Tack Shop: How to Dress Like That One Viral Street Style Pic of Elle Fanning

Pinterest loves this outfit. And so do I!

Hi! Substack has informed me that this post is “too long for email,” which means you may need to click “expand” to read all the way to the end. Enjoy!

Welcome to Tack Shop, a shopping column where I (or friends of Clotheshorse) curate a mélange of interesting, fun, delightful things you can invest in.

Much has been made on this dear platform about the delightful one-two punch that is Substack and Pinterest. After scrubbing all my godforsaken early-aughts-era boards from the face of this earth, I returned to Pinterest in the last year or so, and let’s just say that I’ve uh, obsessively recommitted. One day I will learn to do something in moderation, but today is certainly not that day! So in recent months, I’ve used Pinterest to make seasonal, goal-based vision boards, as well as moodboards for various book projects (more on that sometime soon-ish, I hope). I’ve also turned to Pinterest as a reliable IV of style inspiration, and the sneaky little algorithm has grown quite adept at serving me exactly what I want to see.

Which is where this Elle Fanning outfit came in (which

Erika Veurink

pointed out on her Reels last summer — watch it!):

Yep! It’s good!

To be sure, it’s not anything special; like so many great things celebrities wear, I’m left wondering how much of its greatness is reliant on Elle being literally 26 years old (which I am not) and singularly, cherubically beautiful. And yet…and yet. I do love it! So much so that Pinterest has decided to show it to me roughly 34 times a day.

Upon further investigation, the internet (a blog post c/o Harper’s Bazaar) has informed me that said outfit was worn on the streets of New York City in October 2023. The writer, Chelsey Sanchez, described Elle as channeling “that Parisian sense of understated sophistication in her own Manhattan uniform.” Indeed! There is something so elegant, so cosmopolitan, so faithfully French, about generating an outfit solely out of the classics: the black knit turtleneck, the slightly puffed trench coat, the straight-leg jeans, the rectangular sunglasses, the maroon leather loafers. This dressing methodology reminds me a bit of the French saying la simplicité est la sophistication suprême — “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Elle even took it so far as to not carry a bag, presumably because the pockets on that coat (that I haven’t been able to track down) seem roomy enough to rival those of Jncos. Is there anything chicer than leaving the house without a bag? (Shameless plug: You should read my earlier post about the politics of pockets.)

I wanted to take a freshman-year-biology-class lens to this look and dissect each element, plus include some shoppable recommendations for each. I must give credit where credit is due: This format was inspired by

Ali LaBelle

’s fantastic “Room Recipe” series which I enjoy very much.

Other posts you might like:

I’m Quitting the Personal Style Industrial Complex™

Tack Shop: Dressing Like the Criminally Chic Woman From My 6:30 a.m. Pilates Class That One Time

Pockets Might Be Shrinking, Again

The Basics (Les Bases?)

In an effort to appease the Duolingo overloads, I shall say that the trench coat is, obviously, the pièce de résistance of this look. And while I can’t locate Elle’s exact version, we can discern certain differentiating factors, mainly that it is duster-length and features a clean, button-down silhouette (as opposed to more gussied-up styles with things like belts and storm flaps). As previously stated in this newsletter, I think a proper trench coat can be one of the sexiest things a person can wear. My only criteria: the simpler, the better. The Leset Kyoto Car Coat shown below has been on my Want to Buy list for a very long time.

From L-R: Leset Kyoto Car Coat ($550), Kule The Albie Coat ($498), Everlane The Mac Coat ($178)

The turtleneck, I think, speaks for itself. You don’t need anything too fancy, but I do prescribe to the belief that a gorgeous black turtleneck sweater is one of the very best things you can invest in. I got a cashmere turt as a Christmas gift from my mom when I was in college and still wear it weekly when temperates permit. What I like about the styles below, though, is that they’re all thin and deliciously soft-looking, making them solid for layering.

From L-R: Favorite Daughter The Amelia Long Sleeve Top ($158), La Ligne Le Turtleneck ($115), Cos Merino Wool Turtleneck Top ($79)

Admittedly, I’m not a big lighter-wash gal. But there is something about it that can automatically casual-ize any outfit and that is a power worth celebrating. And before you yell at me about including $520 jeans: Please know that I have heard only the best things about Khaite denim, and this style specifically. I think Levi’s 501s are probably just as great. But the word-of-mouth marketing on these are enticing.

