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And today, in unlikely fashion icons: Remember Elaine Benes, Jerry's on-again-off-again, finger-snapping, foot-flexing, dancing BFF from Seinfeld? Well, queue up that box set on Netflix if you need a refresher, cuz the New York Times is calling Benes' look the cool-girl downtown look to rock this season. In today's Styles section, the Times says:
Over the years, Elaine has stood out as a beacon of a faded era, in long floral skirts, blazers with padded shoulders and granny shoes with socks. Just about every inch of her skin was covered as if she were photosensitive. Unlike other 1990s series with a more easily imitable style (see “Melrose Place”), “Seinfeld” was decidedly anti-fashion. But now, if you happen upon an old episode, Elaine just looks cool — and of-the-moment.Today's It-girls, including stars like Chloe Sevigny—whose awkward mismatched sartorial sensibility is something we've always believed must be an acquired taste—have embraced the layering of dowdy-ish floral dresses, juxtaposing its softness against a toughgirl jacket (denim or leather), and finishing off the outfit with a pair of clunky shoes.
"It wasn’t about trying to look sexy. It was about looking like a girl who pushes people around," Julia Louis-Dreyfus told the Times. "God, fashion is so strange. I’m glad I don’t dress like that anymore. On the other hand, maybe I will again since everyone’s doing it."
· The Elaine Benes look re-appears at New York style [NYT]