The Secret to Dressing Like a ‘90s Supermodel
The Secret to Dressing Like a ‘90s Supermodel
It’s all about finding the perfect fit. Here's how.
This winter, my entire MO has been dressing like a ‘90s supermodel. Think unfussy bootleg jeans paired with an oversized button-down shirt so large it threatens to become sentient at any minute. Or a classic khaki trench coat worn over top a pair of loose-fitting trousers and a skin tight turtleneck. It’s all about ease. These gazelle-like creatures were such vaunted specimens of nature they had the ability to step out in the rumpled clothes sitting atop their laundry bin and still look amazing. I mean, technically, that was their job. But the reason why people still pore over images of Cindy Crawford in boot cut jeans thirty years after the fact like a citizen detective trying to solve a cold case, isn’t because she was preternaturally hot – it’s because she made looking hot so freaking simple.
Photos of Kate Moss in a ratty tank top, or Iman in a stripey turtleneck, are eternally thrilling because they contain an air of cultivated nonchalance. Everyone dreams of being able to roll out of bed and put together an outfit that looks perfect in thirty seconds flat; these women actually seem to possess the ability to do so. But you don’t need to be born with a face/body that refuses to get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day to achieve this effect. All you need is a solid understanding of how clothing is supposed to fit.
Notice Cindy’s turtleneck is quite loose in the arms yet the fabric hugs her neck perfectly. Naomi’s tousled hat rests precariously on her head while still being tight enough to avoid falling off. Linda’s skirt skims her hips in a way that creates a fluid shape; you might suspect that’s just the way her body looks but it’s actually a tailoring technique. Items can be oversized but never sloppy. One or two sizes larger than their regular, sure, but would Linda Evangelista ever deign to put on a pair of JNCOs with a pair of draggy hems? Never.
As we all know, off-the-rack clothing isn’t made to fit the majority of people. But occasionally you will stumble across an item that looks so perfect on your body, it feels like it was made specifically for you. Your entire being lights up and you begin to see the world anew. This is what happen when you find clothing that fits perfectly. It can change your goddamn worldview! You might even own some things like this already, and are probably the things you reach for time and time again.
The trick to dressing like a ‘90s supermodel is that you can ONLY buy clothing that elicits this feeling. You must have a ruthless sense of discernment when it comes to deciding whether or not a piece deserves a place in your wardrobe. Look in the mirror and ask yourself: does this look perfect on me? If the answer is no, put it back. Oh, and you must commit to this shopping strategy for the rest of your life.
It sounds difficult, but I promise it pays off in dividends. Over time, your wardrobe will transform into a veritable treasure chest of endless delight. You will never have “nothing to wear.” Picking out outfits will never feel blah or uninspiring. You will begin to feel energized, beautiful, confident, nonchalant…dare I say, more like a ‘90s supermodel?
As important a consideration to look is feel. Even if an item looks perfect, if it pinches, pulls, or constricts breathing, it will only irritate you and you will rue the day you wasted your hard-earned dollars on it. You will be miserable every single second you are wearing it and count down the hours before you can return home and rip it off your body. This is not conducive to cultivating a sense of ease, for obvious reasons. (An aside: I recently read a story written by an author who regularly buys too-small shoes and winced throughout the entire thing. I’ve never related to anything less in my entire life.)
So there you go. Dressing like a 90s supermodel isn’t about buying a specific pair of jeans. It’s about finding the one pair out of a thousand that look exactly right on you. Some suggest that you can get away with buying clothes that aren’t quite right and get them tailored to fit properly, which is a reasonable suggestion, but most people just end up with a pile of mid clothes sitting on their dresser that they never bother to get fixed. So unless you actually plan on doing the tedious errands, I wouldn’t bother.
So go forth, and be ruthless in your pursuit of perfection. The next time you find yourself in a dressing room hemming and hawing, just ask yourself, is it perfect? Would Kate Moss want to wear this? If the answer is no, let it go. Don’t buy clothes that make you look or feel less than $10,000 a day.