scrunchies & sentimentality: the style of lara jean covey
Niamh Poppleton explores the nostalgic, bookish style of Lara Jean Covey - the letter-writing heroine at the heart of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Lara Jean Covey: the middle sister with dreams of being a writer, a never-dying sense of romanticism and a penchant for mistakenly finding herself in the middle of drama.
The protagonist of To All The Boys I've Loved before is a reflection of the quiet, introverted girls who find themselves in books and live within their dream-infused fantasies.
Her style reflects her hopeless romantic nature, and bookish, introverted disposition. She perfectly fuses casual with stylish, and each outfit creates a sense of nostalgic whimsy.
Lara Jean’s style is made up of dresses with a vintage vibe, bomber jackets and black combat boots. In terms of material, her outfits are primarily composed of velvet, denim and knits.
She is shown to wear any dress that makes her seem like a romcom lead, from patterned dresses, covered in hearts or floral motifs to black collar dresses. Throughout the film, she is also depicted wearing turtlenecks and plaid shirts, creating an autumnal air about her. She pairs her outfits with cardigans and duffle jackets, adding a cosy element to her looks.
Scrunchies, heart-shaped necklaces, and satchels are her staple accessories. Occasionally, a beret or choker sneaks in, adding a dash of eccentric charm.
Her colour palette is predominantly pastels - powder blues, pale yellows and soft pinks - which links to the romantic thread sewn into her characterisation. Muted neutrals also make an appearance e.g. beige, cream and light grey which draws on the softness of her personality once again. However, darker colours also frequently make an appearance - such as crimson reds and mustard yellow - which allows her to stand out, highlighting her sense of individualism and creativity.
With an ever present essence of vintage charm, her style can only be described as an amalgamation of Taylor Swift in her Red and folklore eras, Rory Gilmore and the off screen vibes of Elle Fanning.
Lara Jean Covey’s style is more than a look-book, it’s a mirror into her soul and - perhaps more importantly a love letter to every bookish dreamer and romantic idealist who’s dreamt of living in the pages of a story.