In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl LIX, fans have been speculating what surprises rapper Kendrick Lamar would have up his sleeve for his headline performance at the halftime show. And on Sunday night, there were indeed surprises aplenty — an introduction by Samuel L. Jackson, a blistering rendition of the Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” and even an appearance by tennis legend Serena Williams. But the biggest surprise of the night might have been Lamar’s fashion moment, courtesy of his Celine bootcut jeans.
The light-wash bootcut jeans (or are they flared?) ignited a firestorm of reactions on social media. Some people were totally into Lamar’s unexpected denim silhouette, which was slimmer on the hips and thighs and flared at the hem and around his sneakers; but some people were just perplexed. Maybe they shouldn’t have been. This is an artist who clearly knows and appreciates jeans. Just a week ago, Lamar accepted his Record of the Year and Song of the Year awards at the Grammys wearing a Canadian tuxedo.
But Lamar’s fancy retro jeans may have struck a nostalgic chord with millennials everywhere who have fond — or maybe cringey — memories of their Y2K wardrobes.
Kendrick single-handedly just brought back boot-cut jeans
— it’s
time (@ablurbz) February 10, 2025
And let’s not forget the rest of Lamar’s Super Bowl outfit. According to Vogue.com, his leather varsity jacket was a custom piece by Martine Rose. It had “Gloria,” a track from Lamar’s 2024 album GNX, spelled out across the front. The rapper also wore a chain necklace with a lowercase “a” pendant, reportedly a reference to his “Not Like Us” lyrics (“Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-minorrrrrr.”). For footwear, Lamar went with a pair of Nike Air DT Max ’96 shoes. And he topped the outfit with a backward hat accessorized with a diamond Rahaminov brooch worth $68,000. Yowza.
Lamar, who has been spotted at the front row of Chanel and Dior runway shows over the years, was also surrounded by dancers wearing Americana-inspired red, white, and blue. As was Samuel L. Jackson, who provided introductions and commentary during the show as “Uncle Sam.”
And, there was even more extreme denim style on stage. Mustard, Lamar’s producer, made a cameo wearing really, really oversized jeans.
During the show, R&B superstar SZA also joined Lamar to perform her verse on “luther,” the current hit from GNX, and “All the Stars” off Black Panther: The Album. SZA was having her own fashion moment with a fiery crimson look that included a red leather jacket, red pants with lace-up detail, and monochromatic red sneakers to match her red hair. Like Lamar, SZA chose to spotlight her songs and albums with her outfit. Her jacket featured a white Lana logo on the chest, the title of her 2024 album. On the back of the jacket was “Crybaby,” the title of one of the tracks off the album.
It might be too early to declare “bootcut jeans are back,” but if they do start dominating store racks and closets, we’ll have Kendrick Lamar to thank. In the meantime, if you want to take a break from your baggy, straight-leg, or skinny jeans, consider these stylish options.
Best Bootcut Jeans to Check Out
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