Honorary Brit! Rihanna breaks out red, white and blue Union Flag crop top - and some breathtakingly short hotpants - at V Festival

By Jody Thompson

Last updated at 2:25 AM on 21st August 2011

After a few days of wearing rather more clothes than is customary for her as she got to grips with a less-than-sizzling British summer, it was business as usual for Rihanna last night at the V Festival.

The Loud star took to the stage at the Staffordshire leg of the two-day bash in some eye-wateringly short studded denim hotpants - and a tiny cropped Union Flag style top embellished with safety pins.

The 23-year-old singer finished her look with some raunchy fishnet stockings and a studded black leather jacket.

But despite temperatures being considerably lower than in her native Barbados, or even her adopted home of Los Angeles, Rihanna soon discarded the jacket after working up a sweat knocking out a string of her hits for thousands of fans in Weston Park.

Cheeky: Rihanna had donned the shortest of studded denim hotpants and a customised Union Flag top at V Festival in Staffordshire last night

Rated R: Few singers could get away with Rihanna's raunchy outfit

Kick it: The star was wearing lace up stiletto boots too

The Rude Boy singer was doing her best to whip the crowd into a frenzy ahead of last night's headliner on that leg of the festival, Eminem.

Writing on her Twitter straight after her sensational show, she wrote: '#VFESTDay1 I LOVE YOU!!! 80'000 screaming rockstars!!! I can't wait to see Eminem!!!!'

Also on the bill yesterday at the northern leg of the do were The Script, The Saturdays, Primal Scream, Pendulum and Manic Street Preachers.

Rude girl: The Bajan star threw some suggestive shapes as she danced along to her songs

On song: The star put in an impressive performance of a string of her hits

Playing Chelmsford yesterday meanwhile were the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Plan B, Dizzee Rascal, KT Tunstall and Jessi J.

Rihanna and Eminem meanwhile travel down with the rest of yesterday's Stafforshire bill to play the Chelmsford leg of the al fresco fandango at the city's Hylands Park - where all the celebrities were hanging out yesterday.

They included Coleen Rooney, the cast of The Inbetweeners and naturally, The Only Way Is Essex, and Billie Piper.

Music fan: The star said after her set that she couldn't wait to see headliner Eminem

Leather and fishnets: It was more of Rihanna's normal style than her recent fashion forays in the UK

Rihanna will then have a break from her long-running tour promoting her album Loud, before playing another festival in Brazil next month.

She's been making the most of her time in the UK so far however, and spent Friday at the official UK launch of her perfume Reb'l Fleur.

As part of the promotion, she also personally met 400 of her fans at London's House Of Fraser flagship Oxford Street branch.

However, despite covering up in a grown-up outfit with a feathery top, she drew criticism from some fashion fans who felt she'd failed to make the mark.

So presumably last night, Rihanna decided to keep her fans happy and stick to her 'less is more' mantra...