Kaia Gerber swaps the white tee for a sleek boatneck look

Kaia Gerber just made the white T-shirt look a little too plain. In New York City, she stepped out in a black boatneck top, vintage Edwin jeans and bow-tied Repetto flats, and the whole outfit landed with that rare mix of ease and precision that makes people immediately want to copy it. The boatneck did the heavy lifting: it sat clean across the collarbone, opened up the neckline without trying too hard, and made the outfit feel finished before accessories even entered the picture.

That is exactly why the shape is moving in on the basic tee. A boatneck reads sleeker and more elegant than a standard crew neck, but it does not ask for effort in return. Gerber paired hers with denim and flats, the easiest possible formula, and the neckline still made the look feel deliberate. If a top can sharpen vintage jeans, survive with no jewelry, and still look polished at street level, it has a case for replacing the white tee in the summer rotation.

The setting matters too. Gerber has said New York City style is “more inspiring” to her than Los Angeles, and this outfit fits that shift. It feels more city, less beach-day default. The black top and vintage denim keep the palette grounded, while the Repetto flats bring in a Parisian softness that stops the look from turning severe. Repetto was founded in Paris in 1947 by Rose Repetto, and its Cendrillon ballet flat, introduced in 1956, was dedicated to Brigitte Bardot. That lineage shows up here in the bow-tied pair: feminine, controlled, and just dressy enough to avoid looking like a fashion uniform.

The jeans carry their own heritage weight. Edwin, founded in Tokyo in 1947, became one of the early denim pioneers translating postwar Americana through a Japanese lens, and the brand later introduced the first made-in-Japan jeans in 1961. Put that under a refined neckline and the result is exactly the kind of heritage mash-up that keeps this look from feeling precious. It is polished, but it still has grit.

That is also why this outfit clicks with coastal grandmother style, the 2022 TikTok coinage from Lex Nicoleta that turned linen, neutrals and Nancy Meyers ease into a whole mood. Gerber’s version is less cottage, more city dock: same calm, cleaner line. The boatneck is the test. If a top can make vintage jeans, flats and a no-fuss day in New York look intentional, it deserves a place next to the white tee, not behind it.