I just graduated and am spending about a month in my old home before moving out to my new job. Because I'm pretty much sitting around doing nothing, I think I've seen every episode of Sherlock twice in the last week. No complaints. It's a fantastic show. The problem is that it really makes me want to go shopping because, well, everyone looks crazy posh all the time. So instead of actually buying crap I don't need, I'm going to try to break down the main characters' style and figure out how to make it wearable for, well, a 20-something girl, aka my demographic. I'll start with the titular character.
You can look up what he's actually wearing at Sherlockology or WearSherlock, which is awesome but of limited practical utility given that Sherlock's a guy, so dressing like him wouldn't come off the same way on a girl. If you do want a women's suit with approximately the same design at a reasonable price, Vince Camuto had one that I got from Dillards two Decembers ago and have been really satisfied with. It's not on their website anymore, but it might be on sale in store somewhere?
Sherlock wears almost disturbingly nice clothing in generally dark, almost drab colors. But he doesn't seem to care about clothing at all; he wears one coat, one pair of shoes, one style suit. He changes shirts every day, but they're all the same brand and same fit. He doesn't really accessorize beyond the watch; he doesn't have any shirts that need cufflinks and doesn't wear ties. I guess he was multiple scarves, but they look more or less identical. He knows what works well for and sticks to it, almost like a uniform, even if it's far too dressy for what he's actually doing, which is running after criminals, doing science experiments, and making a lump of himself at the flat.
He always looks crazy polished, but to me he looks a tiny bit... inappropriate. I did Mock Trial in college and was the resident "button up your blouse and get your hair out of your face and don't you dare wear chipped nail polish in Fake Court" stick-in-the-mud, so maybe I'm just hyper-sensitive about these things, but to me it seems like even though he's absurdly overdressed for what he's doing and runs around in almost a full suit all the time, you couldn't really wear his look to work.
Sherlock wears almost disturbingly nice clothing in generally dark, almost drab colors. But he doesn't seem to care about clothing at all; he wears one coat, one pair of shoes, one style suit. He changes shirts every day, but they're all the same brand and same fit. He doesn't really accessorize beyond the watch; he doesn't have any shirts that need cufflinks and doesn't wear ties. I guess he was multiple scarves, but they look more or less identical. He knows what works well for and sticks to it, almost like a uniform, even if it's far too dressy for what he's actually doing, which is running after criminals, doing science experiments, and making a lump of himself at the flat.
He always looks crazy polished, but to me he looks a tiny bit... inappropriate. I did Mock Trial in college and was the resident "button up your blouse and get your hair out of your face and don't you dare wear chipped nail polish in Fake Court" stick-in-the-mud, so maybe I'm just hyper-sensitive about these things, but to me it seems like even though he's absurdly overdressed for what he's doing and runs around in almost a full suit all the time, you couldn't really wear his look to work.
It doesn't help that he's not wearing a tie, but his shirt is really tight. He doesn't look overtly sexy, but he does somehow look almost too sexy. The sex appeal isn't the whole problem, though; it's that plus how disheveled (albeit artfully) his hair is. Also note that his suit, while exactly crazy is, as far as I can tell, reasonably fashion-forward.
In sum, Sherlock wears stylish clothes in either deep colors or white but nothing that requires more thought every day than picking up a shirt. His clothes are a little too tight and his hair a little too unruly to be really office appropriate, although technically there's nothing incorrect about anything he's wearing.
Soo.... what's the female version of that? Probably not a suit; women wear suits for work, but they haven't really caught on yet as an all-purpose 'looking good' garment. Suits for women are a conscious choice and send a particular message, which is too much thought for Sherlock to have put into his wardrobe and he isn't very interested in deliberately cultivating a 'trustworthy professional' appearance anyway. There are sexy suits but these are overwhelmingly really trashy and/or weird. So, no suit. Instead, I think, sleek black trousers or a black skirt every day. I think pants are much more likely since a skirt would either have to be constricting, which Sherlock wouldn't like at all with all that running around and bending over dead bodies, or wouldn't be streamlined enough for the Sherlock look. So the base of the outfit would be narrow black slacks.
