Lady GaGa Inspires Rihanna

Something fascinating occurred this week in the Universe of Diva Fashion. Rihanna, one of the Universe's top trendsetters, stepped out wearing hot-pink nipple pasties under a sheer black top. Only they weren't even nice nipple pasties like the silver stars she glued to her boobs on the Fourth of July, but just pieces of tape that made an "X" over each nipple — like cheap, recession-era DIY nipple pasties. Now, in April, Lady Gaga stepped out in a sheer black top with black tape concealing her nipples in much the same fashion. What is fascinating is not necessarily the pasties or style of the pasties, but that Rihanna did something Lady Gaga has already done. After all, before we had Gaga, Rihanna had solidified her place as a top trendsetter, and not only with her amazing, ever-changing hair dos. Maybe in the way that not wearing pants and looking generally beyond ridiculous is Lady Gaga's thing, Rihanna is trying to make nipple pasties her thing. But why? She already has so many signatures. Her hair, as we mentioned, her insanely fierce jewelry, her elaborate nails, her edgy taste in designers. She doesn't need to take cues from Gaga. The world only needs one Gaga, and Rihanna is fierce, fabulous, and worthy of obsession all on her own. But she does need some new bras or opaque shirts or some strategically placed Kermit the Frog dolls, dammit, because this nipple-pasty thing has got to stop. A little décolletage is one thing, but exposing the entirety of one's underboob — nay, boobs — is more vulgar than running around in only a leotard, blazer, and panty hose.

Jacked from The Cut