8 Iconic Kelly Taylor Style Pieces That Still Look Good Today
🎶 Do do do dooooooooo do-do-do-do-do-do doooo doooo. 🎶
Image: 90210 | NBC
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by The Candidly Team
Kelly Taylor had the best clothes. At least that’s what we thought to ourselves 30+ years ago when Thursday nights meant lying on our stomachs, hands holding up our heads, eyes glued to the TV.
But unlike 92% of things we’re embarrassed to admit we loved in 1991, Kelly’s clothes are still somehow … great.
Not all of them mind you. Sure, we could do without the polka dot bike shorts, blue leggings, purple socks combination.
Image: 90210 | NBC
And okay fiiiiiiine, we probably wouldn’t be eager to be seen anywhere outside a yoga studio in hot pants and matching bra top.
Image: 90210 | NBC
But like (the word “like” very much intended) almost everything else was exactly what we love wearing today.
And knowing that we 35, and 45, and 55 year-old women actually DRESS like Kelly Taylor today holds a certain kind of magic - a satisfaction that can only be appreciated by those whose pre-Internet selves had to WAIT for Thursday night to feel inspired by fashion, those who approached Brenda and Dylan’s prom night with more anticipation and intensity than our own and took a stupid kind of satisfaction in noticing that Brandon was always drying the same spatula in scenes in The Peach Pit.
If any of this means anything to you then keep going, because we swear Kelly’s clothes can ignite that same kind of spark today. In the form of 8 specific things we honestly wear every - single - day.
Images: 90210 | NBC
1. THE BLAZER
Aritzia Babaton Standout
Blazer - (Re)ssential
If you put a blazer on over matching pants, it’s a suit. But if you put one on over jeans or skirts or dresses or even shorts, it’s the chicest little way to instantly up-level your outfit and make it fashion instead of just whatever. But you need a blazer that perfectly skims your silhouette without feeling at all constricting. We found that blazer, and we blab at you about it all the time, because it’s that unbelievably flattering. It comes in black (obviously) but so many colors and patterns are good, we struggled to show just one.
Price: $110
Sézane Agnes Jacket
Red was Kelly’s color, and when done correctly, it captivates like nothing else. Such is the case with this gorgeous red blazer from our favorite French brand that Kelly surely would have told us about.
Price: $155
Image: 90210 | NBC
2. THE SCOOP-NECK TEE
Everlane The Luxe Rib Scoop-Neck Tee
Scoopnecks are the single most flattering neckline on women’s t-shirts. We could be less declarative about it, but it’s exhausting trying to figure out why some fitted tees look great on us and some don’t. The biggest revelation we’ve had in the past decade is that it’s the neckline. High necks can widen us. They can make us look boxy. But a scoopneck creates length and is the most flattering to chests and shoulders. Similarly, 3/4 sleeves are the most flattering on arms because they don’t hit at the thickest part of them. This has been our favorite tee forever, and we’re pretty sure it would have been Kelly’s too.
Price: $48
Aritzia Original Contour Scoopneck Longsleeve
Ditto everything we just said, but this time about a long-sleeve tee that holds you in like shapewear. Also comes in Kelly’s signature, exciting color.
Price: $58
Image: 90210 | NBC
3. THE OVERSIZED JEAN JACKET
We The Free Sidney Denim Jacket
Nothing has ever been cooler or more effortless than an oversized jean jacket that scoops you in like a hug but all that denim gives you edge.
Pro tip: Get one with a crop. It makes your waist look smaller and your legs look longer.
Price: $98
Image: 90210 | NBC
4. THE SILK DRESS
Quince 100% Washable Silk Slip Dress
So simple. So iconic. So 90s.
A slip dress can be styled 1,002 ways, and this affordable AND washable one from Quince comes in every color you could want.
Price: $90
Image: 90210 | NBC
5. THE SHOULDER-BARING STATEMENT TOP
Nation Pietra Off Shoulder
We miss having a top be the only thing we had to put on to look “styled.” So many of Kelly’s tops had something unique and alluring that meant you could wear them with jeans and dumb whatever shoes and still look unbelievable. It starts with the off-shoulder top and this one is our favorite.
Use the code CANDIDLY20 to get 20% off.
Price: $125
Reformation Florie Twist Front Sweater
And when we need something knit and stunning…
Price: $198
Marcella Joanna Top
For those of you who HATE feeling naked above the collarbone or don’t want to worry about adjusting, this top is the perfect, still shoulder-baring solution.
Price: $78
Image: 90210 | NBC
6. THE CROPPED JACKET
Banana Republic Factory Ponte Short Blazer
Repeat after me. Cropped things are NOT just for 90s teenagers. They are for US - the former teenagers of the 90s. They create gorgeous proportions, again, where our waists look narrowed and our legs look like they start higher therefore they’re longer. This cropped blazer is a staple we recommend scooping up immediately. It also, of course, comes in black.
Price: $96
Aritzia Wilfred
Little Cropped Jacket - Crepette™
Same crop, but this time on more of a jacket style. It’s soooooo flattering on it’s hard to describe. Plenty of colors available, too.
Price: $198
Image: 90210 | NBC
7. THE BUTTON-DOWN
The Bennet Buttondown Shirt by Maeve
If you want to hear us go on and on about how a spacious, white button-down is the MVP of a chic closet, go HERE. And if you already know all this (because Kelly taught you in season 3), just get this one. It’s excellent!
Price: $98
Banana Republic Factory Silky Classic Shirt
Alternately, you can choose a silky version of a button-down in a pretty color and suddenly look so chic, you can just tuck your top into high-waist jeans, slip on a belt, and quietly conquer the world.
Price: $42
Image: 90210 | NBC
8. THE PERFECT, FLOWY 90S DRESS
Free People Morning Meadows Long-Sleeve Maxi Dress
Long before the rise of the bodycon dress, we used to be able to wear loose, comfy dresses and still look and feel amazing. We’re on a mission to bring them back, though do we even have to convince you with how romantic and flattering and lovely dresses like these are?
Price: $198
Hyacinth House Button Front Corduroy Bryant Mini Dress
True, most of Kelly’s dresses were above the knee, but that’s actually a smart move when it comes to wearing looser dresses because it makes them look cute and youthful and NOT like muumuus. Because you show leg (even if you add tights) you look taller and still feel like you can eat pizza and bread without a single thought about sucking in.
Price: $148
Levi’s Tess Smocked Dress
We leave you with what we feel to be the quintessential modern version of Kelly’s lovely gingham dress. The smocked waist is bliss on our bellies, the puffed sleeves are great for a thicker arm, and it comes from a brand synonymous with the 90s. Wear it with tall black boots in fall/ winter, and you’ll never feel better dressed (or more comfortable).
Price: $98
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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