Last autumn I had fun doing a fall fashion blog. This year I haven’t really done fall fashion shopping, mostly because I splurged a lot over the summer, notably on the dress above in three different colors (black, coral, ivory, all very much or sale). It’s a dress that goes anywhere, from picnics to the black tie and the lace is remarkably sturdy, a plus for the mum of a toddler. Fortunately, lace is still very much in for fall, so I’m still wearing the dresses a bunch with cardigans and sweaters.
But thinking about fall fashion prompted me to think about what designers Suzanne and Cordelia and Laura might wear if they lived today. I think Suzanne and Cordy would both wear a lot of my favorite designer (the source of my three lace dresses) Alice Temperley of Temperley London. Not just as a nod to the author, but because the fluid, elegant, romantic but not fussy look seems to suit them both.
I browsed for them both on the Temperley website (very fun because they would have a much more generous clothing budget than I do :-). I could see Suzanne wearing this dress to a tea or luncheon (or to work, because a modern day Suzanne would certainly work). This dress also is perfect for Suzanne day to dinner and time with the children. Cordy might wear this to a cocktail party. I could see Suzanne in this dress (one of my favorites of Temperley’s Autumn/Winter collection) at a dinner party or the theater. Or during the day with a cardigan and flats. They could make a dramatic entrance at a black tie event in matching evening gowns, Suzanne in red, Cordy in blue.
Or for contrasting evening looks, I could see Suzanne in this and Cordelia in this.
Laura, on the other hand, I see as a bit more tailored. I could see her wearing a lot of L.K. Bennett, another favorite I haunt during sales. I could see Laura in this day dress, or this for dinner, or this for something more formal.
What sort of clothes do you think Suzanne, Cordelia, Laura, and others in the series would wear if they lived today? Designers, brands, styles? What present day celebrities have looks that might be similar to theirs?
We’re having a lot of fun on Google + Group – so glad more of you have joined! Do check it out if you haven’t.
Tracy Grant - Novelist 
October 1, 2015 at 3:28 am
You do know how to torture a girl, don’t you? Gorgeous clothes except for the second one – the print was so awful it hurt my eyes – and if I had 1500 pounds I’d have the long print in a heartbeat. What fun to pick out clothes for your imaginary friends!
October 1, 2015 at 5:27 am
Hey, love your blog lots! Your style is really cool too. You should check mine out, I do a lot of lifestyle and fashion post. I actually just did one on the fast fashion industry you definitely check it out. 😊
October 1, 2015 at 5:29 am
It was really fun shopping with Suzanne, Cordy, and Laura, :Lynne! I love the long print gown too. And I seriously want the two burgundy dresses. It was a bit hard for me to think through differences in how Suzanne and Cordelia dress. I think it’s fairly similar but Suzanne is a bit more romantic and subtle and Cordy is a bit more overtly sexy. Whereas Laura, perhaps because of her governess past, quite definitely seems more tailored. What do you think?
October 3, 2015 at 3:49 am
This is always funny – how we picture the characters in our heads, something I mentioned on our book group page. I always see Suzanne as smaller, more petite in stature and more feminine and romantic, as you said. I see Cordy as taller, perhaps more classic and yes, a bit sexier. Laura would no doubt start out a bit mousey, as she is trying to be invisible. But as she blossoms, and with her beautiful hair, she’ll become more elegant but having to choose colors carefully.
October 3, 2015 at 5:05 am
That’s pretty much how I differentiate them, Lynne, except that Suzanne is taller than Cordy – in fact, in Imperial Scandal when they meet, Suzanne thinks that Cordy is less tall than she first appeared, not as tall as Suzanne herself, but carries herself in a way that makes her appear taller But I do see Suzanne’s style as a bit more fluid and feminine and romantic and Cordy’s as a bit sexier. Whereas now Laura is out of governess clothes I see her in clothes that are classic and tailored a bit understated but quite elegant.
October 1, 2015 at 1:01 pm
My favorites are the first dress for Suzanne, the black dress for Cordy, and I love the long theater dress. Laura s choices are great too. Does anyone know where the apostrophe is? I’m using my tablet and it really bugs me for words that are not automatically picked up.
October 1, 2015 at 6:13 pm
The long burgundy lace dress, Betty? That’s my favorite and I love the first dress for Suzanne, also burgundy. I’m not sure what device you have but on my iPhone and iPad the apostrophe is on the second screen with numbers.