On top would be uncomplicated, well-made shirts with subtle but luxurious touches. They would be worn just sliiiiightly too tight. I think the button-down could work for a girl, but a sweater in a classic cut might be slightly more analogous to what the button-down is for guys. If you want to go the button-down route, Sherlock wears Dolce & Gabbana shirts so that would be the logical place to start. Unfortunately, the women's shirts seem to be a little more embellished than the men's and to come in fewer colors, although the classic stretch cotton blouses are beautiful and Sherlock-appropriate. I really like the quality of Thomas Pink button-downs but a lot of them seem to be weirdly ruched, which looks really tacky a solid 80% of the time, or have a preppy look that Sherlock doesn't have. Basically, you're looking for something with a slim fit, either in a very light, dark, or saturated color, no pockets, button cuffs, and details like interesting buttons or slight texture but nothing over-the-top fashiony like ruffles or bows.
In sum, Sherlock wears stylish clothes in either deep colors or white but nothing that requires more thought every day than picking up a shirt. His clothes are a little too tight and his hair a little too unruly to be really office appropriate, although technically there's nothing incorrect about anything he's wearing.
Soo.... what's the female version of that? Probably not a suit; women wear suits for work, but they haven't really caught on yet as an all-purpose 'looking good' garment. Suits for women are a conscious choice and send a particular message, which is too much thought for Sherlock to have put into his wardrobe and he isn't very interested in deliberately cultivating a 'trustworthy professional' appearance anyway. There are sexy suits but these are overwhelmingly really trashy and/or weird. So, no suit. Instead, I think, sleek black trousers or a black skirt every day. I think pants are much more likely since a skirt would either have to be constricting, which Sherlock wouldn't like at all with all that running around and bending over dead bodies, or wouldn't be streamlined enough for the Sherlock look. So the base of the outfit would be narrow black slacks.
On top would be uncomplicated, well-made shirts with subtle but luxurious touches. They would be worn just sliiiiightly too tight. I think the button-down could work for a girl, but a sweater in a classic cut might be slightly more analogous to what the button-down is for guys. If you want to go the button-down route, Sherlock wears Dolce & Gabbana shirts so that would be the logical place to start. Unfortunately, the women's shirts seem to be a little more embellished than the men's and to come in fewer colors, although the classic stretch cotton blouses are beautiful and Sherlock-appropriate. I really like the quality of Thomas Pink button-downs but a lot of them seem to be weirdly ruched, which looks really tacky a solid 80% of the time, or have a preppy look that Sherlock doesn't have. Basically, you're looking for something with a slim fit, either in a very light, dark, or saturated color, no pockets, button cuffs, and details like interesting buttons or slight texture but nothing over-the-top fashiony like ruffles or bows.
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| The Abigail, now $89 |
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| The Therese, now $149 |
Another great place for shirts Brooks Brothers, which makes wonderful non-iron dress shirts, although they also tend towards the preppy. Look for the 'Tailored' fit.
If you want to go the sweater route, I don't have any really good sweater recommendations because most of my sweaters are either cardigans to go over sundresses or pullovers lumpy enough to make John Watson proud. Plus, it's hard to find sweaters that are simple and elegant but that also look a little special without having to look at anything too expensive. Thin sweaters with no cable knit or anything like that are probably best. Also, minimal visible logo, if any. Cardigans require layering, but Sherlock would probably just have an armada of plain white or cream tank tops that look good under everything, the bastard.
If you want to go the sweater route, I don't have any really good sweater recommendations because most of my sweaters are either cardigans to go over sundresses or pullovers lumpy enough to make John Watson proud. Plus, it's hard to find sweaters that are simple and elegant but that also look a little special without having to look at anything too expensive. Thin sweaters with no cable knit or anything like that are probably best. Also, minimal visible logo, if any. Cardigans require layering, but Sherlock would probably just have an armada of plain white or cream tank tops that look good under everything, the bastard.
