The Good Wife’s Fashion Advice

The Good Wife has become appointment television for a number of my friends. And yes, me too.

Primarily for the great writing, characters you care about, and often suspenseful cliffhangers. And the fashion.

It's not a focal point like, say, Sex in the City – this is fashion for grown-ups. There are actually takeaway pointers for appropriate office wear, as discussed here on Zap2It regarding Christine Baranski's character, Diane Lockhart.

[Costume designer Daniel] Lawson advises those seeking Diane's sophisticated look to "get the fit. Please don't get stuff that is too tight. It just looks like you are stuffed into the outfit. And make sure you hit the length, whether a pant or a dress…"

But I wasn't expecting blatant fashion advice, and especially from Will (Josh Charles). "How old are you?" he asks a character he's questioning. (The weekly recaps here are fun, even if I don't always agree with them.)

When the response comes back, 50, he quips, "Don't you think it's a little old to be wearing a hoodie?"

Alert What Not To Wear's Clinton Kelly! I bet he'd agree with this.

The CEO character defends his fashion choice as practical, "help[ing] to brand a lifestyle." Oh dear. Was I championing this attitude in Pajama Chic? No, that was only for one day. He adds that he also wore a hoodie in college.

Which reminded me that clothing is also an outward marker of maturity.

Doesn't always work, but not sure it should be ignored altogether. Rituals, even ones as basic as clothing choices, are attendant benchmarks of our passage through life.

Too heavy?

Try this on for size: We are careening toward a future where, according to this character, the are no "things", countries are concepts, themes are irrelevant. He compares the present's "bag of pennies" to the future's credit cards.

Problem is, we know what happened to all that theoretical credit in recent years. So while "things" may be "uncool", I'm keeping my thematic clothing on for now, otherwise uncool could get downright cold.

But while I was still riffing on Good Wife fashion, I came across Germaine Greer's 1950's tract on how to be a good wife – whew!

And from there, the book, Wife Dressing: The Fine Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife. Huh? OK, it's a reprint. And some of the fashion advice might be palatable, according to this review:

"The sole arbiter of what you wear is your own judgment," says its author, a thrice-married career woman named Anne Fogarty, who published the book in 1959. Its wisdom stems in large part from Ms. Fogarty's refreshing lack of concern with youth: Apparently, back in 1959, it was enough to be smart and appropriate.

Well, OK. Just don't wear a hoodie.

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