Kaia Gerber Steps Up an It-Girl Approved Winter Shoe Styling Trend With a Tiny Halter LBD
Don't put away your open-toed heels just yet.


When you have a closet like Kaia Gerber's, it only takes three pieces to build a memorable holiday party outfit and dial up a major winter shoe trend by several degrees.
The model and Saturday Night star attended a premiere after-party for A24's Babygirl on Dec. 11 dressing to land on the nice list this winter. For reasons unknown to this author, the Chateau Marmont festivities involved a photo-op with Santa Claus in front of a Christmas tree, which Gerber and a friend gamely participated in. She was snapped sitting on her friend's lap in a Tom Ford micro-mini halter dress with a bow detail at the neck and a completely open back. Underneath, she dipped her toes into a rising winter shoe trend by layering open kitten heel sandals over nearly-sheer black tights.
Kaia Gerber paired a satin halter LBD with semi-sheer tights and kitten-heel sandals for the Babygirl premiere party.
It was the definition of a minimalist outfit formula: Those three items—LBD, heels, and tights—were all Gerber was spotted wearing to the party. And yet, her black-on-black-on-black trifecta confirmed other signs I've seen of a tights and heels renaissance.
As Kaia Gerber was pairing her Tom Ford mini with anonymous black heels and stockings in one corner of LA, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande were coordinating Chanel outfits with the same low-key styling hack. Gomez, hours before revealing her engagement ring, emphasized her white double-strap peep-toe Chanel heels with black tights underneath. Meanwhile, Ariana Grande created a mixed-texture effect with black pointed-toe heels and black tights.
The winter shoe styling trend had previously gained some momentum in both New York City and Los Angeles celebrity street style: Sabrina Carpenter tried it with micro-shorts and a leopard blazer, while Kristen Stewart paired her sheer stockings and peep-toe heels to knit hot pants and a cardigan.
Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande both layered their summertime heels with semi-sheer black tights for a Chanel luncheon earlier this week.
Kristen Stewart similarly layered peep-toe heels over black sheer tights for a film screening on Dec. 7.
Tights, heels, and optional socks aren't necessarily a revolutionary combination. In 2023, a surge in women wearing sheer red stockings led to creative pairings with patent black heels. Still, Kaia Gerber and her It-girl cohort make a compelling case for getting back to black when everyone else is wearing red and green—and putting their open toed shoes in storage.
Shop Kaia Gerber's Winter Shoe Trend (and Mini Dress)
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Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”
Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.
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