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| JCrew, $188, probably in Snow or Navy (Sherlock totally piles dark neutrals on dark neutrals, apparently completely without shame) |
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| Burberry, $795 |
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| Classiques Entier, now $112.80 |
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| Pink Tartan, now $237 |
Now for the shoes. Heels or flats? Sherlock wears YSL oxford loader thingies (I know nothing about menswear), which can't be comfortable to run in but probably aren't any worse than anything else he could wear unless he was going to wear sneakers or something, which he wasn't. This doesn't really tell us much about whether heels or flats are more appropriate. On one hand, running. On the other hand, it would be just like Sherlock Holmes to have the maddening ability to outrun London's criminals and the occasional rogue cab in 4" stilettos. I think you can go either way on this. Sherlock always looks impeccable and heels are part of looking impeccable, which is why you should wear heels... but he also looks a little bit 'off' and has this childish, petulant, I-only-care-about-work vibe, which is why you should wear flats. If you want the height, since Sherlock's height is almost an accessory in itself, I don't think there's anything out-of-character about heels. His shoes are pretty pointy, so my suggestion for heels would be classic court shoes with maybe a slightly edgy or old-fashioned touch (nothing dainty). Suede is terrible in water and patent leather is a bit too polished-looking, so regular black leather is a good choice.
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| Vince Camuto, $98 |
If you're going for flats, I think a female Sherlock would wear black leather Lanvins ones because those are infamously comfortable. In case, for some reason, you don't have $500 to spend on shoes, any black flats that aren't overly embellished with things like flowers or logos will do. If you don't have a pair of black flats, well, you really should. Mine are Michael by Michael Kors' Dani flat, which I can't recommend because the part that touches my foot has started tearing and is now kind of uncomfortable if I walk in them too much. Vera Wang Lavender's Lilian flats are supposed to be reasonably comfortable. I briefly owned a metallic brown-and-black snakeskin pair and they were so comfortable and flattering that I forgot for a few days that I hate snakeskin everything and especially metallic snakeskin and also that, sale notwithstanding, I couldn't afford to pay $125 for shoes I had sworn to hate. So, uh, the black Lillians are what I would buy if I got a flats do-over.
Except for outerwear, Sherlock wears exactly one accessory, a white gold manual wind Breguet Classique. According to Sherlockology, they don't make the exact model anymore, but they do make something quite similar.
The style is pretty easy to emulate because it's so classic. Since the watch was so pricy, it was probably a gift, so if you're trying the look at home you can go with a smaller ladies watch since ladies tend to receive ladies' watches as gifts. I think Sherlock would appreciate the utility of the larger watch face, though, and i's hardly a hypermasculine watch. Plus, larger watches have been in style for women for a while now. If you're looking for a less expensive version but still with an automatic movement, Tissot has some of the best copy-cat versions available, particularly the Bridgeport but also the Le Locle. If you just want a quartz (battery powered) one, you can check out Tissot's quartz offerings as well as Rotary Watches. (I can't vouch for any of those vendors except for the official websites, by the way; please be aware that they are all considered grey market and plan accordingly. I'll do a post later on the factors to consider when buying a watch and selecting where to purchase from).
The hair is what pulls it all together and takes it from Lilly van der Woodsen to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone's hair does artfully disheveled differently so I probably can't be too much help on the specifics, but I think it would probably work best in I-don't-care-my-hair-is-down or I-don't-care-my-hair-is-in-a-ponytail-that-I-don't-care-about. My hair in its natural state is disheveled, so what I need to work on is the 'artfully' part. If you happen to have the same hair I do - wavy, full, coarse, and prone to frizzing - I use John Frieda Frizz-Ease hair serum for a pretty cheap way to curb frizz. It's not brilliant but it sort of works. You might have to use it a few times to get the hang of how much works for your hair, though, because too much will make your hair oily and too little will do diddly shit. You'll probably want to have a de-frizzer that works when your hair is dry, too. I have Joico Silk Result Shine Serum, which is just ok enough for me to continue using it.
For make-up, obviously you want to look as freshfaced as possible because Sherlock would never bother putting non-disguise-related makeup on. I've started using BB Cream instead of foundation and it looks really natural. You might want to skip the blush because his face looks like it's pretty much all one color. No lip color either. Eye makeup should be minimal and definitely shouldn't be sparkly; just outline what needs to be outlined and get out. Mascara is fine. Also, big fluffy eyebrows are apparently ok for Sherlock, but us mere mortals should probably keep ours tidy, just on principle.
If you really want to go hardcore Sherlock, nicotine patches are, in my limited experience, much cheaper over Amazon than over-the-counter. Plus, you don't have to look anyone in the fact and tell them you want nicotine patches. Step 3 has the least amount of nicotine and Step 1 the most, so if you don't smoke you should try Step 3 first but buy a box of Stage 2 because, for me at least, Step 3 didn't really do anything. I barely smoke, but I have used the Stage 2 patches to calm me down for public speaking because I'm pretty terrible at it. They clear your head and help you focus but also make your heart beat faster, so they're not unambiguously good for nerves but are probably better than nothing. Also, I'm pretty sure they can contribute to headaches, so take them off ASAP when you're done. And, obviously, if you put them on your arm, make sure it's completely covered the whole time to avoid awkward questions.
