Girlfriend Chic
By Jo Phillips
For anyone in a relationship (or not, whatever floats your boat), girlfriend chic is the fashion of choice. Forget high heels and trying to bag the guy; you’ve already got him. And, with that comes the chance to look cue in sweats and a scruffy bun. After all, he already loves you, and don’t the stars always look adorable when they’re playing a character in love? Think Rachel McAdams in The Vow or Rachel Weisz in…well, anything. I mean, is there any better reason to fall in love than for fashions you can slip right into?
The trouble is that, while some women look wonderful no matter how paired back they take it, others do girlfriend chic all wrong. If you’re in this latter category, then your wardrobe could do with a reminder of how not to do the whole ‘girlfriend’ image.
After all, looking good is for you as much as it is for any guy, and getting this wrong is guaranteed to take its toll. With that in mind, consider the following simple girlfriend chic mishaps, and ask yourself whether these are the reasons you’re looking more Bridget Jones than Elizabeth Bennet.
No effort is the new effort
As mentioned, relationships come with the significant benefit of meaning you can kick back, but it’s important to consider what that means for your image. If we’re honest, a lot of girlfriend chic mishaps happen because women are still trying to look too glittery and shiny on the whole. While there’s nothing to stop you wearing that Lip Injection gloss around the house, you might find that you don’t quite get the ‘just out of bed but cute’ look that you’re going for.
Rather, girlfriend chic is all about making no effort look like the new effort. We’re talking intentionally scruffy buns that look like they just fell that way, or au natural makeup that sets your whole skin aglow. Basically, you need to perfect fashion that makes it look like you don’t care about fashion. Simple, right? Maybe, if you just look towards the best in the business. Options like Glossier’s Boy Brow or Smashbox’s Photofinish Primer Oil should certainly feature heavily in your makeup bag from now on.
Oversized is overrated
Girlfriend chic doesn’t get better than the classic oversized jumper, does it? Singletons dream of this moment, and the chances are that you can’t wait to hit your boyfriend’s wardrobe once you’re at the stage where it won’t seem weird anymore. The trouble is that boyfriend jumpers never look as good as you think, and here’s why.
Ultimately, the whole ‘boyfriend jumper’ thing started with films, and guess what? Those oversized film versions never actually belonged to a guy. They were picked out to make that woman look uber-cute in a way that his baggy sweats will probably never do for you.
The good news is that plenty of brands have spotted this issue and created actual women-led baggy options that genuinely can look good. According to Cosmopolitan, top options include Victoria Beckham’s oversized turtleneck and Acne Studio’s oversized checked sweater, but the fashion world is your oyster here. Head out there and see what you can find, then get girlfriend chic right once and for all. If it makes you feel better, you could even tell people these new purchases belong to him. Who’s going to know any different?!
The sports car scene is, without a doubt, one of the best in Bridget Jones. That stuck-up hairstyle is certainly one of the most memorable looks in the whole film, but let’s face it, this is not a girlfriend look anyone wants to recreate. Yet, if you’ve landed with a man who likes fast cars or has a penchant for motorbikes, then don’t be surprised if this one finds its way into your lookbook without your say-so.
The good news is that there’s no need to make the same mistakes as Bridget, and we aren’t just talking about Daniel Cleaver! Rather, we’re referring to the fact that there are plenty of ways to make motorbike wear work with your wardrobe, and big hair needn’t feature at all. For one, you need to make sure you have a quality helmet to keep your hair under wraps. Full face options can look fantastic here but, to avoid helmet hair (which is just as bad as a Bridget Jones mishap), you might be best off looking for a classy open face option.
Leathers, too, are an area of sporting wear that you can have a lot of fun with. Even better, that leather jacket could see you looking like Jennifer Anniston or Eva Mendez in no time. If there’s a better wardrobe accolade than that, we have yet to hear it.
You don’t need to borrow those briefs anymore
Last but not least, girlfriend chic has long been about borrowing a guy’s briefs. Sorry gents, but the chance to cover up in comfort means that 50% of women in relationships borrow their better half’s briefs. Don’t worry ladies, 17% of guys do the same thing, but that’s a subject for another day…
For now, it’s time to realise that you don’t need to borrow his underwear anymore. Rather, you need only turn to brands like TomboyX. With their game-changing girl’s briefs, they renew the face of women’s underwear with comfort very much in mind. What’s more, their sleek and stylish finish means that these are guaranteed to look and feel better than his borrowed boxers ever did. That way, you’ll be able to complete girlfriend level ten while never straying from your trusty wardrobe.
A final word
It should go without saying that no woman should be dressing for her man in 2021. If you don’t like the idea of girlfriend chic then damn well steer clear. But, if you can’t get enough of that ‘just kissed’ girlfriend look, then these simple pointers are sure to get you there, and do it well.
