If I could dress like one person for the rest of my life, it’d be Fran Fine, heroine of the ’90s sitcom The Nanny. Everything she wore was colorful and perfectly coordinated, from the top of her bouffant to the tip of her slingbacks—whether she was in fruit-appliquéd Moschino, rainbow Todd Oldham, or minis from Courrèges, Anna Sui, or Jean Paul Gaultier.
Lucky for me, thanks to fan accounts like What Fran Wore, Fine’s wardrobe from the show isn’t hard to hunt down. (Other pages, such as The O.C. Fashion Account and Every Outfit on Sex and the City, provide a similar service for other stylish series.)
Katherine Garay, founder of the vintage business and Instagram account Cinema Spells, regularly sources pieces from Dolce Gabbana, Betsey Johnson, Burberry, and other brands seen in shows and films like Gilmore Girls and 13 Going on 30. For her, the secret is just having a very good memory.
“The work of costume designers and the visual language of film and television has left a strong imprint on me over time,” she says. “Little by little, I kept spotting familiar silhouettes, prints, and garments in real life. I’d be thrifting and suddenly recognize something I’d seen on screen years ago.” Being based in Southern California has also helped to build up her collection: “Now, I have both identical vintage finds and studio-sourced pieces that were likely backups or alternates used in production,” she explains.
Garay is far from the only person who’s turned her excellent recall into a business; there are entire accounts on resale sites like eBay decidated to the art. Screen Icons Closet, for one, posts her pieces with tell-tale stills—collaging, for instance, a shot of Monica Geller hanging out at Central Perk in a leather jacket with pictures of the actual jacket, from Earl Jean.
Dressing exactly like your favorite characters has even made its way into the bridal world. This fall, Los Angeles’s Transplant Vintage came through with a heavy hitter: the ’90s Vera Wang that Natasha Richardson (re-)marries Dennis Quaid in at the end of The Parent Trap. Clients were clamoring to wear it on their own big day (apparently this was the second time the dress had appeared for resale), and it sold almost instantly.
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“Pieces associated with iconic characters who had strong, aspirational style are always the most popular,” Garay says, identifying Carrie Bradshaw, Gabrielle Solis, Lorelai Gilmore, and Rachel Green as some of the figures who regularly create bestsellers. “Their wardrobes were expressive yet timeless, which makes the clothing feel both memorable and still relevant today.”
Presented by eBay, Vogue’s vintage and pre-loved partner.
