With the success of her kooky sit-com The New Girl, Zooey Deschanel has found herself transformed from an indie pin up into a mainstream fashion icon. Like the show itself, Deschanel’s look is inspired, cute and certainly not afraid to be quirky.
The actresses’ stock in trade when it comes to dresses is teaming comfortable and lightweight, often short, boldly colored dresses with matching (and also light) cardigans; a demure accessory which are perfectly in keeping with the cutesy and “adorkable” ensembles she plumps for. More often than not the sometime singer will also shy away from heels, platforms, wedges or other towering shoes in Favour of a pair of pretty and elegant flats – footwear that is feminine but also veering on the side of cute and comfortable rather than impractical or consciously trendy.
A staple style that bonds most of Deschanel’s often eclectic outfits is her fondness for vintage. So, when trying to ape the Elf actress’ ensembles, it is advisable to look for vintage clothes from the 1960s or, failing that, modern clothes with a retro style. Examples of the type of clothes that fit into this category are tops which feature ruffles, buttons, lace, floral or geometric patterns on it; these are all fun and classy and can look particularly smart and elegant in blues such as teal or navy. The one thing that is worth keeping in mind, however, is to make sure that the outfits don’t go too eccentric – slightly offbeat is great but too many wacky features and the outfit will look more fancy dress than retro or cute.
One of the main things to consider when dressing like Zooey Deschanel is the color scheme she utilizes. Whereas for males wanting to dress well the advice is often to side with muted colors such as grey, blacks, whites and monochrome, the She and Him singer goes for the opposite approach to startling effect; the majority of Deschanel’s outfits are made up of rich pastels, bright hues and primary colors. These colors perfectly compliment her disposition and make a bold statement before she has even opened her mouth. Similarly, Deschanel is not against shying away from plain designs and often sports an array of patterns; the key is blending her outfits, so no one pattern, or print overpowers and mutes the rest of her ensemble.
Deschanel, and her character Jess Day, sport incredibly feminine styles which make the look a fantastically appealing one to have in the upcoming months. Both Day and Deschanel are rarely seen in cumbersome clothing and are more likely to sport a cotton dress than a pair of jeans and a jumper; their attire is perfect for the summer (incidentally the actress played a character called Summer in her indie hit 500 Days Of Summer). Added to the fact that their style is pretty and easy to replicate, whilst also not breaking the bank, the new girl look could well be a popular one this season.
Kieron Casey is a fashion writer who blogs regularly about women’s shoes. He is also killing time whilst waiting impatiently for the second season of the New Girl to begin.
