When the world saw the first paparazzi photos of Ariana Madix filming the much-anticipated “Scandoval” reunion episode of Vanderpump Rules, she didn’t need to say anything to telegraph how she was feeling about her ex. Her message was written on her sweatsuit: “1 800 Boys Lie.”
The photos of Madix in the perfectly on-the-nose set became a viral moment, and encapsulated a classic type of celebrity PR: revenge dressing. In the modern social media version, where photos from Backgrid get disseminated almost instantly for dissection on a myriad of Instagram and TikTok accounts, famous people are now choosing to wear their message on their sleeve. Just this week Tori Spelling wore a T-shirt emblazoned with “Boys Lie” to get papped following rumors she is getting a divorce, her intent loud and clear.
The brand behind both Spelling’s and Madix’s looks, called—what else?—Boys Lie, may be made for this moment. Founded in 2018 by friends Tori Robinson and Leah O’Malley, the brand is known mainly for their oversized T-shirts and sweatsuits emblazoned with phrases like “I am not where you left me,” and “Welcome to the dog house.” The brand first went viral when Gigi Hadid stepped out in a “Boys Lie” set following her breakup with Tyler Cameron in 2019, and quickly became a favorite of online celebrities like Alix Earle, Alexandra Cooper, and Lauren Wolfe; last year the brand says it did $8 million in sales.
But the VPR moment has catapulted Boys Lie into a new stratosphere, making it the It brand to show strength in the face of embarrassment or heartbreak. After all, a Princess Di–esque revenge LBD may feel good, but being comfortable in a sweatsuit that telegraphs how little of a fuck you give may just feel even better. The women who wear Boys Lie gear, especially its oversized sweatsuits, are embracing a new type of “revenge dress,” one that is unapologetic, loud, and firmly uninterested in the male gaze.
This is the ethos that Robinson and O’Malley, both 29, hoped to spread when they started their company five years ago. They are thrilled and shocked that so many women, even celebrities, have jumped on board so quickly. But it’s validating, too, that so many are resonating with their messaging.
“If you’re wearing Boys Lie, you don’t have to be showing your body,” O’Malley says. “You can feel sexy in an oversized hoodie and sweatpants because you feel confident in it. And as long as you’re feeling confident, you feel, I think, the most beautiful.”
Glamour caught up with Robinson and O’Malley to discuss how they’re seizing the moment, why they’re saying no to sponcon, and how they have drawn inspiration from both poetry and reality TV in crafting their now iconic taglines. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Glamour: Let’s talk about your viral Ariana Madix moment. How did she get her hands on the set?
Leah O’Malley: We got a reach-out from her stylist, Emily Men, asking to be given a set for Ariana. At first we were like, Oh my God. We didn’t know if she was gonna wear it walking into the reunion, but that was kind of what the email had mentioned.
When did you realize you were now a part of Scandoval history?
Leah: We actually had our sales rep visiting us from New York, and she was sitting next to us at the table and I scared her because I screamed so loudly when I saw…I think it popped up on my Instagram from like TMZ or something.
Tori Robinson: I feel like, for me, it solidified the brand’s purpose and it brought the brand’s ethos to another level, where Boys Lie really is a way to wear your heart on your sleeve, and it is something all walks of life can relate to.
Let’s back up to the beginning of that brand ethos. What’s the Boys Lie origin story?
Leah: Tori and I are both from Pennsylvania…. We actually grew up right down the street from one another. We became really close in college because our boyfriends at the time were best friends.
Tori: After that, we ended up dumping both our boyfriends and becoming best friends. We were seeing each other go through these crazy highs and lows and these insane relationships. “Boys lie” were words that we would use throughout those years, almost like a mantra.
Leah: It was like our slogan, we would say it when we were feeling kind of down in the dumps.
Tori: One night we were in New York City and we ended up drunk somehow in a fire station and we started screaming “Boys lie!” to the streets. We just have this super-drunken moment and we’re like, Oh my God, we should do something with this…. The next morning I woke up really hungover and I realized the name hadn’t been trademarked yet, so I was like, Let’s file for a trademark.
Tori, you were working in the makeup industry, so initially you guys envisioned Boys Lie as a makeup brand, but it didn’t really work out. How did you transition to clothing?
