As Shopbop Stylist Amanda referenced in a previous post, fashion inspiration can show up in some unlikely places. In my case, a community theatre production of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. As Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and Bob Cratchit were put through their paces, I sat in the semi-darkness, enchanted by the cast’s Dickensian-era London getups: a rough-hewn, melancholy mix of checks, tweeds, plaid flannels, frayed hems, rustic knits, and weather-beaten footwear.
Is looking to this timeworn tale of greed and spiritual redemption for styling tips in poor taste? Perhaps. But I find some comfort in the fact that I’m not the only one taking sartorial cues from the time of Oliver Twist. The minds behind Rag & Bone clothing, SMYTHE blazers, and hipster outpost Opening Ceremony boutique (their sweater pictured above) pay homage to the Edwardians with their haberdashery tailoring, nostalgic palette, and English schoolboy-style oversized cardigans, while oxford lace-up shoes from Elizabeth and James footwear have all the timeless appeal of a first-edition, leather-bound literary classic.
--Maureen
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