I know I didn't talk about outerwear at all. The coat is really important, but the ins and outs of coat selection will be covered in a different post. For the gloves, just use black or dark grey leather. For the scarf, pick a bluish-grey one. His are Paul Smith and Hugo Boss, but you can probably get a cheaper one elsewhere.
Soo... I just wrote like 4 pages on how to give off Sherlocky vibes via wardrobe. I hope it's of some use to somebody...
Except for outerwear, Sherlock wears exactly one accessory, a white gold manual wind Breguet Classique. According to Sherlockology, they don't make the exact model anymore, but they do make something quite similar.
The style is pretty easy to emulate because it's so classic. Since the watch was so pricy, it was probably a gift, so if you're trying the look at home you can go with a smaller ladies watch since ladies tend to receive ladies' watches as gifts. I think Sherlock would appreciate the utility of the larger watch face, though, and i's hardly a hypermasculine watch. Plus, larger watches have been in style for women for a while now. If you're looking for a less expensive version but still with an automatic movement, Tissot has some of the best copy-cat versions available, particularly the Bridgeport but also the Le Locle. If you just want a quartz (battery powered) one, you can check out Tissot's quartz offerings as well as Rotary Watches. (I can't vouch for any of those vendors except for the official websites, by the way; please be aware that they are all considered grey market and plan accordingly. I'll do a post later on the factors to consider when buying a watch and selecting where to purchase from).The hair is what pulls it all together and takes it from Lilly van der Woodsen to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone's hair does artfully disheveled differently so I probably can't be too much help on the specifics, but I think it would probably work best in I-don't-care-my-hair-is-down or I-don't-care-my-hair-is-in-a-ponytail-that-I-don't-care-about. My hair in its natural state is disheveled, so what I need to work on is the 'artfully' part. If you happen to have the same hair I do - wavy, full, coarse, and prone to frizzing - I use John Frieda Frizz-Ease hair serum for a pretty cheap way to curb frizz. It's not brilliant but it sort of works. You might have to use it a few times to get the hang of how much works for your hair, though, because too much will make your hair oily and too little will do diddly shit. You'll probably want to have a de-frizzer that works when your hair is dry, too. I have Joico Silk Result Shine Serum, which is just ok enough for me to continue using it.
For make-up, obviously you want to look as freshfaced as possible because Sherlock would never bother putting non-disguise-related makeup on. I've started using BB Cream instead of foundation and it looks really natural. You might want to skip the blush because his face looks like it's pretty much all one color. No lip color either. Eye makeup should be minimal and definitely shouldn't be sparkly; just outline what needs to be outlined and get out. Mascara is fine. Also, big fluffy eyebrows are apparently ok for Sherlock, but us mere mortals should probably keep ours tidy, just on principle.
If you really want to go hardcore Sherlock, nicotine patches are, in my limited experience, much cheaper over Amazon than over-the-counter. Plus, you don't have to look anyone in the fact and tell them you want nicotine patches. Step 3 has the least amount of nicotine and Step 1 the most, so if you don't smoke you should try Step 3 first but buy a box of Stage 2 because, for me at least, Step 3 didn't really do anything. I barely smoke, but I have used the Stage 2 patches to calm me down for public speaking because I'm pretty terrible at it. They clear your head and help you focus but also make your heart beat faster, so they're not unambiguously good for nerves but are probably better than nothing. Also, I'm pretty sure they can contribute to headaches, so take them off ASAP when you're done. And, obviously, if you put them on your arm, make sure it's completely covered the whole time to avoid awkward questions.
I know I didn't talk about outerwear at all. The coat is really important, but the ins and outs of coat selection will be covered in a different post. For the gloves, just use black or dark grey leather. For the scarf, pick a bluish-grey one. His are Paul Smith and Hugo Boss, but you can probably get a cheaper one elsewhere.
Soo... I just wrote like 4 pages on how to give off Sherlocky vibes via wardrobe. I hope it's of some use to somebody...
Fabulous! Thanks.
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