Kendrick Lamar’s halftime Superbowl performance brought up many conversations ranging from politics, the state of the American government, the feud between Lamar and Drake, and … jeans! Lamar’s choice in wearing the Celine Marco bootcut jeans was arguably one of many stars in his performance. Given that artist Kendrick Lamar is known for using any opportunity he can to send a message to his audience, it would be no surprise if his fashion choices during his Halftime performance do the same.
The Story Behind Kendrick Lamar’s Look:
Alongside Lamar’s stylist, Taylor Mcneil, Kendrick Lamar has curated his “professional hater” attire throughout the past couple of years. Lamar’s style has often been recognized as simple, balanced, and personalized, mixed with a combination of oversized garments, sneakers, and muted colors, topped with stylish accessorizing with beanies, baseball hats, bandanas, and belts. And of course, a flare jean.
This February, Taylor Mcneil and Kendrick Lamar blended these elements together to create a fashionable statement that served as a powerful means of storytelling in his controversial yet important Halftime performance. His look included a custom Martin Rose bomber jacket labeled “Gloria” as a nod to the last song on his studio album “GNX.”. As all things do with Kendrick Lamar the choice of including “Gloria” on his jacket was filled with symbolism. According to Genius, “Gloria” is a metaphor for his “pen game” and his skillful ability to rhyme, in which he has won a Pulitzer Prize as well as several Grammys over the course of his career. To complete the look he added a diamond-brooch-embellished New Era 59FIFTY cap and, of course, the newly infamous Celine Marco bootcut jeans.
Possible Emergence of Jean Trends in Menswear:
Many male artists before Kendrick Lamar wore the now-viral bootcut jeans, such as Pharell Williams. According to Vogue Magazine, the emergence of bootcut jeans in menswear has been “seen across a few runway shows for fall 2025 and spring 2025, including at Louis Vuitton (creative director Pharrell Williams himself is a bootcut aficionado) and Amiri.”
Now the question is, will men across the world start buying into this trend? Does it only take one viral moment for an existing trend to reach consumers?
Writer of Vogue Magazine, Maliha Shoaib, discusses the impacts of a viral trend and what the virality of Kendrick Lamar’s jeans in the 2025 Super Bowl will say about the emergence of new trends in menswear:
“The genuine impact of a viral trend can differ in menswear compared to womenswear. ‘Menswear, in contrast to womenswear, has traditionally been less influenced by viral internet moments,’ says Heuritech’s Tordhag. ‘While trends in menswear don’t necessarily take longer to develop, there has historically been less interest in following the rapid shifts in aesthetics and trends that often dominate the fashion world.’”
Menswear is known for having a more subdued and traditional style, where classic pieces frequently override trends, which is the reason for its slower trend acceptance. Conversely, the much faster, viral character of the digital world has been embraced by womenswear, with trends changing more quickly. An atmosphere where rapid viral moments may determine seasonal styles and reinvent aesthetics has been created by the fashion industry’s increased focus on women’s collections. It will be interesting to observe whether menswear will adapt to reflect womenswear’s reaction to these viral movements or continue to absorb trends at a more measured pace as social media continues to dominate the fashion conversation.
Will (or should) Men Buy Bootcut Jeans After Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl Performance?
Personally, I find the slimmer yet baggy style of jeans that are typically seen in womenswear very nuanced and edgy in the form of menswear. I think bringing bootleg jeans and more flare into casual menswear will help break some of the more traditional borders in ready-to-wear menswear and reach male consumers of a wide variety of demographics. This, being a super viral moment, should inspire men to try out new styles of the clothes they wear every day. Lamar’s jeans becoming such a newly infamous moment for how well-received it was by the male demographic truly demonstrates how the clothes we wear tell stories and inspire people. In a performance that brought up so many conversations on American politics and the government today, and an enormous amount of other issues Kendrick Lamar sought to bring light to, bringing the bootleg to menswear was definitely a fun addition to the stories Lamar shared in this performance.
About
Lila is the fashion and beauty editor. She is a sophomore from New York City double majoring in Design and Communications with a minor in SLAM. In addition to writing fashion articles, she is a ballet dancer and enjoys vintage shopping, painting, listening to music, and spending time with her family and friends.
Lila is the fashion and beauty editor. She is a sophomore from New York City double majoring in Design and Communications with a minor in SLAM. In addition to writing fashion articles, she is a ballet dancer and enjoys vintage shopping, painting, listening to music, and spending time with her family and friends.
