Lusting for some Mediterranean vacay vibes with a touch of unabashed privilege and dastardly acts? White Lotus delivers. Two episodes into the second season and we’ve already been paid back everything we were promised on the merit of season one: Emmy-level acting, stupefying tension, murderous intrigue, jaw-dropping shots of the scenic Mediterranean coastline and an equally jaw-dropping shot of man-of-the-moment Theo James’ massive dong. (It’s a prosthetic, you guys.)
Just as compelling as the interwoven dynamics of Mike White’s dark comedy have been the downright inspirational vacation-core looks of HBO’s Emmy-winner. Under the discerning eye of Alex Bovaid (the costume designer has helped produce memorable on-screen moments for Nope, The Unforgivables, Thoroughbreds and more) a culture of immaculately curated holidaywear has cropped up in the second season of White Lotus, all worthy of the sophistication that a millionaire resort getaway on the Aegean demands. There are floral shirts out of Burt Reynolds’ closet; silky, Vespa-forward suits and even the occasional wayward fedora. It’s charming, affluent and oh-so glitzy (like Monica Vitti) — everything you could possibly want from your aspirational travels.
Because some of these White Lotus looks are simply too magnificent to ignore, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight some of the best, along with some inspiration for you to replicate them on your own drama-filled traipses through the Mediterranean…or into the office this week.
The Matching Set Masterclass
Nothing says vacation like a matching Cabana shirt-short set, especially when you consider the multitude of wild colors, prints, and indeed, full animal graphics available. While alpha-bro, loving husband and total serial killer Cameron’s Italian-label Etro set, seen above, is, alas, sold out, brands like Tombolo provide solid, affordable alternatives. Pair with some larger-than-life shades (this terminology should apply to both size and style), and you’ve got yourself a ‘fit as memorable as whatever body of water you choose to park yourself next to.
The Balmy Monochromatic Suit
At the risk of spoilers (you’ve made it this far), there is a hilarious scene in episode 2 where heiress Tanya McQuoid explains just how she imagines a dreamy day on the Sicilian coast might pan out. Paramount to her Italian fantasy is a chic man in a slim, dark suit on a Vespa. Strive to be that man — some lightweight linen digs (slim-cut, of course) and a crisp tonal button-up, open to the world, is the only way to cosplay as the suave Italian man you fancy yourself to be.
The Based Blazer/Tasteful Tee Tango
The tee under a blazer, while an increasingly preferred option for brawny movie stars, is a contentious choice: lean too hard and you can end up looking fresh off the shore, or worse, straight out of an H&M catalog. The trick to the semi-formal styling, as Ethan (played by British actor-director and breakout hottie Will Sharpe) so casually demonstrates, is precision — a luxuriously soft tee and workwear-inspired blazer juxtapose much more nicely than their inverse.
The Low-Key Hypebeast
Sleeper pick alert! Perhaps you didn’t ping it upon first viewing, but the swaggiest character is Haley Lu Richardson’s Portia, a self-involved twenty-something and assistant to the dazzling Jennifer Coolidge. This makes sense — as the youngest (and most normal) member of Season Two’s cohort, her Gen Z clout has her primed to know her APCs from her ABCs. While her subtle “No Problem” pullover from London label Aries wins out for favorite look and provides a shining example of what some tastefully curated loungewear can do for you, we can’t discount her banging Crap Eyewear shades, nor could we forget her House of Sunny swan sweater-vest (even if we tried).
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