A guide to SZA’s laidback, cool girl style

Some celebrity style is hard to imitate. Head-to-toe high fashion and red carpet-ready gowns are hardly practical or realistic for most of us, no matter how ambitious your fashion sense. But every now and then a fashion icon comes along whose style is more down-to-earth and relatable.

SZA’s personal style is proof that you don’t need to sacrifice comfort in order to serve a look. The artist’s sporty style is first and foremost dressed down, her wardrobe staples consisting of oversized tees, joggers and laidback beachwear from brands like Nike, Champion and A Bathing Ape.

That's not to say she doesn’t also know how to turn up the glamour for red carpet events. Some of SZA’s most memorable looks have come from the Met Gala where she shows that her penchant for the theatrical and referential is as strong as her love of everyday sportswear fits. It all depends on the context.

It’s precisely this balance of high and low that makes SZA’s style so appealing. She switches between dressy and casual with such elegant ease, placing her personal style somewhere between relatable and aspirational and proving you can look just as good in sweats and joggers as in formalwear. As the singer celebrates her birthday, here’s our guide to getting her laidback archetypal cool girl style.

Laidback loungewear

One thing about SZA’s everyday style is that she always puts comfort first, whether that means kicking back in slouchy joggers, oversized tees or her ubiquitous Converse. Her cosy looks and lo-fi mirror selfies lend her a down-to-earth online persona – celebs, they’re just like us! So, next time you feel lazy for wearing sweatshirts and joggers day in day out, remember that if SZA says it's a look, it's a look.

Varsity blues

It’s giving cheerleader girlfriend borrowing jock boyfriend’s jacket in a '00s teen movie. No matter what she's wearing underneath, SZA’s go-to outerwear is without a doubt the varsity jacket. She pairs hers with bodysuits, denim and micro minis to channel a Y2K sporty Americana aesthetic. She’s not afraid to rewear it over and over again either. We love a sustainable queen.

Nothin' but your t-shirt

Whether she’s chilling at home or tearing up the stage, SZA has always been a stalwart of the t-shirt as a dress look. And honestly, it’s a vibe – comfy and understated while remaining sexy and cool. To channel SZA's style look out for graphics featuring cartoons or musicians and opt for XXXL so your tee can double up as a dress.

Beach babe

Residing in LA, beachwear is prime SZA territory. Sarongs, strappy cut-out one-pieces and bikinis as tops are some of her summer staples. In March, she attended Jacquemus’ Spring/Summer 2022 Oahu beach show in an adorable gingham wrap two-piece from the brand, giving her casual beach style a high fashion update.

Glam gowns

Since her critically acclaimed debut, Ctrl, SZA has graced many a red carpet, swapping sporty basics for custom gowns. For her first Met Gala in 2018, ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’, she wore an angelic soft pink Versace tulle gown adding her signature edge with thigh-high bejewelled stiletto boots and finishing the look with a halo headpiece. Returning to the Met in 2022, SZA chose another pink look. This time a striking hot pink number from Vivienne Westwood Couture accessorised with black latex boots and gloves – kinky!

Strappy cut-outs

SZA’s fondness for strappy cut-outs straddle her low-fi mirror selfies, big red carpet moments and her penchant for beachwear. The skimpy Y2K-inspired trend has dominated the runways in recent seasons but, even before then, SZA couldn’t get enough of it. Her tops, bodysuits and dresses are sliced then put back together with diamante details, metal rings and tied fabric for a suggestively revealing impact.

Sexy sportswear

Who says sportswear can’t be sexy? SZA has a penchant for traditionally masc normcore, adding a fashion twist with Fendi monogram sneakers or a patterned bandana. It gives off the vibe that she’s the archetypal ‘cool girl’ who loves sport and doesn’t take herself too seriously but, as we’ve already established, SZA loves to dress comfortably and there’s probably no more to it than that. A whatevercore angel!