Keke Palmer Refreshes Her White Button-Down Shirt With a Taylor Swift-Approved Trend

The early-aughts essential is back and more polished than ever.

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Keke Palmer wore the capri pants trend with a peplum white button-down inspired by Taylor Swift
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Spring 2026 belongs to the humble white button-down. Now that enough celebrities have sampled the menswear staple, It girls are widening their shirting horizons to subtle sub-genres, like peplum button-downs. Days after Taylor Swift endorsed the unconventional silhouette in a minimalist outfit, Keke Palmer styled it with the capri pants trend on May 18.

Palmer hosted the third annual Women's Health Lab in New York City, dressed in the part-professional, part-feminine long-sleeve. It's unclear where stylist Molly Dickson found the stark-white shirt, but its corset foundation felt so aligned with Palmer's personal style. A matching fishnet overlay transformed the bustier into a fit-and-flare, peplum button-down. Then, Palmer's Oxford turned opaque again atop elongated cuffs and a sharp collar.

Keke Palmer wore the capri pants trend with a peplum white button-down inspired by Taylor Swift

Keke Palmer posed at a Women's Health event in the white peplum button-down.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Palmer's sculptural peplum added volume to her skintight capri pants. She chose a classic black pair fresh from Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, or Hailey Bieber's spring wardrobe racks. Heeled flip-flops would've been the obvious, Bieber-coded counterpart, so Palmer switched it up with the peep-toe pumps trend. The Nope actor flaunted her perfect pedicure beneath patent leather vamps, much like Katie Holmes did with stilettos earlier this month.

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Keke Palmer wore the capri pants trend with a peplum white button-down inspired by Taylor Swift

Appreciate the intricate grid atop Palmer's button-down.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Swift hasn't boarded the capri pants bandwagon yet, at least in this decade. But she did wear an almost-identical button-down in NYC last week. The pop star's Stella McCartney peplum flared out with the exact same volume (and a bit more coverage). Swift cinched her waist with a thin black belt, which exaggerated the voluminous hemline even more.

Much like Palmer, the shirt's bottom buttons doubled as a skirt over her tailored, wide-leg trousers from The Row. To finish, the "Opalite" singer accessorized with peep-toe The Row sandals, Fendi's Peekaboo Bag, her Artifex Fine engagement ring, and called it a day.

Taylor Swift wore a peplum white button-down with tailored trousers

Last week, Taylor Swift wore a surprisingly similar button-down with trousers.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It's no surprise VIP fashion girls are giving button-downs the peplum treatment this season. The early-aughts essential dominated Spring 2026 runways from Dries Van Noten, Khaite, Stella McCartney, and more.

Picking a button-down shirt with a peplum hem is an easy way to spice up the déjà vu-inducing style. Pairing it with capri pants like Palmer keeps it even more fresh. Just wait: Another celebrity will find yet another way to reinvigorate the Oxford shirt soon.

Shop the Peplum Button-Down Trend Inspired by Keke Palmer

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Meguire Hennes
Meguire Hennes
Staff Writer, Fashion

Meguire Hennes is the fashion staff writer at Marie Claire, where she breaks down the celebrity looks living rent-free in her head (and yours). Whether a star is walking the red carpet or posing on Instagram, Meguire will tell you who they're wearing and why. When she's not gushing about A-listers from J.Law to Rihanna, Meguire also covers breaking industry news.

Previously, Meguire was the fashion news writer at The Zoe Report. She received a bachelor's degree in fashion studies at Montclair State University, and has freelanced at Bustle, Women's Health, Well+Good, and more. You can find her words across the fashion, beauty, health, and wellness verticals, because her Libra moon wouldn't let her settle on one beat. Follow her on Instagram for BTS moments from her Marie Claire era.