Jenna Lyons is a cast member on the reboot of the Real Housewives of New York, but she has been in the fashion industry for a long time. At 21, she began her career at J. Crew as a menswear assistant designer and worked her way to the top. In 2003, she became the vice president of women’s design, and then, in 2010 she became the executive creative director of the company. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and won awards such as the 2012 Glamour Woman of the Year award and the Time100 list of 100 most influential people in 2013.
During her time at J. Crew, Lyons revolutionized women’s fashion. She is known for her style which is quirky, chic, menswear-inspired, and quietly rebellious. Some of the things Lyons is known for are adding feathers or sparkles to simple button-downs and cardigans, bold colors and patterns, statement accessories, tailored tuxedos, bold glasses, accessible luxury and gender fluidity. She was responsible for J. Crew’s significant rise in popularity, with both celebrities and everyday people. Aside from the Real Housewives, Lyons is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Coveteur magazine, collaborator with Dita Eyewear, and founder of Loveseen, her own line of false eyelashes.Â
Lyons brought her signature style and unwavering individuality to the RHONY and it did not disappoint. The fashion choices of Housewives across all of the franchises vary to a point, but the overall theme of glamorous, extravagant, revealing and feminine clothing stays pretty consistent. Lyons’ style is markedly different from her co-stars on the show, and it makes her stand out in the best way possible. She opted for her typical conservative, understated, menswear-inspired styles while surrounded by women who rarely wavered from their outfits full of sparkle, color, embellishment and every opportunity to show skin. She often goes for button-up shirts, ties, blazers, loose silhouettes, muted colors, and my favorite, ties. But nothing on the show showcased Lyons’ commitment to her individuality quite like her reunion looks.
Lyons has participated in two RHONY reunions so far, and the outfits she chose to wear made Bravo history. The usual reunion looks of Bravo women are similar to what girls would wear at a prom, only even more extra. The norm for reunions is dramatic, lavish, and sexy. However, this is not mandatory, it is just a custom, like a bride wearing white or a man wearing a suit. Lyons realized this and used it to her advantage. She showed up to the RHONY Season 14 reunion in a sheer Thom Browne button-down shirt, a black Saint Laurent blazer, Dries Van Noten heels, Ultimate Diamond jewelry, and the best part… Levi’s jeans. She received both criticism and compliments, but she did not apologize for her absolutely iconic fashion choice because she did not do anything wrong, she did everything right. Wearing Levi’s jeans also made her a lot more relatable to the audience, because most people including myself own a pair of Levi’s, which circles back to her commitment to accessible luxury at J.Crew. She wore something that is authentic to her personal style, became the first housewife to wear jeans to a reunion and looked effortlessly chic doing it.Â
I was very excited to see what Lyons would wear to the season 15 reunion, but nothing could have prepared me for what she came up with next. Lyons chose to wear a black Balenciaga bathrobe from the spring 2024 collection valued at $1,500, a matching headwrap, Christian Louboutin heels, and De Beers jewelry. It was a look unlike anything Bravo had seen before, a look that only a visionary like Lyons could pull off. Lyons told The Daily Dish that her reasoning for the choice was “I just wanted to do something unexpected and playful!” and “I can’t compete in the sexy dress category!” It was definitely unexpected, but it was truly legendary. She looked every bit the fashion icon that she is, standing out in her usual sophisticated, understated, and subtly defiant way. And to make this moment even better, Lyons revealed that she kept the tags on to return it afterwards! It was a stark contrast to her co-stars’ gowns that stayed true to the stereotypical Real Housewife look, but it was a contrast that showed her authenticity and confidence.Â
I admire Jenna Lyons immensely for her lifelong dedication to being nothing but her unique self. I love her style so much and have incorporated many aspects of it into my own. However, her fashion was not the only thing that set her apart on The Real Housewives. The majority of housewives are known for being loud, dramatic and ultra-extroverted, to the point of becoming the stereotype. Lyons, on the other hand, has a more reserved nature, but it did not hinder her success on RHONY at all. Lyons demonstrated that you do not need to be loud to make an impact and that power and influence can come directly from being true to yourself rather than being the center of attention. Her quieter demeanor is a refreshing contrast to the constant chaos of a reality show and her soft-spokenness is something I relate to personally. I loved seeing Lyons represent it so well on the show.Â
Jenna Lyons is a testament to the power of being unapologetically true to who you are. In a world where so many people feel the need to conform to societal expectations, opinions and the never-ending revolving door of trends, Lyons’ career and her fashion choices teach a valuable lesson that only the best things can come from choosing to be yourself. I have always found it very empowering to wear things that are currently out of style, just because I personally like them. For example, skinny jeans and the Gucci Marmont line are just starting to come back in 2025, although they were considered “out” for a while. But “out” is determined by what the most popular influencers and celebrities are choosing to wear and what is currently on the runways. All of a sudden, Alix Earle decides to put on a pair of skinny jeans and a large chunk of the population takes this as authorization to wear them again after all these years. All of a sudden Bella Hadid, Idris Elba and a handful of celebrities and influencers decide to wear a Gucci Marmont belt and suddenly it’s “back.” But it never really left. There were people like me wearing skinny jeans and Gucci Marmont belts this whole time.
Fashion is cyclical, everything that goes out comes back in, from New Balance to Jellycats to the Y2K aesthetic. The beauty of fashion is the endless freedom there is to define your signature style, regardless of trends or what everyone else is wearing. A person who stays true to their own personal style in a room of people following the trends and fitting in will stand out in an unforgettable way. Trends always fade, but true style, like Lyons’, is timeless. So, the moral of the story is, don’t wear what’s expected. Wear what you want, without the influence of other people’s opinions, and wear it with confidence, that’s the boldest statement you can make. See how it feels to surprise people, to turn heads, to show the world who you are without saying a single word. And above all, be as unique as possible, because there is nobody that can be you.