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Ariana Grande has confessed that she once wore oversized hoodies all the time because she “wanted to hide away.”
The 32-year-old actor discussed the most memorable fashion moments of her career in a recent video for Vogue’s Life in Looks series. The installment included a 2018 photo of Grande leaving her apartment in New York City, while wearing her signature look at the time: an oversized sweatshirt, thigh-high boots, and a high ponytail.
However, according to Grande, there’s deeper meaning behind the outfit, explaining that 2018 “was a very strange time” in her life. She was reeling from the 2017 Manchester Arena attack at her concert that left 22 people dead, while simultaneously dealing with her fast and furious romance with Pete Davidson and then the death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller.
“I was processing a lot, and I always wanted to hide away in something really cozy,” the Wicked star explained of the look she was often photographed in. “But I remember that the boots still made me feel c***. I genuinely at the time did not have the mental energy to consider clothing.”
“So the easiest thing for me was to throw on a sweatshirt and a c***y boot, and that was how it happened,” Grande continued. “I’m sorry to say it. This is just the honest truth.”
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Ariana Grande says she wore hoodies all the time in 2018 because she was ‘processing a lot’ (Getty Images)
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Ariana Grande’s signature look was thigh-high boots and an oversized sweatshirt (Getty Images)
The “Thank U, Next” singer faced several personal challenges around the time she leaned into the cozy look. In May 2017, a suicide bomber detonated a homemade explosive device at Grande’s concert at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and injuring 500 more. While the tour was suspended after the incident, Grande returned to Manchester two weeks later for a benefit concert.
She later spoke about suffering “physical” anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder after the tragedy. She also shared a letter to fans in November 2018, where she wrote that the attack “will leave me speechless and filled with questions for the rest of my life.”
Grande also had a whirlwind romance with Pete Davidson in 2018. The two got engaged after just weeks of dating, but ultimately broke up amid another of Grande’s personal tragedies.
In September 2018, Grande’s ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, died from an accidental overdose at the age of 26. She posted an emotional tribute to Miller on Instagram at the time, calling him her “dearest friend, above anything else.” She also said she “adored” him from the day she met him and always would.
During an interview with Vogue in 2019, the “Dangerous Woman” singer spoke about her “all-consuming” feelings of grief after Miller’s death.
“By no means was what we had perfect, but, like, f***. “He was the best person ever, and he didn’t deserve the demons he had,” she said. “I was the glue for such a long time, and I found myself becoming . . . less and less sticky. The pieces just started to float away.”