Outfit Battle: The Bold Type vs Emily in Paris

 From the Big Apple to Paris

Let's compare today two of the fashion series that the Hollywood market has released in recent years. 

THE BOLD TYPE

Started in 2017 and ended in 2021 with 5 seasons. The Bold Type is set in New York City, and focuses on the lives of 3 friends and colleagues, who work together at a famous fashion magazine. The series winks at Sex an the city, with which it shares lightheartedness and passion for fashion,.From the iconic film The Devil Wears Prada, instead, it takes up the work aspect behind a fashion magazine. 

The outfits in the show were curated by costume designer Lisa Frucht. 

 The characters often wear outfits that can easily switch between professional and more casual settings, as we often saw them do in the series. 

We can regroup them into 3 categories:

Color and Texture Combinations: Outfits tend to play with sophisticated color combinations and a variety of fabrics, such as silk, and leather. The mix of textures adds depth and visual interest to outfits.

Influence of Current Trends: The characters' outfits are heavily influenced by contemporary fashion trends, and their lifestyle, with an emphasis on fashionable pieces but also on classic garments, emphasized in the work environment.

Accessory with Moderation: Accessories are generally elegant designer handbags, delicate jewelry, and shoes ranging from elegant heels to more comfortable footwear.

EMILY IN PARIS 

Emily in Paris, in contrast, is set in Paris and follows the life of a young American woman who moves to work for a marketing company.Emily wears clothes that mix bright colors, bold prints, and vintage pieces with high-fashion designer pieces. Her style is more experimental, taking on the traditional conventions of Parisian fashion, which tends very much toward minimalism and clean lines.

Bold Use of Color and Prints: Unlike The Bold Type, where colors tend to be more neutral and prints more subdued, Emily opts for a bold use of bright colors and eccentric prints. (e.g.checkered coats, dresses with floral prints, and statement hats.)

Stereotypical Parisian Fashion Elements: The series often plays with stereotypical Parisian fashion, such as the beret, the trench coat, and the scarf, but reinterprets them in an exaggerated way to create a look that is more touristy than authentically Parisian.

Accessories as Focal Points: Accessories in Emily in Paris tend to be more eye-catching and statement. It includes brightly colored designer bags, bold hats, and attention-grabbing jewelry.

The show's outfits are the idea of Patricia Field (Sex Ant the City) and Marylin Fitoussi

COMPARISON & CONTRAST 

Simplicity vs. Eccentricity: 

The Bold Type  favors a more restrained and modern elegance, suitable for a busy professional life in New York. 

Emily in Paris  adopts a more eccentric and experimental style, reflecting a romantic and colorful vision of life in Paris.

Accessibility vs. Fantasy: 

The Bold Type outfits are realistic, representing what could actually be worn by young people. 

Emily's in Paris outfits tend to be more fanciful and impractical, focusing more on a dreamy aesthetic.

Modern vs. Retro Trends: 

The Bold Type follows current fashion trends with a slight lean toward the classic.

 Emily in Paris mixes modern trends with retro influences and exaggerated touches.

In conclusion, while both series explore fashion in urban settings, The Bold Type presents a more realistic and versatile approach, while Emily in Paris offers a more theatrical and stylistically bold vision.