Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The Perfect Murder: The Perfect Wardrobe -Part II, The Clothing




As I’ve gotten older and experimented with trends, it has finally dawned on me that the pieces that have longevity in my closet are classic and basic pieces; a tailored shirt, the perfect black dress slacks, the versatile long black skirt, etc. Not the trendy tops or low-waisted jeans that always make me feel uncomfortable or make Spanx necessary to suck in the sagging skin from pregnancy and prevent the dreaded "muffin-top" look.

Comfortable and classic is what best describes the wardrobe for Gwyneth Paltrow’s character in The Perfect Murder. Nowhere in the film do you see her tugging at low-waisted pants nor wearing the latest trend. Even though her closet is quite large by New York standards, it is neat and has everything hanging in its place. Her closet isn’t overloaded with a thousand tees that she couldn’t resist because they were 5 for $10. Sorry…projecting a bit here.

While we can’t see everything in the closet, we can only extrapolate based on what we’re shown in the film.

For Evening Formal:
Solid colored floor-length evening gown; yes, her evil husband chose it…wonder what she would have picked had he not intervened, but it was beautiful nonetheless and perfectly tailored to her figure. Nothing hanging out, everything tucked in and just perfectly adorned with a necklace, bracelet and a neat chignon.

For Work:
French Blue Button Down Shirt (loved the cufflinks)
Cashmere pullovers and cardigans
Black long skirt
Turtleneck
Knee-high boots
Brown long shearling coat
Hermes scarf

Post Murder Attempt/Quick errand:
Fisherman’s sweater—even when she’s at the police station right after being attacked, Paltrow’s character manages to look chic sans makeup with a heavy cable-knit classic oatmeal fisherman’s turtleneck sweater.

Overall, each piece is a timeless basic, and with the exception of the evening gown, work interchangeably with each other in any closet.

Tomorrow: Part III-The Handbag

Photos: Warner Brothers

7 comments:

Eliz said...

I found your blog via TPF's many threads about Hermes scarves, and I was so tickled to read this "A Perfect Murder" triology. It's really not a very good movie, but I've seen it dozens of times. I too LOVE GP's wardrobe -- so, so classic; just perfect. I was a newspaper editor, and I even wrote a story about aesthetics in movies with Gwyneth's character's menswear-inspired looks as the centerpiece. It's so funny to find someone else who can rhapsodize about everything from the shearling coat to the wedding band.
Love your blog -- especially your take on food.

Mama T said...

Thanks for your comments Elizabeth! I would love to read your piece on Gwyneth's character--perhaps we can republish it here? I know there are quite a few of us who are die-hard fans of the wardrobing done for the movie.

Eliz said...

Let me check and report back to you!

Mudpudles said...

Does anyone possibly know the designer of the shearling coat worn by Gwyneth paltrow in the movie?? I've checked the credits and don't see anything listed there. I've searched online, but I've been unable to find anything similar.

Mama T said...

Lynda, I don't know why, but I want to say it was J. Mendel. The exact coat came up on eBay many years back. If I recall exactly I will let you know.

Anonymous said...

Hello, regarding the designer of the coat - if you watch the DVD with commentary, the wardrobe designer said they made a lot of the clothing, including the brown coat. Sorry.

vanmedi said...

I found your blog doing a google search for the coat that Paltrow wears in this movie. It is the coat of my dreams. Love it! Great post too btw. :)