Rihanna's 2025 Twist on the Nostalgic Jelly Sandal Trend Includes Diamond Anklets and a Backless T-Shirt
The singer celebrated the launch of her new Fenty x Puma collection with a trip to her hometown—and pieces to match.
The candy-colored jelly sandal trend of your childhood just got a flashy makeover thanks to Rihanna's new Fenty x Puma collection. Now, the Grammy winner is showing us exactly how to style them on a fashion-filled multi-day trip to her hometown in Barbados.
The itinerary for the dreamy island vacation included a field day held at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex in partnership with the singer's Clara Lionel Foundation, a tour of RiRi's favorite local spots, and a boat cruise on the Atlantic Ocean. For her relaxing day at sea, the "Diamonds" singer wore an oversize white T-shirt with dolman sleeves and a vivid beach scene printed on the front in lieu of a standard swim coverup. At first, I assumed the shirt was covered in Versace's iconic jungle print, but it's actually a vintage Margiela find from the designer's Spring/Summer 2010 collection. What you can't see from this snapshot is that her top is actually backless, apart from a network of knotted and interwoven cotton straps.
Rihanna relaxes on a boat in a vintage Margiela tee and her Fenty x Puma Cat Cleat Jelly sandals.
Rihanna accessorized her throwback tee with an equally nostalgic pair of lime green Cat Cleat Jelly sandals from her latest collaboration with Puma. The style looks like a standard flip flop from above, but the sole is studded with soccer cleat-inspired spikes in a nod to the athletic brand's heritage. Rihanna's chartreuse color seems to be sold-out, but luckily, the sporty shoe is still available in a neon orange "Pumpkin Pie" hue.
The singer further accessorized her seaside ensemble by wrapping not one but three dazzling anklets around feet and tying a navy blue polka dot silk scarf with an emerald green trim around her head. She also layered tons of '80s-inspired jewelry atop the outfit, including two pairs of chunky gold hoop earrings, a green pavé ear cuff, a giant diamond cocktail ring, a gold pinky ring, a braided blue and green bangle, and a ridged gold cuff bracelet studded with diamonds.
Rihanna accessorizes her outfit with a polka dot headscarf and a smattering of gold jewelry.
True to her roots, the hitmaker finished her look with her signature white pedicure—a summer classic—and a swipe of bold red lipstick. For a day of sun and sand, I have to assume she went with a saturated coat of Fenty Beauty's long-wearing matte Stunna Lip Paint in "Uncensored," one of the line's mainstays since 2017.
For now, it seems Rihanna will be passing on the boat shoe trend in favor of a jelly shoe revival. She's in good company: Jennifer Lawrence was one of the first to embrace the throwback style with The Row's viral pair, while labels from Coach to Melissa have embraced it anew. In sailing and fashion, change is the only constant.
