Dress like Irene Adler (BBC)

I completely understand why Irene Adler's portrayal in Sherlock is seen by some as an antifeminist take on the character, but... I really like her. I'm not particularly predisposed to like Irene Adler, and I hated, hated, hated the one from the RDJ movie, but I think the one in Sherlock is incredibly cool.

The first thing that struck me about her wardrobe is that, even though she's a "fugitive sex worker" presumably capable of seducing England's elite in her everyday garb, there's nothing particularly sexy about how she typically dresses. Sexy clothes tend to have soft lines and display a woman's body. Hers, well, don't. The only soft lines on her body are her own curves. Take a look at that white dress. Yes, she looks smoking hot in it, but it's something Grandma might show up in for Christmas dinner. Same with the black dress she wears to negotiate with Mycroft. It's a gorgeous dress but it has a high neckline and boxy shape and goes down to her knees.

Part of the reason she looks so sexy is, of course, that the actress is beautiful and everything looks better on beautiful people. But that's not the whole reason. She is a dominatrix and, like her body, her wardrobe is a weapon. Everything about what she wears screams power. The boxy shapes of the shoulders help project strength, but her outfits cleverly hint at her body, which is the source of her power over others, without putting it on display for anyone because she is powerful enough to not need to do that. Her conservative clothing doesn't have to advertise or entice to get people interested in what  she has to offer - and that is, of course, enticing. And then there's the fact that everything she wears is obviously expensive. Money, like sex, is power. That's why she wears Louboutins, which epitomize the combination of the two.

Basically, what she wears is black and white dresses with sharp angles. Most of her fabrics have some kind of subtle texture and they look pricy. She sexes up clothing that would otherwise not be particularly enticing with her body, personality, and accessories. A few less inexpensive ideas for capturing her look:

Zara, $79.90

JS Collections, $278

Dolce&Gabanna, now $435

The most important of her accessories is her face. Everything about her head is "done," which serves the dual purpose of making her look beautiful and showing that she has everything under her control. Although a lot of contemporary beauty guides will tell you to emphasize either the eyes or the lips, she does both. Her lips are a classic red. Her eyes are outlined in black liner plus blue liner and then are shaded with eyeshadow. Although it would look like overkill with jeans and a t-shirt, her make-up doesn't appear clownish because the rest of her looks just as done up and because she uses minimal blush. Her hair is also completely accounted for, having been folded into an intricate bun that both prevents any of her hair from flowing anywhere and displays the sensuality of her neck. I have no idea how to make hair do this, but if you're determined to replicate it there's probably a guide somewhere.

Next most important is the shoes. There's really nothing more perfect for her than the shoes she wears with the white dress. They are the sexiest shoes from the label that's known for being the intersection between sex and luxury. Any of the classic Louboutin black pumps with a high enough heel would work pretty well and Irene probably has quite the collection. They aren't exactly budget-friendly, though, so you might want to look elsewhere to get her look. In my opinion, the best part of her shoes is the stiletto coming out of the exaggerated rounded heel, so I'd focus on finding something black in a similar shape.

Charles Jourdan, now $169

Pedro Garcia, now $197

Irene's jewelry is tasteful but not dainty. She seems to prefer diamonds set in what might be white gold and might be platinum and chains with stone accents. You can substitute white sapphire set in sterling silver.

Heather Hawkins, $132

Zales, $74.99

 She also wears a timeless feminine watch with a rectangular face and black leather wristband. I haven't been able to uncover what the watch actually is, but to me it looks like a Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso. For an inexpensive watch with the same vibe, check out these two Seikos and this Pulsar.







Interestingly, exactly none of the above applies in the part when she turns up in Sherlock's bed. She's wearing a soft, shapeless green shirt, negligible make-up, and her hair is not only down but looks wet, as if she hadn't styled it at all. Usually, she has complete control over her appearance, and she lets that guard down - and so Sherlock let his down. I think that's a large part of why her manipulation worked and why a lot of guys say their girlfriend looks sexiest not on date night in her lipstick and heels, but instead at home wearing sweatpants and no make-up (the other part is that girls are really good at looking like they've put no effort into their look when really, they definitely have).