Tori: When we launched, we had this site of “Boys Lie” merch, which was structured similarly to how Pat McGrath structured her business. When she first started, she had these bomber jackets that just said Pat McGrath on it to get the name out there. It turns out we did not have any influence or get a lot of traction with makeup, but we did end up getting reach-outs from people who really wanted our hoodies. That started this domino effect, and we started to focus on clothing.
Boys Lie isn’t just a fun catchphrase, right? What are you trying to convey with your brand’s messaging?
Tori: It is really meant to be just an empowering phrase or saying. We started with mood boards and memes that were funny relationship experiences, and we started creating this community of people online who were going through different types of breakups. It’s something all walks of life can relate to on a certain level. Whether you’re getting fired from your favorite job or having a romantic or friendship breakup, heartbreak is universal. Everyone has gone through some type of heartbreak and we created the brand off of that. It’s always been in our DNA to be an empowering brand.
How do you think Boys Lie is empowering women?
Leah: I think what’s really cool is that this brand you can wear and you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve and you’re saying exactly how you feel without even having to say the words themselves. So you’re really able to express yourself. Seeing Ariana step out in that set, she looked beautiful, she looked confident.
Tori: It was a very singular, solitary way for her to just go out and express herself without actually having to say anything. I feel like, in that way, silence is kind of the loudest noise.
Is a Boys Lie sweatsuit trying to be the new “revenge body” or “revenge dress”?
Tori: To a certain extent, yeah. I would say we’re not only selling a product. I would say we’re selling an emotion; we’re selling a community of people that are learning how to heal and they’re engaging with each other too throughout that healing process.
Social media is a huge part of your brand strategy. How did you become so big online?
Tori: I hate using the word organic, but we have had such an organic following. Even from the get-go when Leah and I started the transition period of us pivoting from makeup to clothing, we started building out these really close relationships with our customers.
Leah: When it comes to gifting and picking out those, like, TikTokers or Alix Earle type of people…we essentially just gift them and if they wanna wear it, if they wanna post and tag amazing. We don’t pay anyone to wear our clothes. We never have. We pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t have any sort of ambassador program. We’re not looking for that at all. If you relate to the brand and you like the product…you’ll wear it and you’ll post it.
Interesting, why are you so against sponcon?
Tori: With the makeup brand, we did pay people to post to try and get the name out there and it just kind of suffocated the brand’s funds and it didn’t make the brand feel authentic or trustworthy. And when we pivoted, we were like, We’re not gonna do this anymore. All these celebrities that are wearing it…they’re wearing it genuinely because they love the product and that’s really what matters most to us in regards to marketing.
Leah: I don’t think we’re fully ever against it, but we just haven’t found a person that we see as valuable enough.
Tori: I just feel like the brand resonates with anyone from any standing and you shouldn’t have to single out one person to be a part of it.
How are you planning on using this momentum from your viral moment? I know you just launched a podcast, where you are sharing bad dating stories from your followers and advice. Why get into media?
Leah: I’ve been wanting to do a podcast for a while. I’ve been listening to podcasts for a long time, and I think it’s another way to market yourself and to market the brand and also to get your name out there. And I thought it was a really great opportunity to give a voice to those who want their stories to be heard.
Your brand is probably best known for the cheekily subversive phrases you put on your clothing, like my fave, “Lack of commitment to self improvement is unattractive.” How do you come up with them?
Tori: It’s collaborative. Some people will reach out in our DMs and be like, You should throw this quote on a hoodie. Sometimes they come from TV shows. We have one that says, “If you love me, why would you say that?” And on the back it says, “It’s all lies darling.”
Leah: That came from something [star] Juliette said on the reality show Siesta Key.
Tori: I was like, Wow…I can really relate to that.
What’s your personal favorite Boys Lie phrase?
Tori: For me, I think “I’m not where you left me.” When I look back at five years ago…I feel like those were just different people. And I love where we’re at.
Leah: One of my favorites is a quote we used from an incredible poet Carson Patrick Bowie. He’s an incredible writer and he’s our friend.
So you guys are at the same time getting inspo from Siesta Key and poetry?
Leah: [Laughs.] Yeah. Really all over the place.
