CNN star Kaitlan Collins is known for being immaculately turned out virtually round the clock, so if the very idea that she was ever pictured looking “messy” has you scratching your head, DW, we get it. Sure enough, though, back in 2017, a then-25-year-old Collins posed for a snap with Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in a less-polished-than-usual ‘fit — and while we doubt she’d rock it again in the near future, we’re putting in a formal request that she doesn’t. 

In 2017, Hill and McGraw took their Soul2Soul tour on the road. Collins was thrilled to be at one of their shows, and in addition to posing with the husband and wife duo (and posting to the ‘gram, because obviously), NewsNation personality Kurt Bardella also shared pics of them in the crowd on X, gushing that it was “one of my fav memories from #2017.” Good vibes all round, then. However, the pendulum of life dictates that there was always going to be at least one downside … and in this case, Collins’ white top and blue jeans combo was it. 

Yes, we know white shirts and blue jeans are classic. Plus, being at a country concert, it was pretty appropriate for the setting. However, the specific type of white shirt and blue jeans that Collins wore made all the (not good) difference. For starters, the jeans were an awkward mid-rise cut. Granted, Bella Hadid was also rocking mid-rise at the time, so we’ll give Collins props for being “of the moment” — but that brings us to the shirt. Whereas Hadid paired her mid-rise jeans with more fitted tops, Collins opted for a baggy white top with a tie detail in front, and it only made things look, like we said, messy. 

Uncharacteristic as the baggy white top and mid-rise jeans outfit was for Kaitlan Collins, two details were a little closer to the sleek vibe she’s known for today. That’d be her hair and makeup. For the former, Collins went for her signature blowout (it’s no untold truth that Collins gravitates to a shiny, bouncy ‘do). As for the face beat, she was pretty consistent in that area as well, opting for uber-natural glam.

Other than her hair and makeup, we can’t see Collins trying out a similar style anytime soon. After all, though she has been known to play around with more unexpected styles (like the time she and Dana Perino wore the same jacket), she’s typically found ways to make them look fresh and fun, rather than out of place or messy. She’s also found sleeker, chic-er ways to go about baring some skin, which haven’t included unflattering, baggy tops that hit just above her lower abs. What’s more, even when Collins has gone for unexpectedly spicy ensembles, she’s managed to look super classic, opting instead for cropped tops that highlighted her upper abs. 

Has Collins’ hefty salary from CNN had anything to do with her style misses becoming fewer and farther between? Maybe. However, it’s also possible that the messy lewk Collins wore for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s concert was a fluke. Considering her style has always leaned a little more classic with the odd twist thrown in here and there, we’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that was probably the case. Even so, we’re hoping the white shirt was donated years back, because we’re definitely not keen on it being pulled out for a re-wear.