What is a “Nepo Baby,” you say? Is that a good or a bad thing? How did this become The Year of the Nepo Baby? ‘Cause we thought it was the Year of the Rabbit! Dear reader, the newly coined phrase “nepo baby” refers to the increasing prevalence of successful achievers in sports, politics, pop culture and more who just happen to have one or two parents who were already wildly successful in the same field of endeavor that their offspring now dominate. The implication being that said offspring would never have been able to make it to the top on their own. Nepotism has been a core element in the business world for . . . we don’t know, maybe a hundred thousand years or so? Now, though, it’s a hot topic of discussion outside of corporate life that has spawned a million memes. Here’s how to rep your status as (or totally make fun of) the nepo baby phenomenon, with 10 of the best fashion outfits for babies and adults, including graphic tees, jackets, tote bags and more.
what’s a “Nepo Baby” and should we want to be one (or birth one)?
We want everyone to acknowledge that while there is an important conversation to be had about nepotism and privilege, that’s not what’s happening with the term “nepo baby”. That’s not why those words have become the favorite phrase of 2023, or why Nate Jones’ now-notorious How a Nepo Baby is Born was Vulture’s third most-read piece of 2022 – even though it came out on December 19th.
best fashion outfits to buy for The Year of the Nepo Baby, for babies and adults, including graphic tees, bags and more.
The reason these things are everywhere – the reason that this was (and apparently, continues to be) “the year of the nepo baby” – is because it’s fun. Talking about celebrities – and especially talking about powerful family dynasties, that span generations – is a good time, the same way that gossip always is. We love it. We can’t get enough of it. And the ethics of it, the serious conversation that exists in the ether, is not the point.
So, we wanted to bring you a different kind of nepo baby list. A list that’s all about how you should dress, if you have nepo baby brain; a guide to nepo baby core.
best fashion outfits to buy for The Year of the Nepo Baby, for babies and adults, including graphic tees, bags and more.
If you, like everyone else, can’t stop thinking about these famous people’s kids, here are some things you might want to buy.
10 best fashion outfits for the year of the nepo baby for babies and adults
1. Hailey Bieber T-Shirt
For those who may have missed it: shortly after the legendary nepo baby piece premiered (and after many celebrities made the decision to clap back on Instagram), the queen nepo baby of-the-moment, Hailey Bieber, was spotted wearing this t-shirt. And in a way, we have to respect her for it. If you would like to share the look, this is where you can get an identical cropped tee. Is it funnier or less funny if the person wearing it is not in fact a nepo baby? You’ll have to tell us.
BUY NOW – $24.50.
2. Cotton Baby Bodysuit
You know who would look fabulous in nepo baby apparel? An actual baby! We love the humor of this nepo baby onesie, and we think it could make a great gift for any babies in your life. Who doesn’t love a joke from the internet? And if you think about it, it’s kind of a compliment for the parents, too. Available in white and beige, and made with soft cotton for maximum comfort.
BUY NOW – $27.50.
3. Tote Bag
Doesn’t the phrase nepo baby just seem to belong on a tote bag? Both are such phenomenons of the moment, in that they toggle constantly between something serious and something that’s become a parody of itself. And the super somber font? Seals the deal. We love it. And we also love that this bag comes in blue and red as well as black, white and beige, so you can decide exactly how to calibrate your irony. The perfect nepo baby merch.
BUY NOW – $26.03.
4. Crewneck Sweatshirt
It’s cold out. Maybe you want to join in the nepo baby fun, but you cannot imagine yourself wearing a crop top right now. In that case, buy a sweatshirt instead! It’s available in black, white, and sand, and we think the sand looks amazing with the green font they’ve chosen. The sweatshirt is unisex, washable, and comes in a soft cotton that you’ll want to wear all season long. Good enough for a nepo baby… and good enough for us.
BUY NOW – $43.60.
5. Denim Jacket
There’s something about this jacket that makes us laugh. It might be our favorite piece of nepo baby apparel, because it walks the perfect line between serious and meme-able. Between cool and uncool. And even though spring is still about six weeks away, we’re already thinking about warm days… and won’t you be excited to debut your funny new fashion? We like the plain denim, but the jacket is also available in white and black.
BUY NOW – $99.95.
6. Nepo Baby on Board
It’s not a piece of clothing, but we love this bumper sticker. Except – do you think cars will be more or less careful once they see it? Who’s to say, but we recommend getting this for all your friends who are parents, and for yourself. Why not? Maybe this is the start of you manifesting your own fame.
BUY NOW – $8.00.
7. Aspen Sweats
Of course, there’s another way to dress yourself into the nepo baby discourse: wear clothes created by one of them. We love his article from Vulture, where Lindsey Weber and Meher Ahmad round up some nepo babies’ online empires. One of our favorites is the fashion brand by LL Cool J’s daughter, Samaria Leah. We genuinely love a lot of what she has to offer, and of course we do. Doesn’t it make sense that a nepo baby would have great taste? We particularly like the collection for “cozy girls, and these bright red sweatpants are our favorite. They have a loose, relaxed fit, and are 100% cotton, so you know you’re going to do your best relaxing in them. And if you can’t get enough, there is a matching hoodie.
BUY NOW – $150.00.
8. Lexi Glasses
Included in that same Vulture piece? The line of sunglasses by Elisa Johnson. And yes, Johnson as in, the daughter of Magic Johnson. And you know what? We love these glasses. In particular, we love the Lexi in Gloss Black With Light Blue Lens, because they look undeniably cool, and because they were apparently named after Johnson’s striking and confident Scorpio friend, Lexi. That’s the thing about nepo babies: they just seem like they’re a lot of fun. And so do these glasses. We want a pair.
BUY NOW – $120.00.
9. Slip Dress from Skims
We know Kim Kardashian may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but she is the nepo baby to end all nepo babies. The most successful, the most infamous, and in some ways, the one that turned the very idea of the “nepo baby” into something people liked to talk about. So of course, we had to include her brand of shapewear, Skims. And we have to say, we love the look of this sheer, super-soft lounge dress, which comes in nine limited edition shades (selling out fast!) as well as the two classics. When it comes to relaxing, maybe we should listen to nepo babies more often.
BUY NOW – $78.00.
10. Little Shop of Horrors Vintage Tee
As you may already know, nepo baby Maude Apatow was recently cast in the current Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. The casting choice sparked a lot of conversation (we would expect nothing less), but we love this vintage tee, and we think wearing it could be a subtle way to involve yourself in the discourse.
BUY NOW – $27.00.
10 essential wardrobe pieces inspired by the new trend “Nepo Baby”
That’s our edit of the best fashion outfits to buy for The Year of the Nepo Baby, for babies and adults, including graphic tees, bags and more. What do you think? Should this whole trend be encouraged and embraced? Or should we all grow up?
