For nearly a decade as a fashion reporter and editor, I've watched celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner rewrite the rules of fashion right before my eyes. They have made hot pants look like real pants, layered leopard with leopard, and purposely dressed up oversized suits, pants, and bags as if they were custom-made. This fall, the A-list seems poised for a more accessible, but equally surprising, fashion challenge.

During Fashion Month, my laptop screen was as full of chic, no-nonsense gray sweaters as it was of naked dresses, corset tops, and thigh-high boots. It appealed to my knit-loving heart and my more sensible personal style: finally, I had found a celebrity-approved item that I didn't feel unsafe wearing. The items themselves, such as the button-up cardigan and the pullover crew neck, are entirely familiar. What makes these items special is the sophisticated combinations.

The first and most routinely applicable example of the celebrity fall gray sweater renaissance comes from Mrs. Bieber herself. Out at Sushi Park with Kendall Jenner, she styled a gray sweater from Reset over a white T-shirt like a light jacket. Paired with barrel-leg jeans, a huge tote from The Row, and tinted sunglasses, plus a Blackberry manicure and signature slick-back bun, the Lorde mogul looked ready for business or a deep gossip session. Comfortable fall basics never looked so cool.

5,645 miles away in Paris, Goop founder and CB2 collaborator Gwyneth Paltrow proved how chic a basic V-neck sweater can be. She grabbed a sheer cashmere knit from her own G.Label by Goop line, cinched her waist with a leather belt, and slipped it in carelessly over loose jeans. An aviator leader cinched the neckline and half-sleeves added a laid-back charm, Birkin bag or no Birkin bag.

Between Gwyneth and H. Beebe, there were many more charcoal and slate gray sweaters. But it was Rosalia's look that made us abandon our assumptions about gray sweaters. The morning after her star-studded Paris birthday party, she left the hotel with her longline trench coat all unbuttoned, revealing a gray cardigan and matching pleated skirt. At the risk of sounding bookish, the cardigan had been made to birthday princess specifications by fastening the top two buttons of the cardigan to reveal her bare stomach underneath. The juxtaposition of plain, conservative tops with flashes of skin is truly *chef's kiss*

All of this styling feels like a successor to Katie Holmes' 2019 Kaite cashmere cardigan and matching bralette. (These items are available in endless varieties, so anyone on any budget can wear them. And if you unbutton a few buttons or wear the right layers underneath, they are more than just a fall closet necessity. It's a sexy staple. Thank you, Haley, Rosalia, and Gwyneth, for reminding us.