that came from Roberto Cavalli’s 2005 collection, which featured a slinky fabric and plunging neckline that resonates with the contemporary interest in revealing clothing. Perhaps more notably, Carpenter just recently wowed at the VMAs wearing a dazzling 1991 Bob Mackie gown that was previously worn by none other than Madonna herself. Though a product of the nineties, the sweetheart neckline and hourglass shape of the dress is without a doubt a reference to the red-carpet glamour of the fifties. 

Office Siren Style 

Another staple style in Sabrina’s wardrobe is something that everyone has dubbed as the ‘office siren’ style – which features elements like collared shirts and blazers, but dripping with an abundance of allure. On her Instagram, Carpenter posted a few looks that she wore in France, such as a LaQuan Smith navy striped dress and blazer that has a dangerously low deep-V. Later that same week as that was posted, Carpenter was also seen repping this trend on the red carpet at Paris Fashion Week, with a bright white blazer and shirt, black tie, and tiny white skirt that, as is typical of her style, left her legs and sky-high heels fully on show. 

Bedroom Chic 

The element of her style that she is perhaps best known for at the moment are her sultry, lingerie inspired looks. It is this people probably think of first when they think of Sabrina Carpenter’s style. One of her most memorable looks to date she wore at the Governor’s Ball – a yellow corset-style minidress with a heart cutout. The visible boning and micro-length skirt are reminiscent of nothing other than private bedroom attire. Carpenter also brought the intimate to the stage at Coachella, in which one of her outfits was a Cavalli white dress with a silky, translucent, feather-trimmed robe that is clearly inspired by the vintage nightgowns of the first half of the twentieth century. 

This style is demonstrated most deliberately is in her ‘Please Please Please’ music video, where she acts as a troublemaking gangster’s girlfriend. She styles this role with the aesthetic of an exaggerated mafia girl, wearing flamboyant feather coats and edgy leather jackets. But the sensual aspects of these outfits are perhaps the most important: thigh-high sheer stockings feature throughout, and the standout outfit of the video has to be the gorgeous, teasingly sheer, scarlet corset dress that she sings to us in as her gangster boyfriend gets into a fight behind her. 

It’s no secret that Sabrina Carpenter has exploded in popularity over the past few months. And, just as with any celebrity that gains wide media attention, her style has been imitated, investigated, and interpreted by the those of us that are a part of regular society – and these styles worn by Sabrina are no doubt going to be seen trickling down into mainstream fashion that we see every day. 

Credit: Wikimedia Commons