Everyone in pop culture is talking about the Hailey and Justin Bieber drama with Selena Gomez. After a video went viral comparing the rather strange similarities between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, the people are accusing Hailey of basically copying everything Selena does. 

These similarities started with dating Justin Bieber, but soon escalated to launching similar beauty brands, identical Instagram posts, and even copycat tattoos behind the ear. And now, Hailey is receiving an overwhelming amount of criticism. And with Justin Bieber just posting strange things on his Instagram, and none of these celebs commenting on the theories, it’s anyone’s guess whether or not this is actually real.

But, I’d like to add to the mounting evidence. 

Recently, Hailey Bieber launched a collaboration with Anna Leigh Waters’ go-to pickleball fashion line, FILA.

The looks are best described as retro country club chic with trendy elements. 

But with all this celebrity drama and internet speculation, it made me wonder if Selena also had any athleisure collabs. 

She did, with Puma. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)

Back in 2019, Gomez partnered with Puma to release a collection of athleisure wear, including leggings, hoodies, T-shirts, hats, bags, and footwear.

Gomez was a long-time brand ambassador for Puma, and with her massive Instagram following, it soon became a natural collaboration. 

The SG x PUMA collection was quite extensive and had an incredibly clear voice and aesthetic. All of the pieces are interchangeable and have a similar cohesive color pallet featuring a white and navy color pallet with pops of pink. 

Gomez described this collection as “Preppy, baggy, jersey, and rugby inspired.”

And looking at the promotional videos and images with Gomez posing with the clothes in a library, there’s something about the overall aesthetic that gives off a preppy English boarding school kind of vibe.

And because of that, there’s a hint of menswear inspired in there, too.  

“I wanted it to feel like something official, like something from a team,” Gomez said. 

I see the vision, and I think this is a gorgeous collection. And I think if it were released today, it would still be a success. 

So let’s talk about similarities and differences between the FILA X Hailey and SG X Puma.

While Gomez embraced the fall and winter sports with a cozier color pallet with puffer jackets and jerseys, Bieber embraced the spring and summer sports with a lighter color pallet.

Gomez’s collection is more street style. It feels more casual and features more accessories. 

Bieber’s collection feels a little bit more elevated and gives off that model off-duty kind of vibe (but that also could be because Bieber’s a literal model). 

I find the pleated tennis skirt and v-neck sweater to be elevated and more high fashion than sleek leggings and puffer jackets with color blocking. But that is simply personal preference. 

And when it comes to wearing either of these collections on a pickleball court, of course I’m going to have to pick Bieber’s because it’s catered towards court fashion rather than street style. 

But when it comes to price, I prefer Puma’s more affordable to FILA’s higher-end cost.

But there’s a lot of similarities. First off, the fact that they both have collaborations with athletic wear brands is something to note. But I’d argue that even the type of woman who purchased Gomez’s Puma line would also purchase Bieber’s line a few years later. 

The overall aesthetics are minimal, clean, and sporty. There’s something about both of these collections that give off “cool girl” energy.

And while one could argue that of course it’s sporty, it’s athletic wear. But I’d argue against that. Yes, athletic wear is inherently sporty, but that doesn’t make it aesthetically sporty.

Compared to the soft pastels and feminine silhouettes that are trending on the court – both these lines are considerably more sleek. 

Additionally, an element Bieber prioritized was the feeling of gender neutrality and sharing clothes with your partner, which is clearly seen with the baggy windbreakers and oversized elements in the collection. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hailey Rhode Bieber (@haileybieber)

Both collections also feature windbreakers and an overall nostalgic direction. Bieber called hers 90s nostalgia, and I’d argue Gomez’ is a similar 90s silhouette too. 

But, Gomez beat Bieber to the punch, which I guess is the whole argument for the viral video series in the first place.  

According to The New York Times, Paddletek, and JOOLA, Gomez loves to play pickleball in her downtime. Though I haven’t found any photos or videos from Gomez herself, I can only assume these claims are true since there’s so many celebs who love pickleball. 

But after all this drama, I can only hope that what comes out of it is another athletic wear collab with Gomez that I can wear on the court. I would love to see how Gomez can modernize and update the athleisure fashion scene. 

Which collection is your favorite? Let us know on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).