There’s really no question that the ultimate “cool girl” uniform as of late is one that includes a turtleneck and a pair of plain, white sneakers. That being said, it was no surprise when the masterminds behind Elizabeth & James, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (who are, unarguably, two of the coolest girls to ever exist) took this idea to the next level for their pre-fall 2015 collection. There was no shortage of turtlenecks, and each model’s look was complete with a pair of pristine adidas Stan Smith shoes on her feet. For this collection, however, the Olsen sisters also played with oversized, masculine silhouettes while pairing them with feminine items such as palazzo pants and skirts with high slits. The juxtaposition made for a modern, streamlined effect that still managed to emanate a sort of ladylike whimsy.
To make the aesthetic of the Elizabeth & James pre-fall collection work into an outfit that I’d be sure to wear around campus, I started with the two staples of the collection: the black turtleneck and the white sneakers. I loved the opposition of the oversized black jacket and the pleated skirt seen in look one, so I attempted to replicate this by way of my own black blazer and skater skirt. I also threw on a pair of nude tights so that I could stay a little bit warmer while trudging through my snow-covered Ohio campus on my way to and from classes.
Only a month or so ago, I had subconsciously retired my black blazer and turtleneck as they slowly but surely got pushed to the back of my closet while other basic pieces replaced them. After seeing this collection, however, the two are back in full force, and I can’t wait to experiment with pairing them with even more of my skirts. The genius of the Olsen twins proves that the minimalistic normcore fad lives on, and with the soft simplicity that their collection exuded, the trend is cooler and easier to wear than ever before.
Get My Look: 1. A simple black blazer. 2. A black knit turtleneck. 3. The perfect pair of white sneakers.