October 3, 2015 at 1:49 am
Yes, those are my favorites. Love that style.
I’m using my tablet and I only have one screen, numbers included, with an arrow to give me capitals and some other choices no apostrophe, colon, semicolon. Very frustrating.
October 3, 2015 at 1:58 am
My favorites too! When I picture what Suzanne’s modern day style would be it’s quite similar to my own, which I guess isn’t surprising :-). Very frustrating about your tablet keyboard. Maybe someone else will have an idea!
October 3, 2015 at 4:48 am
Betty, on my Kindle Fire keyboard, in the lower left is a button with “?123” on it, where our shift key is on the computer keyboard. When I hit it, it brings up an assortment of punctuation marks. If I hit it twice I get more obscure ones. What brand do you have? You may have to google it to find out…or just experiment.
October 4, 2015 at 1:37 pm
Yeah, Lynne! I have a Samsung/nook tablet. And just where you mentioned, there is a key with sym on it – duh! How stupid am I! Note I have now used the dash and am so glad to have found the apostrophe. I also have such things as the £ symbol. You are fantastic! Thanks!!
October 1, 2015 at 2:05 pm
I finally got thru google * stuff and now I need an invitation to your page
October 1, 2015 at 6:16 pm
Glad you want to join the group, Patti! You shouldn’t need an invitation, you should be able to ask to join and then I can approve you. I’ve emailed Suzi who handles the tech stuff for the group to see if she can sort out what’s happening.
October 1, 2015 at 10:38 pm
I just saw there’s a way for me to invite people to join, so i tried sending you an invitation. Let me know if this works!
October 1, 2015 at 3:27 pm
I loved the dress for Laura. The others had too much lace for my taste except the cocktail dress for Cody. If they were using modern day designers, I think Suzanne would shop at Coco Chanel for the classic look and Cody would shop at Alexander McQueen, truly British and Laura would use Stella McCarthy for a little more edge…
October 1, 2015 at 6:20 pm
Great designer suggestions, Kim! They fit with nationality and really get at the style differences between the women. Though I think Suzanne’s style is a bit more playful/romantic than strictly classic with classic elements.
October 2, 2015 at 7:44 pm
Just saw you notice about Malcolm birthday, he would definitely be dressed in bespoke suits from Savile Row.
October 2, 2015 at 7:56 pm
Definitely! Not too different from the historical Malcolm. There’s a line in Paris Affair about him still having his coats tailored in London. Though I could see a modern day Malcolm wearing jeans and sweaters or button downs or even t-shirts off duty. He doesn’t particularly like formality though it’s part of his life – witness the line in the except on the Google Group about him not having his evening gloves on yet.
Speaking of the Google Group, Betty just put up a fun question about dream casting if the series were ever filmed. Be sure to check it out!
October 2, 2015 at 10:06 pm
Jeans and button down shirts would be Malcolm’s wardrobe all the time especially when he is with the children, but I see the tailored suits as part of his business persona. I can’t imagine Addison being happy with him going about Westminster in anything but the best made suit.
October 2, 2015 at 11:23 pm
I cannot find a pic but I see Malcolm in cords with one of those hoodies with the patches on the elbows tres chic
October 2, 2015 at 10:11 pm
Absolutely – Addison would make sure his suits were in perfect order and carefully matched to shirts and ties. And for evening dress Malcolm would wear dinner jackets or white tie casually but as though he was born to it (which he in fact was :-). And again thanks to Addison, they’d be flawless.
October 2, 2015 at 11:33 pm
Cool, Patti, I could see that. I think his off duty look would be pretty casual whereas Suzanne would dress up a bit more even when off duty. Skirt and sweaters or maxi dresses and cute flats.
October 2, 2015 at 10:27 pm
Here’s a link to the Casting Game thread on the Google Group for anyone interested
https://plus.google.com/u/0/115724758831151424974/posts/LbS4nK8aHi2?cfem=1
October 2, 2015 at 10:47 pm
Here’s the actual link
https://plus.google.com/u/0/115724758831151424974/posts/LbS4nK8aHi2?cfem=1
October 2, 2015 at 10:48 pm
https://plus.google.com/u/0/115724758831151424974/posts/LbS4nK8aHi2?cfem=1
October 2, 2015 at 10:50 pm
For some reason the link won’t post. If you’re interested in the Casting Game Thread, go to the Google Group and look for Betty’s post under General Discussion.