Kaitlan Collins' Bold Jorts Look At The 2026 US Open Needed A Few Tweaks To Fully Hit The Mark
Kaitlan Collins stepped out at the 2026 U.S. Open in an ensemble that was a notable departure from her on-air looks. She wore a polka-dotted top with a V-shaped neckline along with a pair of loose-fitting white jorts. The CNN reporter accessorized with red kitten heels, a small handbag in a matching shade, and a boxy, cream-colored bomber jacket featuring a cropped silhouette. While there is definitely a strong vision behind this sport-side look, it didn't stick the landing with the proportions and overall styling.
With this in mind, Women spoke exclusively to Cynthia Kennedy, personal stylist and Your Style Transformation Academy creator, for an expert analysis of this slight fashion misstep. Jorts have become a summer staple for the mid-2020s, becoming a playful closet addition that feels at home in the dressing-like-a-dad fashion trend. In this way, Kennedy explains it's not the bold choice of bottoms that misses the mark here, but rather the outfit's proportions.
"The cut on these jorts is long and loose, and when you put an oversized layer over them, it creates an excess of volume without any real form or structure," the stylist says, explaining that something with a better fit, such as a polo or tailored button-down, would be a serviceable alternative. She adds, "If you decided to keep the present shirt, a belt or a neater tuck would have given it some definition." Still, Collins could've tweaked more than the outfit's balance.
Kaitlan's outfit would've benefited from purposeful styling
While Kaitlan Collins has undergone a style glow-up, that doesn't mean that the White House correspondent gets it right every time. The outfit she wore at the U.S. Open had some issues with fit and balance, but some styling tweaks could have made an impact. "Pairing two oversized items can be done if there's some intention behind it, but here the look fell short on what was needed to bring balance to the ensemble," Cynthia Kennedy exclusively tells Women. "A structured bag or a polished shoe would've added that little something extra to tie it all together."
On the topic of the shoe, Collins was obviously opting for a pop of color with red kitten heels. She carried this shade into a small bag, but one that could barely be seen on the red carpet. Not only would it have been great to see the reporter embrace this fun sprinkle of color, but the overall look would've been a more cohesive color story with a jacket in a different shade, such as black. Overall, while this ensemble needed some expert-approved tweaks, she definitely gets points for going for the fun factor. And there have been other times when the TV personality stuck the style landing, like these casual Kaitlan Collins outfits that shine a light on her playful, off-air style.
