Nothing says “2006” quite like a tweed Chanel newsboy cap.
In the original Devil Wears Prada movie, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) wears one to deliver “the book,” or the latest mockup of Runway magazine, to the townhouse of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) with an off-the-shoulder sweater over a white button-up shirt (!?), plus a long Chanel pearl charm necklace. It’s an absolutely heinous outfit, but that’s what makes it so iconic: it could not be more of a time. Andy was at the peak of her Runway makeover, and she was desperately trying (and failing) to look the part. (Anyone who interned at a fashion magazine in the early-to-mid-2000s can relate. Personally, I feel a heartwarming sense of cringe every time I think about it.)
“Timeless” is a word that’s often used by fashion snobs as a synonym for good style, but re-watching The Devil Wears Prada, I was reminded that the best outfits are oftentimes the exact opposite. They are forever etched in our memory precisely because they bring us back to a specific moment in time, not because they transcend it. We all remember Andy’s blazer with a Gossip Girl-esque schoolgirl patch, for example, which she wore with thigh-high leather boots for her “eff you” makeover reveal. When I scrolled past the blazer on The RealReal not long ago, I let out a soft gasp. Clearly, others feel the same sense of nostalgia, as its resale value only continues to climb. That didn’t stop this woman from buying the full look, however!
Although Andy didn’t have The RealReal in 2006, she does now, and according to Anne Hathaway, consignment is the reason her character can wear (i.e., afford) such fun outfits in the sequel. (As the Cut chronicled in its brilliant “Inflation Index,” just about everything in Andy’s fictional world has gotten more expensive in real life. I like to imagine that she and her boyfriend would also probably be writing on Substack to help subsidize their Jarlsberg grilled cheese lifestyle.)
Since the sequel comes out this weekend, I was inspired to dig through the TRR archives to see if I could find any pieces from the original film.
Below is what I found! Some are exact, others are pretty close. Unfortunately, many of them have already sold, but that just confirms what I already knew: that The Devil Wears Prada never goes out of style.
This look walked so Emily in Paris could run. (Well, actually, it may have cost Emily her trip to Paris.)
Very devilish and still on-trend 20 years later. Thrown onto Andy’s desk, of course.
A classic! Makes me think of Sweet Sixteens in the Meatpacking District.
Not exact, but close. Also thrown onto Andy’s desk.
A million girls would kill for this job tote today.
All you need is a flip phone in your hand to call and ruin your second assistant’s dinner with her dad to tell her to book you a flight into a hurricane.
This bag wishes it were made of mink. And going to Paris.
Worn in her first scene. Perfectly harsh.
Would wear this today myself.
Worn as she makes her way into the Runway office to meet Andy for the first time. Forever iconic.
It’s giving Loewe to me! The fact that she wore this with the Chanel blazer and boots is kind of insane, but it’s an integral part of the makeover reveal scene nonetheless. (She slams it on her own desk!)
Put this in a museum!!! (Along with her Sidekick, which she throws into the Paris fountain.)
This bag is meannnn. Thrown onto Andy’s desk along with a giant red fur coat.
Pat Field was the costume designer for the original (and famously Sex and the City). In the movie, Andy meets the “designer” of the bag, and it attracts the attention of one of her favorite writers.
A quick study!
The first thing we see as she exits her car in front of the Runway office. (She’d be appalled by how affordable these are now.)
A different color, but still.
Also deeply of a time. And very Emily! (Sharp but soft on the inside.) Worn with crutches. Ouch.
Anna Wintour would definitely wear this too.
Maybe her best outfit? Chosen by Nigel, of course, for the Runway benefit. Emily said she looked “chic!”
I’d love to boss someone around in this.
The EIC uniform, apparently.
Brought with her to Paris for a drunken date. Unfortunately, I’m not sure even an EIC could afford this today.
A piece of history. Thanks to the sequel, the price will probably only go up from here.
Which look is your favorite? We’ll circle back to gossip about the sequel once it’s in theaters.
XOXO
The RealGirl
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