Darlings, let me tell you, if you haven’t seen The Duchess on Netflix, you’re in for a treat. Please start 2021 with a laugh and a look at style in The Duchess. Recently I wrote about Emily In Paris, another fashion saturated T.V. show, however The Duchess is an entirely different fashion adventure. The British have a way with comedy, and so do the Canadians. This comedy series stars Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan, unleashed on the streets of London. Ryan wrote and produced the show. To clarify, The Duchess may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, its dry humor quick witted parlance and regular uninhibited cussing is infectious and just plain funny.
Ryan plays the single mother to her nine-year-old daughter Olive. Significantly the combative relationship with her ex is front and center. While her profession is one of artist pottery-maker, her real calling is being the Duchess of her own mind. However loud, objectionable, and bitchy her character grows on you. Her daily walks to school are a fashion coup de force.
THE DUCHESS STYLE
In order to bring her character to life, Katherine insisted on bringing her real-life glam squad on board. Fiona Eustace and stylist Jennifer Michalski-Bray bring the fabulously eccentric wardrobe of The Duchess to life. The Duchess wardrobe is a brilliant example of how style can set you apart. I love how the chic, offbeat, quirky looks steal the show. Here are my favorite looks, and how you can create a whimsical, unconventional style.
THE DUCHESS WARDROBE
PJ’S ON THE LONDON STREETS
First, we have the feathered PJ’s Katherine wears on her school run with daughter Olive. I love it when camp meets fashion, this outfit is the epitome of that. If you can pull off feathers, you can conquer the world. While this fabulous look is PJ’s, feathering your wardrobe can come in many styles, these are my faves.
Sleeper
Cult Gaia
Christopher Kane
Silvia Astore
THE DUCHESS WARDROBE
MONOCHROMATIC STYLE
Red is the most eye-catching and daring color you can wear. Therefore it is no surprise our fashion star Katherine pulls off a complete red look. Certainly monochromatic outfits are more common in neutrals, but here this brilliant red ensemble is as stylish as it gets. The red tulle skirt is original and trendsetting. In fact part of what we learn from The Duchess stylists is don’t be confined by what is dictated by tradition. Therefore if you want to create a daring unique style don’t be afraid to express yourself .For example wearing an evening dress in the day or going head to toe in a brilliant color . Sometimes defining your own style means breaking all the norms and coming up with an unconventional approach to dressing.
Marchesa Notte
Stand Studio
Junya Watanabe
THE DUCHESS WARDROBE
DAY TIME GLAMOUR
This kooky look with it’s unique style has grown on me since I first saw it. The juxtaposition of all the elements come together as a total ensemble. While some might reserve this metallic Zandra Rhodes dress for a special occasion some how it just works for the Monday morning school drop. The dress resembles one a little girl might wear to a My Little Pony festival, but in a good way. Furthermore the pairing of this velvet jacket by Racil and the patterned socks by Gucci add an air of eccentricity. Moreover the addition of these fuchsia heels by Guiseppe Zanotti and the YSL bag finish this look with style. While the Zandra Rhodes dress is no longer available here are choices to get a similar look.
Batsheva
Halpern
A.L.C.
Giuseppe Zanotti
Gucci
THE DUCHESS WARDROBE
GLAD TO BE PLAID
While the outfits in The Duchess are individualistic this is Katherines most conservative look. Since this is the ensemble that Katherine wears to meet Evan’s parents the designer chose something traditional. However this is traditional in Katherines wardrobe. I love the plaid coat by brand Mother of Pearl. Alongside the many outfits Katherine wears are her countless headbands and an endless parade of the most fabulous handbags.
Mother Of Pearl
Dolce & Gabbana
Shrimps
Magnetic Midnight
THE DUCHESS WARDROBE
SEQUINS ARE FOREVER AND EVER…..
While sequins have been the realm of evening wear . drag queens and entertainers this started to change several years ago. In deed we started to see sequins being worn between dawn and dusk. Sequins much to my delight have started turning up everywhere. In the shot above Katherine wears a purple sequin wrap dress. Moreover The Duchess stylists do not shy a way from sequins. In fact a silver sequin coat stole another scene for its stylish on the edge day look.
Natasha Zinko
Pinko
ATTICO
P.A.R.O.S.H.
Herno
IN CONCLUSION
The Duchess is a T.V. show that has style. Fashion is one thing however style is entirely different . I have written many times about developing your own style here are a few of those posts:
While I love the style of The Duchess and I encourage you choosing to emulate some of the looks, the idea behind this post is to help you develop your own style. Fashion is about following the trends of the fashion world while style is about adapting fashion to present your creativity and finesse. I will write more on style in the future.
CIAO FOR NOW J.ANDREW
