There Is Such Thing As The “Perfect” Fall Wardrobe And It’s From This 1998 Movie
We don’t think you’ll guess, but we bet you’ll agree.
Images: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
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by The Candidly Team
It isn’t When Harry Met Sally.
Or You’ve Got Mail
…though admittedly we have recreated Sally Albright’s bedroom and recently sourced the modern version of all of Kathleen Kelly’s clothes.
But the film from which we would happily pluck every single item worn and know we have thus achieved the most incredible autumn wardrobe of all time is actually ….
A Perfect Murder.
Please tell us you know it. The 1998 remake of the Grace Kelly/ Alfred Hitchcock thriller Dial M for Murder. To be honest, we remember less about the plot or dialogue of the 90s Gwyneth Paltrow version than we do about the original. But what we do remember, practically scene-by-scene, is her clothes.
Her clothes were layers and layers of quiet luxury coats and cocooning cashmeres and gorgeous scarves and suede boots. But more than that, every outfit she wore proved that when you create looks out of pieces that are classic and chic and timeless, they never age a day. Which is why we have made it our mission to build our very own iconic, untrendy fall closet straight from A Perfect Murder. And honestly, the only thing that miiiight tip you off to the movie taking place in the 90s is her bold red lip, which by the way is stunning, and we absolutely found that, too.
Alright, we all set? Got your popcorn and your cozy, scrolling spot ready? Let’s begin.
Images: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
1. THE LUXE SWEATERS
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater
Everything about the costuming in this film is centered on an enviable sweater you can almost feel through your screen. The knit turtlenecks in particular feel like a mix of warm hugs and sophistication. But finding this sort of sweater in real life (and for less than $300) is weirdly hard. Needless to say we’re very excited to have found this one at Quince, which comes in all the luxe neutral colors you could want. And though the sweater itself may scream “wealth,” it’s actually quite affordable for cashmere.
Price: $90
aritzia Wilfred Sonder Sweater
If you’re a softness person. A sweater person. A cozy person. You need this sweater. It feels almost spongey and cashmere-like in its softness. We wrote about it last year, and seconds later, every single color seemed to depressingly sell out, but it’s back now, and we strongly advise you to move quickly if they have the color and size you desire.
Price: $118
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Boatneck Sweater
Quince’s cashmere pieces are supremely special, to the point that we write about them an almost concerning amount. But it’s just very rare to find the quality and cuts of their creamy cashmere that doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars. This particular sweater dresses up every skirt, pant, and pair of jeans we own. It can be worn as a boatneck or pulled off shoulder for added Perfect-Murderesque allure. And again, it comes in many colors we plan on putting on our holiday wishlist.
Price: $80
Images: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
2. THE COATS
Marcella Elizabeth Coat
Layering is 92% of what makes us look styled, which is why owning one undyingly chic wool coat that we can throw on over any outfit is sooooo necessary. This black coat is THE black coat we recommend time and time again, because it never goes out of style, never stops fitting, is so easy to layer, and looks beautiful on every human.
Price: $398
Banana Republic Faux Fur Long Coat
Some of you will be the most taken by Gwyneth’s brown fur coat, and quite frankly, we don’t blame you. It is deeply original while still being grounded in something classic. We can wear the most muted, neutral (let’s just say boring) outfit, toss this on and suddenly we’re the most captivating person walking down the street.
Price: $350
Hortons England Mayfair Cashmere Long Coat Chocolate Brown
Look, this one is an investment. A big investment. But it might be the most magnificent rendition of Gwyn’s gorgeous coat we’ve seen, and we just wanted you to have the same chance to lay eyes on it. And hey, if one of us wins the lottery …
Price: $1520
Image: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
3. THE LONG COLUMN SKIRT
Leset Lauren High Waist Maxi Skirt
Why is a maxi skirt 72X more elegant than a pair of pants? We don’t really care to know the answer. We’re just glad for the excuse to wear this surreally soft skirt from Leset with one of the luscious sweaters from above and magically look as tall and gazelle-like as Mrs. Paltrow herself. Comes in other colors. Sadly, we want them all.
