Runway

Before Jenna Lyons Became a RHONY, She Changed How American Women Dressed

Before Jenna Lyons Became a RHONY She Changed How American Women Dressed

While today’s generation may know of Jenna Lyons as the quirky yet fashionable cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City, Lyons’s sartorial fame long predates her foray into reality television. Her unique approach to getting dressed, including wearing sequins during the day and sporting denim as eveningwear, defined the way American women got dressed in the mid aughts when she was the creative director and president at J.Crew. Here, we’ve gathered some of the best J.Crew-isms that prove Lyons was her own best muse; scroll through to see how she styled the very own trends she made popular.

Sequins for Day

Thanks to Lyons, sequins became more than a nighttime essential. During her tenure at J.Crew, sequin blazers, shorts, and skirts were must-have items for the workplace.

NEW YORK NY MAY 10 Jenna Lyons attends The 2016 Glam Rock Moth Ball on May 10 2016 in New York New York.

Jenna Lyons in a J.Crew blazer in 2016

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J.Crew, fall 2010 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2016 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2011 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2012 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, fall 2010 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2015 ready-to-wear

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Denim 24/7

While denim looks were all the rage on the red carpet in 2022—thanks to runway collections from Bottega Veneta, Diesel, and Acne Studios, among others—we would like to note that Lyons did it first in 2012 at fashion’s biggest night out.

Jenna Lyons at the 2012 Met Gala

Jenna Lyons at the 2012 Met Gala

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J.Crew, fall 2011 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, fall 2010 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2011 ready-to-wear

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Image may contain Clothing Apparel Female Human Person Woman Skirt and Jacquelyn Jablonski

J.Crew, fall 2015 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2015 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2012 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2012 ready-to-wear

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Image may contain Clothing Apparel Pants Jeans Denim Coat Overcoat Human Person Sleeve and Trench Coat

J.Crew, fall 2014 ready-to-wear

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Cargo-Mania

Lyons’s castmates may have been confused about why khaki was one of the themes for her party on the premiere episode of RHONY, but longtime fans will know that cargos and khakis are essential parts of her uniform. 

Image may contain Jenna Lyons Clothing Apparel Coat Human Person Overcoat Shoe and Footwear

New York, fall 2020 ready-to-wear

Photographed by Phil Oh
Image may contain Necklace Jewelry Accessories Accessory Clothing Apparel Human Person Pants Blouse and Khaki

J.Crew, fall 2011 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2014 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2015 ready-to-wear

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Mix and Match

During Lyons’s reign at J.Crew, mixing and matching all your prints became the norm.

best street style 2015

New York, fall 2015 ready-to-wear

Photographed by Phil Oh
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J.Crew, spring 2016 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2012 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, fall 2012 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, fall 2012 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2013 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, fall 2012 ready-to-wear

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The Lyons Signature: Chunky Glasses

The bold frames that Lyons was known for made a few appearances in J.Crew look books over the years.

This image may contain Jenna Lyons Clothing Apparel Human Person Vehicle Transportation Car Automobile and Coat

New York, fall 2018 ready-to-wear

Photographed by Phil Oh
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J.Crew, fall 2010 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2011 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2015 ready-to-wear

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Before There Was Barbiecore Pink, There Was J.Crew Pink

Today’s teens might associate hot pink with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie; in the early 2010s the color was already a street style staple for Lyons and J.Crew lovers.

new york fashion week fall 2016 street style

New York, fall 2017 ready-to-wear

Photographed by Phil Oh
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J.Crew, fall 2012 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, fall 2015 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, fall 2011 ready-to-wear

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J.Crew, spring 2012 ready-to-wear

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Statement Jewelry

You might remember the statement-jewelry craze of the 2010s; well, now you know who was responsible for it. That’s right, it was Lyons.

Jenna Lyons in 2013 at The Great Gatsby premiere

Jenna Lyons in 2013 at The Great Gatsby premiere

Photo: Getty
Image may contain Clothing Apparel Dress Female Human Person Woman Sleeve Long Sleeve and Skirt

J.Crew, spring 2014 ready-to-wear

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This image may contain Clothing Apparel Female Human Person Blouse Skirt and Woman

J.Crew, spring 2016 ready-to-wear

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Listen to Jenna Lyons talk to Vogue on this episode of The Run-Through here.