From L-R: Khaite Abigail Stretch Jean ($520), Reformation Wilder High Rise Wide Leg Cropped Jeans ($168), AGOLDE 90s Pinch Waist Crop Jeans ($228)

The Add-Ons

I got these very Freda Salvador loafers in this very colorway back in January and have worn them nearly every single day. Here is a mom-who-does-drop-off-or-pick-up tip: Keep nice slip-on shoes by the door and you won’t be as tempted to wear your beloved schlubby sneakers (though there is a time and a place, etc.). Even if I’m still wearing my workout clothes from the morning, I think

Allison Bornstein

’s viral “Wrong Shoe Theory” has a lot of validity here.

Meanwhile, I’ve been aggressively lusting after Jamie Haller’s grandpa-perfect penny loafers for ages now. Margaux’s nice Andie shoe is a sleek alternative.

From L-R: Jamie Haller The Penny Loafer ($595), Freda Salvador Elba Penny Loafer ($375), Margaux The Andie Loafer ($345)

Do you remember in like, 2013 when those technicolor, polarized Ray-Ban aviators where The Thing? I am wearing a pink pair of those in every single picture of me from 2013-2015. They were very cool to wear to, say, Smorgasburg, followed by afternoon margs at BBar (RIP). Anyway, these are the cooler, more grown-up cousin of those.

From L-R: Jimmy Fairly The Winona Sunglasses ($135), Solid & Striped Saline Sunglasses ($49 from $98), Akila The Jupiter Sunglasses ($160)

What I like about Elle’s scrunchie here is that it’s only just present, but clearly being used to secure a messy pony. She could’ve used a basic hair tie and didn’t, and I think that’s chic.

From L-R: Lululemon Uplifting Scrunchies Satin 3 Pack ($24), Crown Affair The Silk Scrunchie No. 001 Set ($15), Lunya Washable Silk Classic Scrunchie ($24)

The Vibes

In writing this post, I’ve convinced myself that Elle has one of these four paperbacks stashed somewhere on her person, Jacob Elordi-style. I don’t have any logical reason to believe that, but one should not discount the vibes.

From L-R: “I Who Have Never Known Men” by Jacqueline Harpman (15.76 from $16.95), "The Woman Destroyed” by Simone de Beauvoir ($15.81 from $17), “Play It As It Lays” by Joan Didion ($16.74 from $18), “Giovanni’s Room” by Jamies Baldwin ($14.89 from $16)

And just because she’s not carrying a purse doesn’t mean she doesn’t need to keep her cards on her! (This Prada card case is a real steal; if you don’t buy it, maybe I will!)

From L-R: Leatherology Slim Card Case ($60), Clare V. Coin Clutch ($85), Prada Vitello Move Leather Card Holder ($165 from $275)

I’ve been down bad for bright pink blush of late (yet another way I’ve been incepted by Pinterest), so I have these three guys in my Sephora cart as we speak. Because I still (and always and forever) love a powder blush, I’m very eager to try the new Saie SuperSuede.

Laney Crowell

, you are a genius.

From L-R: Saie SuperSuede Talc-Free Powder Blush ($28), Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo ($38), Tower 28 Beauty
BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Dewy Cream Blush ($20)

In my quest to be more unabashedly put-together (aka hotter), I’m trying to swap my extremely unsexy lip balm (which is literally nipple cream for breastfeeding…IYKYK) for something with actual pigment. Below, your lips, but better!

From L-R: Merit Beauty Shade Slick Sheen High Shine Tinted Lip Oil ($24), Laneige
Glaze Craze Tinted Polypeptide Lip Serum ($22), Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil ($26)

See, Pinterest??? I am paying attention!!!

xx,
Maura

PS — This is a new format for me. If you made it to the end (congrats!) and you like what you read, want to let me know in the comments?

A note to readers: Clotheshorse may occasionally include affiliate links if I’m recommending a product I love, but I’ll never promote anything I don’t use and/or enjoy myself!