Why We’re Dressing For The Romcom We Want To Star In This December

Is it just me or does everyone seem to be dressing like they’re starring in a romcom more than usual at this time of year? It’s hardly surprising - ‘tis officially the season to drink mulled wine while watching back-to-back classics - but 2023 seems to be going hard on a particular trend we’re calling romcom-core. Love Actually was actually re-released to celebrate its 20th anniversary, with a nationwide roll-out in cinemas at the end of November. The new tagline on the movie poster? ‘Fall back in love.’ If what we’re wearing is anything to go by, we already have.

The A-list has managed to resurrect the baker boy hat, an accessory that will forever be associated with banoffee pie and Keira Knightley, who made an accidental icon of a corduroy version in the excruciating scene where she discovers that her husband’s best friend is hopelessly in love with her. Hailey Bieber has been wearing a cream cable-knit jumper that looks like it belongs to the wardrobe department of When Harry Met Sally, despite the fact that it’s actually new-season Bottega Veneta. And speaking of Meg Ryan, the hashtag #megryanfall has more than 10.6 million views on TikTok, making an autumn icon not just of the adorably neurotic Sally Albright, but of Kathleen Kelly, the actor’s bookshop-owning alter ego in You’ve Got Mail - the ultimate poster woman for romcom-core’s cashmere twinsets, chunky polo necks and sweater vests (yes, her wardrobe is wall-to-wall knitwear).

Then there’s this year’s obsession with all things quiet luxury, whose origin story might actually be found in the land of romcoms (hello, Cameron Diaz’s ‘LA winter wardrobe’ in The Holiday). J.Lo’s Dolce & Gabbana coat isn’t just ridiculously aspirational but a major plot point in Maid in Manhattan, after all. And although it’s 20 years later, sumptuous cream everything is only just reaching its zenith. Amazon Prime’s Candy Cane Lane, released today, stars Eddie Murphy, a man hell-bent on winning his street’s decorating contest, and Tracee Ellis Ross, his wife who wears the most delectable jumper in a shade best described as brandy butter (as well as a holly berry red tracksuit that is exactly how we plan on styling out ‘Betwixmas’).

And if quiet luxury isn’t your vibe, how about a jolly yellow raincoat with some serious main character energy like the one worn by Rye Lane’s Yas? (She doesn’t change her outfit for the entire film, which makes it even more miraculous that the mac still pops when the final credits roll.) Whatever character speaks to your aesthetic, romcom-core gives you full licence to look like you’re about to embark on an emotional journey involving either a case of mistaken identity or a house swap. Merry Christmas!