Sarah Jessica Parker Style – How to Get It

Have you been enjoying our style series from one of the most well know 40+ Fashion icons? Fashion Writer/Stylist Morgan Mullin has shared the style recipes of  Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Aniston. Today she looks at one of the most creative dressers around, Sarah Jessica Parker.

Sarah Jessica Parker is a front-row fixture at fashion shows the world over. As Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, she started many trends (remember those flower corsages?). She continued to do so whenever she was spotted by paparazzi or walking a red carpet.

Her style is hard to pin down- eclectic to the core but consistently high fashion and ahead of what everyone else is wearing.

No stranger to the worst dressed list, Parker shows that being outside the (fashion) box is not for the faint of heart. But the occasional miss aside, Parker has succeeded at what many other actresses merely attempt: she has become not just a purveyor of fashion but a player herself.

If you want to make the trends, not just participate in them, and if you believe in fashion as a creative art of expression, then you are Parker’s style sister! Here’s what you need to do to emulate her creative look:

Bare Your Arms

Much like Michelle Obama, Parker has incredibly toned arms. This means that her tops are usually sleeveless to show them off. If there is a part of our body you love, show it off as she does!

Experiment With Avant-Gard Shapes

Since Parker pushes the envelope in fashion, she always wears clothing in exciting shapes. You’ll never catch her in plain boot-cut jeans and a fitted tee. Instead, she plays with proportions, choosing shrunken jackets, oversized sweaters, peplums, bubble hems, and more.

As new cuts of clothing come into fashion, you can bet Parker will be rocking them! The key to doing so without looking over the top? Pick one piece with a fashion-forward or noteworthy cut and pair it with more straightforward items.

For instance, Parker wears oversized, tunic-length sweaters with simple fitted jeans. She pairs pants that have razor-sharp pleats and a sharp leg line with a soft, simple blouse. If she wore a pencil skirt, it would be a blazer with exaggerated shoulders and a cocoon-like shape.

Make sure that at least one item in your outfit is fitted to your body to show that there’s a woman under all that fabric! This makes Parker’s style look harmonious, despite the changing shapes.

Could you keep it in the same (color) Family?

Since Parker often plays with various items’ shapes, she keeps color simple. This doesn’t mean you need to dress in only black, however! Mix neutral shades in your outfits: black with brown, navy with beige, and so on. This will give you a carefree look without clashing.

When you opt for more color, steal Parker’s trick of choosing various shades of the same hue in an outfit. For example, she wore navy pants with a slightly lighter blue jacket, a powder-blue blouse, and sky blue shoes at a recent red carpet event. This creates harmony and lets the focus rest on the shapes of the garments themselves.

Stick to Statement Shoes

While Parker may not go all-out in the color department, the same cannot be said of footwear. If I could boil her hard-to-pin-down style into one point, it is probably the statement shoe. Shoes that are interesting shapes, crazy colors, loaded with texture and embellishments: she loves them all.

To be her copycat, instead of having jewelry be an outfit’s showstopper, consider making the shoes the focus of attention. Choose a stunning pair, wear them with some clothing with an attractive cut, and keep colors and other accessories to an absolute minimum.

Play With Prints

Being conservative with color allows Parker to play with patterns significantly. She’s worn everything from nautical stripes to punky plaid and always pulls it off. How? The cut piece in her outfit (discussed above) will rock a print and be the only print in the business.

For instance, Parker would wear a highly structured blouse in a solid color with simple skinny pants in an edgy print. Or, a simple blouse paired with a bold pattern could be the perfect mate for solid-colored harem pants.

Another way she wears prints would be to choose a bold, statement pattern in an outfit that lacks a piece with a fashion-forward shape. Parker could save a blazer and skinny jean combo from being boring by choosing a blazer in a crazy, floral, neon print. Or a pencil skirt and blouse combo could get a facelift if the pencil skirt had a houndstooth pattern.

Either way, remember to balance patterns with few colors and limited accessories. Also, a piece should have a fashion-forward shape or a significant print. One that is both spells “overkill,” fast!

Try Tons of Texture

Another way Parker adds interest to her looks is through texture. When she chooses to wear many shades of one color, she often sports different fabrics. For instance, two shades of green look lovely together but get even more glam when one is silk, and the other is linen. To add some texture to your style, try to have at least two noticeably different fabrics in each outfit.

Try a velvet blazer with a silk camisole or a leather jacket with a chiffon top. To keep your look pulled together, make sure to use different shades of one hue or two neutrals together! And, when the texture is taking the stage, avoid prints- having both in the same outfit will be really over the top!

Style Maverick Sarah Jessica Parker knows how to bend the rules of style just the right way. With these tips and a dose of fearlessness, you can too. After all, fashion is meant to be fun! Do you like Sarah Jessica’s creative style? Comment below.