When the first pics of the Season 14 reunion were released earlier this week, fans of the Real Housewives of New York reboot were in for quite a shock. No, it wasn’t because Brynn Whitfield appeared to be dressed like a sexy Victorian governess. It was that—gasp—Jenna Lyons was wearing jeans! The ensemble instantly became controversial, but we’re here for it. Let us explain this hot (or should we say haute?) take.
Jenna Lyons Has an Iconic Signature Style
In the fashion world, Jenna was already famous before joining the Real Housewives of New York. Her bold reimagining of J. Crew revived the brand, and is the reason it still has a cool and classic reputation to this day. Her statement glasses, red lips, pulled-back hair, and preppy-chic clothes have all been recognizable signatures for years.
Since her exit from J.Crew, Jenna’s continued to make waves on red carpets and magazine covers, wearing stunning and bold looks that somehow only she can pull off. She became such a New York icon that it lead to an acting role on HBO’s Girls. The show’s creator and star, Lena Dunham, even dressed up like Jenna at the Met Gala.
When you become famous for your sense of style, we think it’s more than fair to wear whatever you want to this kind of an event. After all, Jenna wore denim to the Met Gala one year and made it work. We’d take a stylish-yet-casual look over some of the truly hideous ensembles we’ve seen at past Real Housewives reunions.
Jenna Wearing Jeans Is Actually Not That Unexpected
Even if you were unfamiliar with her fashion career, the reunion look is pretty consistent with Jenna’s outfits on the show so far. She previously wore jeans to the RHONY premiere. Honsestly, we prefer Jenna’s controversial reunion outfit to the rose blouse in this picture.
Jenna stayed true to herself with her confessional looks as well, choosing crisp button downs and blazers over sequins and dramatic dresses. And she wore a very similar outfit on Watch What Happens Live with Ubah Hassan. Frankly, it would’ve been more shocking if she did show up in a ballgown.
Reunion Filming Takes Forever
We’ve heard time and time again that filming reunions are exhausting. Why shouldn’t Jenna be comfortable while sitting down for hours?
In addition to being time-consuming, Real Housewives reunions can also be emotionally taxing. We imagine the RHONY reunion will include some difficult questions from Andy Cohen. They’ll also be going over events from the season, like the time the RHONY women ganged up on Jenna out of nowhere. Plus, Jenna will likely confront Erin Lichy about her two-faced antics. If wearing jeans makes her feels comfortable and confident, who are we to judge?
In fact, we already know how much Jenna prioritizes those feelings. She’s been very open about facing the insecurities that come with her genetic disorder. And she infamously chose to take an earlier flight for those reasons, as well as to avoid flying coach.
There Was No Coordination Amongst the RHONY Cast
It’s not as if Jenna overlooked a dress code. Certain Real Housewives cities coordinate their looks for the reunions each year. For instance, the Real Housewives of Potomac cast members always wear gowns in the same color. But RHONY’s new ladies took the opposite approach for their freshman year.
As fan account Bravo By Betches pointed out, everyone in the cast looks like they’re dressed for a different occasion. With Brynn in velvet and Erin in a cocktail dress, they don’t even look dressed for the same climate.
It’s Better Than Some Other RHONY Season 14 Denim Looks
Sorry Sai De Silva, but this ill-fitted denim bustier confessional look is still one of the worst outfits all season. Sai may be a fashion influencer, but she can’t compete with Jenna’s taste in denim. Neither can Erin, who also wore double denim for one of her confessional looks this season.
Jenna Isn’t a Typical Housewife—and That’s a Good Thing
Jenna has been a breath of fresh air all season long. She never comes across as if she’s trying too hard, which we can’t say for all her castmates. Isn’t wearing jeans to the reunion exactly the kind of move fans fell in love with her for in the first place?
Of course, some have argued that having a very un-housewives like personality might make Jenna a bad fit for the franchise in the long run. But for now, we’re enjoying it, reunion jeans and all.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK IT’S WRONG FOR JENNA LYONS TO WEAR JEANS TO THE REUNION? WHICH RHONY SEASON 14 REUNION LOOK IS YOUR FAVORITE?