Every year, without fail, the trend of the ‘Frazzled English Woman’ resurfaces just in time for Autumn. And, like clockwork, it’s made its long-anticipated return. The ‘Frazzled English Woman look started in the 2000’s, derived from the protagonists of films such as “The Devil Wears Prada”, “Bridget Jones” and the apparent ‘blueprint’ for this trend, “The Holiday.”
First glancing at this list of characters (all played by award-winning women), we see their characters in the mentioned films all take jobs in the publishing and writing field - perhaps as a link to the Autumn Queen herself, Rory Gilmore. They all have a rushed-yet-somehow-put-together, clumsy-yet-captivating quality about them that we fall victim to annually. They are depicted with messy claw-clipped hair, black lipstick-stained coffee mugs, distasteful stripy fluffy socks (and a matching scarf), and casual autumnal makeup; the style draws on punk-Vivienne Westwood core and downtown, self-made, book nerd, millennial ideas. And it looks FABULOUS!
Upon analysing the lifestyle and fashion sense of these women, it’s found that they share much more than a similar vibe:
ASPECT | ANDY- DWP | BRIDGET- BJ | IRIS- H |
Romantic Deprivation | Being rejected by her boyfriend after being forced to submit to her boss, Miranda, | Being cheated on by Daniel and splitting up twice with Mark before getting married | Being a victim of unrequited love and manipulation by Jasper |
Looked Down Upon | Her clothing choice sets her at a lower level than her coworkers Emily and Selina | Viewed as incompetent by her boss/partner, looked down on by her family for being single | Used for her work and not credited by her co-workers |
Manipulated by a Male | Simon Baker | Daniel Cleaver | Jasper |
“Ditsy/Bold/Unique” Style | The opening scene compares how models dress in the morning to how Andy dresses and gets ready – her outfits are much less romanticised | Many attempts to make her presentable failed e.g. the headscarf, gold dress and miniskirt. | With a lack of heating in her home and subsequent use of cozy scarves and knitted jumpers |
Quiet, Humble Home | Shared flat with her boyfriend in a comfortable and small corner of New York city | One-bedroom London flat filled with books and her infamous diaries | Cottage in rural England standing on its own in Surrey |
Frequent moments of helplessness where the viewer can relate to the feeling of ‘the world is against me’ | Her rant to fashionista Nigel where she feels useless in her job, and her decision between her career and her relationships. | Where to start! Frequent bursts of embarrassment across the trilogy | Watching the love of her life get engaged thinking she would be instead, then sobbing dramatically in her cottage with her pet dog. |
The ‘Frazzled English Woman’ appellation first truly appeared in the December 2022 edition of Vogue, captioned “An Actual Frazzled Englishwoman Dissects the Trend”, accompanied with a picture of Bridget Jones herself. The article gave an idea of the writer’s life compared to the one so often depicted on screen and, in truth, there weren’t many differences. This trend has then evolved over the years, with content creators and bloggers (as well as more and more traditional media characters) giving more details on how to achieve the lifestyle within your persona, clothes and even your home.
So, how can I emulate the ‘Frazzled English’ style?
INTERIORS:
The ‘Frazzled English’ interior design trend is perfect for those who love snug and sophisticated interiors. As Kfir Aharon, design expert and owner of House Design Hub, states, “The frazzled English trend takes great cues from the worlds of Richard Curtis movies,” Curtis’ movies, such as Yesterday, Love Actually and Notting Hill, all embrace the aesthetic of comfort and warmth - this interior style is all about embracing a casual, cluttered coziness, which is easy to bring into your home. According to Bob Berriz, a world-renowned interior designer, it can be achieved through “vintage-inspired furniture like faded velvet settees or upholstered headboards, lots of pillows and throws in floral prints or chintz patterns, and a lighter colour palette of creams, pale blues, and roses”.
MAKEUP:
Standard makeup includes dark tones of eyeshadow from a palette that clearly needs replacing and has very nearly run out (but as a frazzled lady you obviously don’t have time, so you make do every day until the palette is so old the frame breaks in your hand.) Try a natural blushed look - don't worry about heavy concealer (the dim area around your eyes shows you were up all night crocheting or finishing the article you’ve spent months working on which you can finally hand into your boss). Also, never waste time brushing your hair (you’re already rushing) - a scruffy claw clip works perfectly with a few hair clips at the front, and you’ll add a hat anyway since its autumn and freezing cold. Match your lipstick shade to your outfit, burrow your neck in your favourite tattered scarf, grab a long coat and you’re good to go! Make sure you pick up a coffee on the way and read with it in the cab to work.
AURA:
Finally, to complete the aesthetic, walk in a self-confident manner and hype yourself up (out loud) before walking into any potentially scary/embarrassing situation. Be aloof in your attitude to potential significant others – they aren’t worth your time - and keep a journal to track important moments or just general emotions from the day.
Now you’re ready; Iris, Bridget and Andy will be so proud.
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