How to Dress Like an It-Girl This Winter
By Caroline Downey
The fashion industry must have received the memo that a long season of peace and prosperity lies ahead because these winter lookbooks feel positively luxurious. We’re bullish about the new year, so why not dress to the nines? There’s so much to celebrate. We propose a toast: to relishing life in America for the first time in 4 years. Here are the winter style trends to do just that:
Give Em’ the Old Razzle Dazzle
Fall brought us silver studded bags, shoes, and jeans. Winter brings us the stud’s cousin, the rhinestone. Bling is in, especially bedazzled denim with crystals lining the seam and legs. We’re even seeing adorned stockings. We’re here for sparkle eye candy of all kinds. For your corporate holiday function or an evening at a jazz club in the city, consider statement jewels in clothing form. Sequin skirts in festive colors are *chef’s kiss *. Feather trim is also fabulous on the cuffs and collar.
Minky Mob Wife
If you’ve spent any time on X this month, you’d notice that Italians are, um, trending. Italian stallions are having their moment, so it seems. But even before that, I sensed a mob wife resurgence, and not just because of my Italian heritage. My boyfriend has been pestering me to watch The Godfather. I’ve been spotting sumptuous mink fur coats and leopard print all over Manhattan. Marisa Tomei posted a picture of herself for her 60th birthday and, wow, she hasn’t aged a day since My Cousin Vinny. The Dolce Gabbana x Skims collaboration, featuring Kim and Khloe Kardashian in sensual silky leopard bustiers, is “out of an Italian daydream.” Tombolo has an epic collaboration with HBO’s The Sopranos. The trend has a specifically Mezzogiorno bravado, referring to southern Italy. This year, my mother is even preparing the feast of the seven fishes, the Italian Christmas Eve dinner tradition. Buon Natale.
Bordeaux Baby
Burgundy and bordeaux, crimson and cranberry. These deep shades of red are essential for a holiday wardrobe and carry well into the new year. We’re spotting leather trenches, woven leather bags, and wool coats. It’s not exactly groundbreaking but it is extremely classic. I personally prefer more muted, richer reds to bright Christmas red.
Opera Glove Renaissance
There’s a feeling of old Hollywood glamour in the air. It started this summer with Sabrina Carpenter’s music video “Please, Please, Please.” Perfect for the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center or a New Year’s Eve fête, the long silk opera glove highlights the delicate femininity of the hands. It’s another example of modesty being sexy. Counterintuitively, more fabric creates more allure, more mystery. Try sheer organza gloves with stitched embellishments, perhaps paired with a fur coat or scarf. Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn approved. If anyone is throwing a masquerade ball, let me know.
Parisian Romance
It’s like a derivative of the coquette aesthetic, but more regal and aristocratic. Corsets, feminine frills, and lace trim around the neckline and cuffs will transform you into a lovely marquise — a French woman of high society. Perfect for frolicking around the Versailles palace. It seems the fussier the frock the better. Don’t get this confused with the trad wife trend; this is more Marie Antoinette than milkmaid. House of CB and For Love & Lemons have some standout silhouettes this season. Well, mademoiselle, what are you waiting for?
Caroline Downey is the editor in chief of The Conservateur and a staff writer at National Review. She can be found on Twitter @carolinedowney_.