- Rachel Bilson attends the premier of Jumper - flickr user friskytuna
Known for her work on TV's The O.C. and movies like 2006's The Last Kiss and 2008's Jumper, Rachel Bilson is undeniably one of Hollywood's best-dressed young female stars. While Rachel always looks great on the red carpet, it's her off-duty, dressed-down looks that have truly cemented her as fashion icon for stylish young women. Her personal style can best be described as an eclectic bohemian style that draws on high fashion, independent designers, and vintage or thrift-store finds. She is a great style muse for college or university students because her style is casual, comfortable, and unique.
Because her wardrobe is filled with many high-end or one-of-a-kind items, it's difficult to 're-create' her wardrobe. However, her sense of style can be emulated by breaking down the basic elements.
Layers
Arguably the most important element of Rachel's looks is layering. Rachel frequently wears jackets and blazers over basic tee-shirts and dresses, as well as wearing scarves and tights. By playing with proportion this way, she is not only staying warm, but creating greater visual interest to her outfits.
Vintage
While she's the only person who knows for sure if an item from her closet is vintage, many of Rachel's pieces are likely vintage, or at least vintage-inspired. Looking through thrift or vintage stores is a good way to find cheap, unique items like the kind Rachel wears. When shopping in large chain stores, keep an eye out for pieces that recall the 1950s and 1960s. Rachel also incorporates elements of the 90s grunge style into her looks. Pieces like denim jackets, doc martens, floral skirts, beanie hats, and messy hair all harken back to the 1990s.
Prints
From floral sundresses to embroidered skirts to graphically printed tees, Rachel w ears a lot of different patterns, and often mixes patterns. The key to mixing patterns successfully like Rachel is either wearing different patterns that share a colour scheme (seen here) or using similar patterns (such as wearing florals of differing sizes).
Footwear
Rachel has great taste in shoes! She usually favours flat casual shoes for daytime, such as slouchy boots, cowboy boots, or brightly coloured ballet flats. However, because Rachel is quite petite, she also will wear heels in the daytime as well, usually going for shoes with an individual or unique detail, such as these cap-toed Mary-Janes, or these nude Mary-Janes. There is no one defining footwear trend she follows, but Rachel's shoes are usually comfortable and eye-catching.
Colours
Although the majority of her day-wear is in neutral colours like black, white, camel, navy, grey, brown, and olive, Rachel does add pops of colour. Yellow (especially mustard-yellow), red, purple, blue and turquoise all make appearances in her outfits. Rachel does not often wear outfits with more than one major colour - her outfits are generally neutral with perhaps one splash of colour. Investing in high-quality neutral items is a great way to create a wardrobe that is versatile while still being visually interesting. Items like classic blazers, well-fitting jeans, solid-colour dresses, leather jackets, and blouses can be remixed again and again into numerous different outfits. This is also a really easy way to get dressed: you just mix together some neutral basics and then add one colourful piece.
Girly Details
In addition to being retro-inspired, Rachel's style is also quite feminine. As a result, she often wears dresses or skirts, usually ones that fall above the knee, which help to elongate her petite figure. Her retro inspiration comes through most clearly in her dresses, which are often printed sundresses. However, this feminine aesthetic can also be seen in other girly details like bows, floral details, and her long flowing hair.
Accessories
Part of what makes Rachel look so put-together and what helps her clothing turn into outfits is that she accessorizes. Rachel is almost always seen wearing sunglasses, jewellery, and large scarves. Never underestimate the power of a good scarf! Many of Rachel's most interesting outfits are actually comprised of neutral basics with large colourful scarves. This is an easy way to dress up an otherwise basic outfit.
Take Risks
Despite usually sticking to her tried-and-true wardrobe pieces, Rachel occasionally takes fashion risks like high-waisted bell-bottoms, menswear-inspired outfits, or just unexpected clothing combinations. Not being afraid to try out avant-garde looks is an important factor in emulating Rachel.
Above all, Rachel's style is special because she is the ultimate everygirl. She is the celebrity version of the super-stylish friend whose closet you'd love to raid. Her wardrobe is built around practical basics with a vintage feel, which she spices up with unique pieces and pops of colour. She also never looks overdone - her looks appear effortless, like she just rolled out of bed and threw on the first thing she saw. Keep this is mind, and you'll surely be able to dress like Rachel in no time!
Caroline Garrod - Caroline is currently working on her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History from Queen's University in Kingston, ON. An avid reader and ...
