Style Thief: How To Dress Like Megan Rapinoe

Welcome to the latest installment of Style Thief, where I steal the clothes off queer style icons’ backs. Metaphorically, that is. I’ll try figure out just exactly what makes queer style icons tick by breaking down their look into itty bitty bite size pieces. I get a lot of questions about how to look like different celebrities/characters, so I’m finally tackling the question “How the hell do I dress like that?”

Header by Rory Midhani

Hello thievers. Thiefs. Thieves. Yes, thieves. That’s it. Lizz let me take over her column for another week because she was busy making the cutest thing in the world, these Upcycled Graze Trinket Boxes. Last week we tackled how to look like one of my favorite style icons, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Then a really cute girl informed me that JGL’s character in (500) Days of Summer is named Tom Hansen? Basically, it was fate.

Today, it’s anther reunion with fate, because we’ll be looking at another one of my favorite style icons, Megan Rapinoe. I know you’ve thought about undressing Pinoe, but have you thought of dressing like her? Megan Rapinoe is one of the quintessential lesbian style icons of the 21st century because her style ranges across the gender spectrum to include everything from feminine to masculine. On the rare occasion Pinoe isn’t wearing a soccer uniform, she has incredible style, mixing super trendy clothing with tried-and-true comfort pieces. She wears dresses, she wears weird striped statement shoes, she wears white v-neck t-shirts… and it looks damn good.

She is already known for her style in our little lesbian world with her Wildfang commercial (which I didn’t touch upon because I just can’t support the pants she wears in that campaign, you guys) and her Nike Always On commercial. Now let’s break down her personally styled looks.

Fancy

When Megan gets fancy for a red carpet, she wears dresses and casual suits. I love that she wears dresses because it seems like a surprising juxtaposition to her casual sporty style. Plus, she looks really hot in a dress, right? I really like her long lacy dress, but it’s difficult to find an occasion that calls for that kind of formal attire. Shortening the hemline makes it a more approachable style for weddings, cocktail dinners or any kind of event that is not prom or an awards show.

Her more casual-fancy style pairs harem pants with a white blazer. This is a really interesting interpretation of a menswear look because the harem pants and the accessories make it super feminine, while the striped shoes make sure to keep it interesting and youthful. The metallic in the shirt takes the pants from casual to a more formal look. A white blazer is one of the most versatile items of clothing you can have in your closet. Megan wears her blazer loose, with the sleeves slightly rolled. This makes her red carpet style look super effortless but still purposefully styled. To accessorize, she wears a statement necklace and some colorful bangles.

Casual

Megan’s go-to look is super casual, with jeans and a t-shirt. Because she has a Nike endorsement, she wears a lot of Nike t-shirts. She also rocks a white v-neck like nobody’s business (and can we talk about how cute she is with her girlfriend Sarah Walsh? Swoon). Pairing a white v-neck with red cotton pants is almost as classic as the jeans and white t-shirt combination. It’s a really great way to be comfortable without looking lazy.

Let’s talk scarves. Megan wears them really big and tied loose and big around her neck. I recommend an infinity scarf for the easiest way to pull off this look. The trick to balancing a really heavy scarf is to wear a lighter jacket, nothing too loose or bulky. A denim jacket has just enough structure to balance the scarf and is one of my favorite looks to wear. Wearing a t-shirt and cardigan is also a good way to balance out a large scarf, and a smaller infinity scarf looks great with a t-shirt, especially when your t-shirt says “TOMBOY”.

Trendy

Megan’s trick to wearing super trendy pieces is to wear them only when the occasion calls for it. Obviously she isn’t wearing this acid-wash shirt and floral bow tie to the grocery store. These looks translate really well for a night out with friends or your girlfriend’s birthday dinner or a coffee with that cute person from OKCupid.

I recommend only going crazy with pattern on one part of your body. If you’re rocking an acid-wash shirt with a floral bow tie, wear something like dark skinny jeans or black chinos on the bottom. I’m sure you already know this, but don’t match denim colors. Megan balances her patterned, loose pants with a loose shirt by tucking the front of the shirt into the hem of the pants to create a waistline and add interest to the silhouette of the outfit. I’d recommend wearing a flat loafer or oxford with the tailored pants to keep the look more low-key, or plain black heels for a more femme style.

Basically, Megan Rapinoe is an amazing style icon because she isn’t afraid to wear any kind of style. Her casual look is really approachable and simple, her formal look is wearable for everyone from high femmes to soft butches and her experiments with trends don’t look like an unfortunate interpretation of Lady Gaga. Most of all, she wears comfortable clothing for all occasions, and she uses fun accessories and patterns to keep even the most casual of looks far from boring.

If there’s a queer style icon you’d like to see stripped down in Style Thief, send Lizz an ASS message, ask on Lizz’s tumblr, or tweet Lizz @Ohheyitslizz

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Hansen

Hansen is the former DIY & Food Editor of Autostraddle.com and likes to spend most days making and cooking and writing. She teaches creative writing at Colorado State University and is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in her free time.

Hansen has written 189 articles for us.

15 Comments

  1. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this post for years without knowing I was waiting for it.

    • I couldn’t even read this.

      Oh, the Megan feels are still there going strong…

      Guess where!?! :D

  3. loved her for a long time and her style has recently gotten a lot of attention now that she is internationally known. her style is amazing. and not to mention the awesome fact that I play soccer and she plays soccer..i would love to wear everything in those pictures. and her fantastic hair. :) great post and yes I also cringe when I see the pants in her wildfang commercial. I forgive her after seeing that tomboy shirt. love. us soccer girls are pretty awesome. thanks for this article!

  4. I do like her clothing style. But I really just want her hair. It always looks perfect seriously.

  6. This is great, almost perfect, but you forgot to mention Talbots!

    I suppose the two pics of Rachael make up for it.

  8. I would die inside if I saw that in the grocery store.

    ALSO, this is my first ever comment (hi lovelies! I’ve been lurking for years!) because I wanted my first comment to be perfect because I’m kind of a weirdo and that somehow seemed like the very best first comment.

  9. I don’t necessarily want to dress like Pinoe, but any time I see something written about her, I have to read it.

  10. now i will write a fanfic where pinoe teaches tegan and sara how to ride bikes with baskets and in return they invite her to be in their band and everyone lives dapperly ever after.

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