Steal Renee Rapp's Cool, Androgynous Style

Renee Rapp has always been a level of cool that seems unattainable. Whether she's bringing the iconic character Regina George to life, as she did both on Broadway and in the musical film adaption of "Mean Girls," or taking to the stage to play her own music, Rapp is Gen Z's blueprint for a truly multi-talented artist. Another place where Rapp excels is in her super cool, androgynous style.

"It's such a joke, and probably such a bad joke, but I always say my style changes depending on how gay I want to feel that day," Rapp told High Snobiety in 2023. "I really enjoy when I dress hyper-feminine or appear hyper-feminine, and then people are very confused. I quite love it. It didn't use to serve me when I was a kid though, because I was like, 'Wait, I'm gay.' Which is such an interesting complaint, because growing up in the South, I was blessed and lucky to present in such a way that I wasn't actively looked at through a specific lens."

Rapp went on to explain that, fashionably speaking, she's down for anything as long as it gives her the ability to express her current mood and mindset. While Rapp has worn plenty of "hyper-feminine" looks, to use her words, it's her androgynous style that really stands out, and is definitely something worth replicating.

For the 2024 Austin City Limits Music Festival in October, Renee Rapp took to the stage with a look that can pretty much be worn anywhere. Working up from the bottom, Renee Rapp rocks ultra-baggy pants — proof that Y2K fashion is still going strong — and a thin black tie à la indie sleaze. Both of these items can be easily found at your favorite store. However, the standout article of clothing here is the white button-down shirt that reads, "Bleach blonde bad built butch body." If you think this is just merely alliteration at its finest, it's actually a phrase that congresswoman Jasmine Crockett used to describe fellow congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, after the latter insulted the former.

When actress Sarah Bernhardt dared to wear "boy's clothes" in Paris in the late 1800s, it was considered one of the biggest scandals of the time. While Katharine Hepburn would give suits a more mainstream presence on women, to this day, they still have an androgynous vibe in all the best ways. 

When Renee Rapp attended InStyle's 30^th Birthday Celebration at The Standard Hotel in September 2024, she looked effortlessly chic in a slouchy suit. Although a far cry from the tailored suits women wore in the 1940s, this suit conjured up memories of the suits that were worn in the 1980s by businesswomen — like in the movie "Working Girl." This look can easily be attained by either shopping for your own suit or, because of its super relaxed fit, you can borrow one from your dad, older brother, or whoever else you know that's taller and bigger than you. 

We have another look by Renee Rapp that you probably already have in your closet — you've just never thought to put it together in this particular way. Button-down shirts and blazers are the epitome of quiet luxury and old-money aesthetics that everyone should have in their closet because both pieces go with everything. But if you're trying to steal this look, you want to add pins and brooches to sort of spice things up, taking quiet luxury and giving it an edgy appearance. 

Although this photo that Rapp posted on her Instagram doesn't show us what she's paired the tops with, whether you go for a skirt or pants, is up to you. The androgynous part of the look is very much coming from the top half of the outfit. Sunglasses are optional. 

When Renee Rapp performed at the 2024 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in June 2024, she showed up looking like to was ready to take on Billie Eilish in a game of basketball. Of all the looks we've presented so far, this is by far the easiest one to attain because any gym- or sports-related store is going to have at least one — if not many versions — of this outfit. Not only is this look specific to Rapp and her androgynous style, but it's very much on par with the athletic fashion trend we saw a lot of in early and mid-2024. It's also a great fabric choice for dancing in the Tennessee sun in June.

If you've been paying attention to fashion in the last few years, you know that dresses and skirts are no longer gendered. Designer Thom Browne, specifically, has breathed new life into skirts on men — especially pleaded ones — and everyone from Pete Davidson to Oscar Isaac has attended events in Browne's skirts. While Renee Rapp didn't wear Thom Bowne when she accepted her Them's Now Award for Music in June 2024, she did wear a look that has become synonymous with an androgyny: a white-button down shirt and a pleated skirt. It's something that can be easily put together because, as already mentioned the white-button down, like a blazer, is a wardrobe staple piece, and at least one pleaded skirt — short or long — should be on that list too. If the white ankle socks and black heels feel too feminine for you, then opting for comfy sneakers like Converse or Vans will pull everything together perfectly.