Header image courtesy of Teen Vogue.
If you’ve seen any episode at all of Emily in Paris, no doubt the outfits caught your eye – though some fans debate on how good they actually look, everyone can agree that they’re attention-grabbing, especially when it comes to plucky protagonist Emily Cooper’s outfits. How does she afford all of them? We can’t tell you that, but we can tell you:
- Our favorite outfits in Emily In Paris
- What Emily’s outfits say about her
- How to emulate Emily’s look (without breaking the bank)
The Best of Emily’s Outfits
It’s Hard To Choose!
1. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, B– Wait, wrong show!
This outfit is such a classic – the Nefertiti scarab-print habotai blouse (designed by La DoubleJ) is a beautiful top that manages to be busy without being distracting, and the gorgeous green of the Jett high-waisted shorts by Manokhi matches the green of the top’s pattern effortlessly. Combined with the Noa emerald drop earrings by Ottoman Hands, Emily’s got an outfit that is definitely turning heads!
2. Bodysuit Chic
In this fit, Emily pairs an Adidas X Farm Rio Premium Bodysuit with White and Beige XT-4 OG Sneakers by Salomon – and it paid off! In typical Emily fashion, the bodysuit has very busy patterns and colors, but despite how eclectic they are, they look damn good together. The black shirt she wears underneath also helps provide a good contrast for the bodysuit, making the colors really pop. Surprisingly, the Adidas bodysuit is currently available for only $55, making it affordable in comparison to some of her other items (the XT-4 OG sneakers, on the other hand, will run you for $190, making them more of a splurge item – though ironically, they’re still very much on the cheaper side when it comes to Emily’s shoes).
3. Flower Power
Professional meets chic in this multi-designer outfit. The monochrome of Emily’s top and tie (both from Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2014 Ready-To-Wear Collection) clash in a bold-yet-pleasing way with her red Miu Miu leather jacket, and her Ozias Paris panther bag ties it all together. The outfit is smart and put-together, but the black-and-white floral tie just screams Emily.
4. Check Print
While not as loud as some of her outfits, Emily’s Eclipse Soft Bandeau Check Print Top by Livy is certainly a bold look. In our opinion, it pays off, paired with her jacket from the Barbara Bui Pre Fall 2017 Collection. Her Glam'Azone Double Ring by Messika is subtle yet striking, and her Louis Vuitton Buildings Minaudiere bag (which, on its own, costs a whopping $7600 USD) adds that finishing touch.
How Emily’s Character Shines Through Her Outfits
“When you are not dressed like everybody else, you are not thinking like everybody else”
In a fascinating interview with costume designer Marilyn Fitoussi (who also styled Sex and the City), Fitoussi states that her number one rule when designing the costumes was not to follow fashion. Instead, she “looks to who the characters are and the scenes they are in to shape what they wear.”
With this in mind, it’s easy to see the logic behind how Emily’s outfits are put together. They’re very bold and out there, with striking colors and loud designs. They’re eye-catching and charming, though sometimes, they can admittedly miss the mark, and can come across as a little frivolous or silly. Compared to how the Paris natives usually dress, she stands out quite readily. As Fitoussi says, “When you are not dressed like everybody else, you are not thinking like everybody else,” and that’s exactly what Emily is there to do – to give the French a new, unique perspective.
Though Fitoussi designs most of the costumes for Emily in Paris, notably, there are times other costume designers take over – for example, Fitoussi and Collins turned to Harris Reed for Emily’s masquerade ball look. Inspired by Truman Capote and Eliza Doolittle, the goal they settled on was “to make a strong impact, have something that felt quite iconic.” Reed also noted that he related to Emily, being someone with big dreams, and who goes about things in his own way. These traits often show up physically in Emily’s designs, with her being in so many flashy, unique outfits that aren’t afraid to take up space.
How To Emulate Emily’s Looks
The Key Components of Her Wardrobe
Each of Emily’s outfits, of course, is quite expensive – but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to emulate them. The trick is, rather than focusing on the brand, focus on the color and style of the pieces you like, and work from there. If you loved the green leather shorts she wore, for example, searching “high-waisted leather shorts” rather than “Manokhi shorts” will help you find shorts that are similar in appearance, but won’t cost your entire paycheck.
Emily’s wardrobe has a couple of key elements:
1. Lots of patterns
Stripes, beetles, flowers, checkers – Emily loves them all. If you’re someone who feels nervous wearing loud patterns, this might be a good chance to try it out. If you have a pattern you love but feel self-conscious about, wear it out and see how it makes you feel! If you love something, be it sunflowers or beetles or little horses, you might just love literally wearing it on your sleeve.
2. Bright colors
No blending in for Emily. You’ll notice that very often, her outfits will have at least pops of color – red, yellow, whatever you’ve got. On the rare occasion she wears something “plain” like white, it’s often unique in other ways, such as this white applique blazer and skirt suit she wore in Season 4 Episode 10.
3. Accessories
Pretty often, Emily’s got accessories – you’ll see her with hats and scarves, and often some earrings (notably, she wears both gold and silver – seems like she’s not that fussy!). Compared to the rest of her wardrobe, the earrings she wears are often more subtle, but still gorgeous pieces. You’ll also see her carrying a purse or a bag more often than not.
If you have a very specific item you’re interested in, try Worn On TV or Spotern – both sites collect screencaps of various outfits, and identify the designers of the different items. Spotern can also help you start to find alternative versions on other websites, such as Amazon and eBay.
Putting It All Together
Just for practice, let’s put together one of Emily’s outfits – we’ve chosen to do #3, flower power. First things first, we searched for the top. On a search for a black-and-white checkered top, we found that Etsy had one of the closest button-downs, ranging from $42.99-$48.99. Next up was Walmart, with a similar but more casual shirt for $26. Though the pattern is diamonds instead of squares, it keeps the patterned black-and-white look, making it a viable substitute.
The tie is where you can get fun with it – searching “black and white floral tie” brings up a ton of options, allowing you to either choose a close alternative, such as this tie by TieObsessed on Etsy (starting at $21.90), or going for a more abstract version like this tie by Buckle-Down, priced at $19.95. The important part to remember here is that the tie is of similar coloration to the top, but with a different pattern. Keeping this in mind can help you style your own, different outfits with the same vibe.
Lastly, the jacket – leather jackets can be pricy, especially if you go for real leather (which we recommend, if you’re able to afford it – they’re far more durable, and it’s better for the environment than the plastic that will clog up landfills for years on end), but sites like Walmart and DHgate do have good, affordable options for faux leather. If you can afford a little more, Etsy has a ton of retailers with beautiful handmade options. You can also check out your local thrift store, and online used clothes retailers like Ebay or Poshmark.
That’s it for our guide to the best of Emily’s outfits in Emily in Paris – which outfit of hers is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
