By Katie May Huxtable
After the quick passing of EnglandÔÇÖs blue skies and sunny afternoons, the return of the rainfall has forced us away from the seaside and back into the familiar feeling of jeans and long-sleeve tees. However, the return of the Mamma Mia franchise was just enough to bring a little bit of light back into our lives. A new sequel/prequel emerged onto screens at just the right time to save our slowly fading dreams of summer love, much needed joie de vivre and ÔÇô most importantly ÔÇô the stellar staples of seventies fashion.
Having watched it, unashamedly, a grand total of three times (it is called Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again after all), I felt as if I had been left with enough style inspiration to last a lifetime. The premise of the film is set in the 70s, following the story of DonnaÔÇÖs post-graduation travels through the dimly lit, romanticized streets of Paris before travelling across teal waters to the banks of the Greek island of Kalokairi. I did not expect these flashbacks to leave me with more style staples than the pages of my favourite fashion magazines, but I guess the seventies has found Mamma Mia to be its opening way of working its way back into our lives.
When talking about the fashion of the film, I, sadly, am not referring to the ABBA-esque lycra catsuits & go-go boots ÔÇô but more so the bohemian-summer feel that people now opt-for in influence of seventies summer fashion when styling themselves for events like Coachella Festival. In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Costume Designer Michelle Clapton Explained how inspiration behind the fashion pieces of Lily James as Young Donna was taken from the style of 70s French Icon Jane Birkin. This explains the films rotation of denim on denim, cheesecloth, straw hats and enough bell-bottoms to die for.
Despite this 70s backdrop to the movie, the most important part about the influence of the style process is that the pieces selected by Clapton still feel current rather than outdated, allowing us to replicate the fashion of the film in our own homes and fully emerge ourselves into the plotline.
First and foremost, the style staple that is so commonly linked with the film franchise is a pair of overalls/dungarees. I absolutely love the scene in the second movie where Sam tries to show Donna a dress that he believes would suit her, only for her to strut out in an awesome pair of overalls stating, ÔÇ£you really donÔÇÖt know me, do you?ÔÇØ. This pair are from Free People and I was drawn to them due to their unusual, A-line cut. TheyÔÇÖre on the pricier end at ┬ú108, but itÔÇÖs so easy to find a cheaper alternative ÔÇô my own staple pair coming from Topshop at around the ┬ú50 mark. IÔÇÖve paired them with a Floral Blouse from Topshop for a reasonable ┬ú26 and a pair of espadrille-style Mules from ASOS for just ┬ú14.
These striped linen overalls from Forever 21 are such a good find and if Michelle Clapton were to see them sheÔÇÖd kick herself for not giving them a feature. Not only are they only ┬ú28, but they look as if theyÔÇÖve stepped straight from the screen. This Straw Bag is in the Topshop sale for ┬ú15 and is very apt due to this summerÔÇÖs straw bag craze. I was drawn to these overalls as they are very similar to the look worn by Donna in When I Kissed The Teacher thanks to their autumnal-coloured stripes.
This blue maxi skirt is only ┬ú12 from Forever 21 and is giving me all the Grecian feelings. I would pair it with something white, similar to this white crochet crop top (┬ú10 at Topshop) to accentuate the blue colour. If you want something even more similar to Lily JamesÔÇÖ long orange skirt in The Name of the Game, this skirt also comes in a mustard yellow shade. IÔÇÖve added in a straw hat for good measure as there were so many iconic shots throughout the film of Christine Baranski looking like they were made purely for her to wear ÔÇô you can find this one at & Other Stories for ┬ú23.
If the movie didnÔÇÖt inspire you to give your wardrobe a little more seventies sparkle, I hope this article has you well on your way. ItÔÇÖs so easy to put a modern twist on older influences and mixing things up can make every day dressing a little more fun. As Cher would say, youÔÇÖve got glitter in your veins.
Visuals created by Katie May Huxtable using images from labeled shopping sites.