Muse: Film Characters

three on-screen characters who inspire my wardrobe & shop

A quick note before I jump into today’s post: The first ever collection of vintage and preloved clothing at The Story Kept is launching in the shop in just a couple days on Tuesday, November 15th at 7pm PST. Items will be posted on Instagram and I’ll be sure to send you a reminder here too. This curated collection of apparel is close to my heart and I can’t wait to share it with you. Be sure to follow and subscribe for notifications and first dibs!

Now, onto today’s story. I hope to make this post, muse, a series I bring to you on a regular basis. A roundup and little commentary on the places I find inspiration.

Today, I want to tell you about three film characters whose wardrobes are my, well, muse.

Penny Lane - Almost Famous

Almost Famous has always been one of those films I could watch again and again. I first saw it when I was in high school, at the peak of discovering new-to-me old music via Limewire and HMV (iykyk). While my friends were styling knock-off Juicy Couture velour sets I was flipping through records, playing “Tangerine” by Led Zeppelin, and suiting up in distressed jeans and peasant blouses.

The eclectically-styled Penny Lane herself was an inspiration to 16-year-old me. Feminine, flirty, bohemian, I coveted her coat (of course) and her flowy, silky tops. Even today, though I dress for teaching high school rather than the Stillwater tour bus, I can’t help but find threads of Penny’s signature style woven throughout my wardrobe. A few of my favourite looks:

Links: 1 } 2 } 3 } 4 } 5 } 6

Margot Tenenbaum - The Royal Tenenbaums

My favourite sad girl long before the pop culture trope was a thing, Margot Tenenbaum of The Royal Tenenbaums is played by the elegant Gwyneth Paltrow. Her wardrobe is as quirky as any element of a Wes Anderson classic, complete with heavy black liner and her signature hair clip.

Though Margot’s campy outfits are often hyped up for Hallowe’en costumes, I’m drawn to her classics: collared shirts, chunky Oxfords, silky neutral slipdresses, and—yes, again—the fur coat.

Links: 1 } 2 } 3 } 4

Mabel Mora - Only Murders in the Building

A more recent obsession, Mabel Mora’s wardrobe captured my attention from episode one of Only Murders in the Building. Chunky knits, ops of colour, bold patterns, and elegant statement accessories, I love to incorporate small touches of Mabel’s “minimalist maximal” wardrobe into my own daily looks.

A few of my favourites:

Links: 1 } 2 } 3 } 4 } 5

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading part one of muse. I’ll come to you in the following weeks with more little lists of inspiration.

I’d love for you to share: whose on-screen wardrobe inspires you the most? Let me know in the comments.