Clothes and Shows for Comfort
I’ve been getting very cozy on the couch this past week. It’s not a place I find myself often probably for fear of becoming a dreaded potato..which by the way sounds delicious right now. Amidst lots of self inflicted mental berating that I no longer desire to wear pants requiring buttoning or zippering (which frankly feels daunting), I have found myself transfixed by my first binge streaming conquest of the pandemic...High Fidelity on Hulu. First of all, tell me if it’s possible to be cooler than Zoe Kravitz? I mean genetically the odds were in her favor but come on!! While rediscovering a new level of intimacy with my Monrow black sweat suit over the last 10 days (which at least gives me some sense of coordination), I have confirmed that even while being indulgently cocooned in fleece and trapped in my apartment pondering the state of the world, I can always feel excitement about fashion. In this case, I am highly aware that shopping will be required for me to “get the look!”
High Fidelity has been a great form of escape this past week not including the Ranch Malibu pumpkin brownies I keep “testing”, 3 Alison Roman date and lemon roasted Jidori chickens, Tracy Anderson Method streaming sessions and a seemingly newfound passion for baking I’m leaning into. It’s hard to believe the original John Cusack version that this show is based on was released 20 years ago!! If the thought of John Cusack movies doesn’t bring you comfort during a global pandemic then I guess it means you’re a millennial or a gen Z er?! I am both jealous of you and feel bad for you because you really missed some great stuff in the 90’s and early 2000’s and you had to grow up with a phone...kidding kinda :-)
Kravitz stars in the show as lead character Rob, abbreviated from the name Robin. Unlike Cusacks original version of the lead, Rob is the cool girl you want to be your friend. The worse her mood the more you try to decipher it and win her favor.
Her character is vulnerable. She fails in love, she eats Indian takeout in her bathtub and she repeatedly exhibits poor judgement; the kind that makes you pull your blanket a little higher over your face while watching her in motion. Not to mention, she is often an absentee friend who seems to attract the most devoted and loyal people into her orbit. Yet, beyond the selfishness, Rob is an irresistible protagonist. She surprises us with random acts of kindness, her knowledge of music and an unexpected notion of right and wrong. It is impossible to ignore another thing that sets Rob apart from everyone else, her personal style. Clearly, Zoe Kravitz the actress could make a trash bag haute couture but that’s not the point. The fashion in High Fidelity captures the nostalgia of the early 2000’s while showing us a very modern 2020 spirit reminiscent of a current Gucci runway look.
Rob’s clothing, just like ours on the couch, is a reflection of mood. Many of her roomy cardigans and boxy tees come right off the backs of the boyfriends and girlfriends of failed relationships past. Rob is living in a bygone wardrobe while spending her days trying to move her life forward. Like her layered character, Rob’s fashion layering game is enviable. I’ve personally never wanted to wear a sweater vest over a white oversize tee shirt so badly in my life! And without seeming frivolous, I can’t get her scrunched socks and loafers out of my head either! It’s funny to want a sock to be visible! Rob’s signature designer loafer and sock look worn back to micro mini hemlines is reminiscent of my school uniform wearing days- is also bizarrely comforting. While Rob may still be discovering what kind of person she truly is, she seems to have nailed her style. She appears unrestricted and authentic in a way that feels so refreshing from my seat cushion. So when the dust settles and we all emerge again into the world, I’ll be ready with my loafers, scrunched socks, a vintage band tee and probably some freshly baked brownies. That’s as much as I know right now.