Price: $160
The Colette Corduroy Maxi Skirt by Maeve
This skirt fits amazing. It smooths all our lower body’s curves like nothing else. Plus, corduroy is one of those throwback things that simultaneously always seems to be having a moment. There are 5 of the prettiest fall colors to choose from, but be warned, they’re flying off the shelves.
Price: $148
Favorite Daughter The Josie Long Skirt
This might be the most classic, silky skirt we’ve mentioned, but what sets it apart is really the fit. It’s a a pull-on waist and a bias-cut, which means it drapes beautifully on our bodies and is very flattering. It’s not too tight but has those lanky, clean lines that are a trademark of the outfits in APM. Because it’s one of those lifetime pieces we talked about and not some $20 shiny skirt from Amazon we’ll give away in a year, it is more of a splurge, but we plan to keep it for life, so our cost-per-wear will be pennies in no time.
Use the code THECANDIDLY15 to get 15% off.
Price: $248
Image: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
4. The TALL BOOTS
Dolce Vita Gyra Boots
If you take only one thing away from the styling of A Perfect Murder, let it be the boots. The boots make every single collection of clothes she put on into a lustworthy look. We’ve included our favorite brown suede and black leather pairs, because boots have to be not only stunning, but 100% pain-free to be acceptable.
Price: $250
Beek Crow leather boot
In addition to being the kind of boot that should win international beauty contests, the comfort and support and molding to your foot that occurs with this boot is unprecedented. They’re an investment (sigh, all the best boots are) but again, these are the ones we’re keeping (and will remain obsessed with) for life.
You can use the code CANDIDLY10 to get 10% off.
Price: $475
Images: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
5. The BUTTON-DOWN
Untuckit Wrinkle-Free Stretch Cotton Bella Shirt
We could go on all day about the best white, button-down shirt (oops, we already did here). It is unequivocally the most useful item in our closet when we want to look Grace Kelly chic with zero effort. But we highlight this one because the ONE issue we have with some button-downs is that they wrinkle and look a mess. This one has an anti-wrinkle, stretchy material that fits perfectly and doesn’t need a lot of adjusting to look good.
And you can use the code THECANDIDLY20 to get 20% off.
Price: $85
ThirdLove Uplift Plunge + Bikini Set
We couldn’t resist adding our favorite lace bra and panty set, because we will absolutely be recreating that white button-down/ black undies combo in front of the mirror later tonight (with our pimple patches and mouth guards on of course).
Price: $89
Image: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
6. THE PARTY DRESS
Lulus Glamorous Disposition Burgundy Ruched Maxi Dress
We don’t have to overthink this one. Burgundy is the black of fall and should be worn to every formal occasion accordingly.
Price: $99
But this look would not be complete without…
Image: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
Mejuri Lab Grown Sapphire Tennis Necklace
A tennis necklace might be the singular minimalist, dress up necklace we’ve been missing all our lives. And it took this moment in this movie to make us aware of that.
Price: $648
Images: A Perfect Murder | Warner Bros. Pictures
BONUS: THE LITTLE TOUCHES
The Lip
As promised, we had to find her lip color. Apparently, the exact shade she wore for much of the film that romantically elevated all her quiet luxury outfits is no longer made. But fear not, we found the most mesmerizing red around. It’s called Velvet Jazz* from Lisa Eldridge. We almost wanted to keep it to ourselves, but that would be cruel, so here it is.
Price: $36
The Accessories
The Scarf*: We can’t pick out which of these subtly statement scarves we love most from Sézane but maybe you can.
The Double Pearl Strand*: Again, the brilliance of making something understated a bit more your own.
The Single Diamond Necklace*: It’s wild the impact a gem so tiny can have on everything else we wear.
The Bag*: The original Gwyn carried was Hermès, and we’d have to take out a second mortgage to afford it. But this doppelgänger is unbelievably chic and very affordable.
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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