This Fictional Fifties Fashionista Is My Underrated Summer Style Icon
Musings on Eilis from 'Brooklyn' (2015) and her perennially chic staples.
I’m whatever the opposite of a cinephile is, but nothing makes me crave a movie like a long flight. This past week, as I cozied up in a crammed United Airlines economy row and scrolled their ample film selection, I decided to do something I almost never do: rewatch a movie I’ve already seen. More often than not, once is enough!
For my in-flight entertainment, I gave James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown a second watch. The first time around, my priorities included listening to songs I loved, trying to figure out everyone’s obsession with Timothée Chalamet, and calling attention to the scenes I’d seen filming in Hoboken just last year.
This time around, I was better able to enjoy the plot. But both times, I got distracted by the same stunning dress.
Near the film’s end, in Newport for the folk festival, Dylan’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Sylvie (the enchanting Elle Fanning) calls it off one last time and catches the ferry home. She does so in what I can only describe as the perfect summer dress, which I’ve since learned was a custom piece made from Marimekko fabric.
The dress was feminine but easy, timeless but fresh. I would wear it now in a heartbeat. Post-credits, I was still thinking about how damn good this dress was — and it reminded me of the wardrobe from one of my all-time favorite films, 2015’s Brooklyn.
Like I said, I’m no movie buff, but I adore this film and the journey of Eilis Lacey, a young Irish immigrant who moves to Brooklyn and falls in love with an Italian-American plumber. The movie itself is fantastic, but Eilis — played by a favorite, Saoirse Ronan — and her wardrobe are exceptionally stellar.
Per an interview with Entertainment Weekly, costume designer Odile Dicks-Mireaux shares that Eilis’s modest but compelling wardrobe was somewhat inspired by a young Grace Kelly, and claims to have been going for a “natural, graceful” style, which I believe she absolutely nailed.
Eilis is a practical young woman trying to make a living in a new country. She isn’t splurging on fancy dresses, and she isn’t buying statement pieces. Still, she appreciates a traditionally feminine look, and as she comes into her own and embraces life in America, her wardrobe blossoms.
Crisp shirtdresses, patterned skirts, and playful accessories abound — and everything gets reworn throughout the film, to further imply Eilis’s preference for practicality over frivolousness.
Not only is her relaxed, feminine wardrobe flattering, but totally timeless. Similar styles can be found on J. Crew, Boden, Tuckernuck, and Hill House Home as we speak, proving that a great dress really is one of the most enduring staples a girl can rely on.
Shop The Look: Tuckernuck Chloe Dress ($298); Strathberry The Strathberry Basket ($395); Reformation Prim Linen Dress ($248); Vibi Venezia Mary Jane Messina Cotton Slippers ($118); Versace Cat Eye Sunglasses ($236; was $536); Longchamp Le Pliage Filet Mesh Bag ($120); VIOLETTE_FR Bisou Balm Sheer Matte Lipstick ($29).
Eilis’s Coney Island attire is perhaps my favorite — who doesn’t love a patterned skirt with a crisp white top? Further, she’s accessorized with a red leather-trimmed wicker basket bag and silver cat-eye sunnies, two subtle statements that evoke a sense of confidence we certainly don’t see in the film’s earliest scenes, when Eilis is hesitant to come to America and begin a new life away from her mother.
Shop The Look: PB Teen Riviera Stripe Reversible Beach Towel ($35); Farm Rio Pink Garden Terrace Midi Skirt ($198); Eileen Fisher Linen Cotton Cropped Cardigan ($198); Hunter Belle Tatum Skirt ($385); Andre Assous Ramy Sandal ($329); Hill House Home Adelaide Top ($150); Warby Parker Millie Sunglasses ($95); Fossil Harlow Watch ($150); RPZL Ivory Shell Claw Clip ($25); Mark & Graham Seaside Wicker Crossbody Bag ($72, was $169).
Eilis’s wardrobe is a great reminder that there is simply no microtrend that can outdo a classic silhouette. Yes, she might’ve been the face of the butter yellow movement long before this year’s resurgence, but Eilis stuck to the basics and never looked dull.
Shop The Look: Simkhai Jazz Cotton Midi Dress ($475); Larroudé Verona Macrame Ballet Flat ($330); J. Crew Cotton Poplin Zip-up Shirtdress ($178); Rothy’s The Espadrille Mary Jane ($149), JW Pei Danna Top Handle Bag ($109); Boden Emilia Cotton Crew Cardigan ($68, was $90).
I’m linking new market to shop these looks, but really, they’re meant to be a reminder that you don’t always need the next new thing. Eilis — and Sylvie, too, for that matter — wore pieces that could and would garner compliments today, and there’s something to be said for that kind of perennial good taste.
x BG
if i won the lottery i wouldn’t tell anyone, but there would be signs (my entire wardrobe would be farm rio). that skirt is stunning!