• Style Guides
    • All Style Guides & Tips
    • Boho Style Essentials
    • Classic Style Essentials
    • Edgy Style Essentials
    • College Wardrobe Essentials
  • College
    • All College Articles
    • Dorm Bedding 2020
    • College School Supplies Checklist
    • Dorm Color Scheme Guide
    • Dorm Organization Tips
  • Outfit Ideas
    • All Outfit Inspo
    • College Outfits
    • 21st Birthday Outfits
    • Cold Weather Outfits
  • Sorority
    • All Things Sorority
    • Sorority Rush Essentials
    • Sorority Rush Outfits
  • Shopping
    • All Shopping Guides
    • Best Budget Fashion Stores
    • Where to Buy Sweaters
    • Best Online Thrift Stores
    • Timeless Jewelry Guide
    • Amazon Favorites 2021
  • Beauty
    • All Things Beauty
    • Makeup Essentials Guide
    • “No Makeup” Makeup
College Fashion
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Write for us

Old School TV Style: Fashion Inspired by Elaine from Seinfeld

Last Updated on February 25, 2019 by Chelsea - University of Oklahoma
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase through our links. Please read our full disclosure here.
Fashion inspiration: Elaine Benes from Seinfeld

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, and 4

Over the last couple of years, fashion commentators, style blogs, and even the New York Times started to notice an unlikely trend: Girls working in fast-paced, stylish industries like journalism, PR, and fashion were seen rocking matronly floral dresses, oversized blazers and cardigans, and old-fashioned beehive hairdos.

No, these girls aren’t just a bunch of Big Love extras in action (although Chloe Sevigny is credited as one of the driving forces in the resurgence of this trend). Rather, Elaine Benes, the pint-sized heroine of ’90s TV juggernaut Seinfeld, is cited as the source material for this new look.

I’m sure all of you are familiar with Seinfeld, the infamous “show about nothing.” Seinfeld follows four friends living in New York City, and the everyday, petty injustices they face in everyday life. What makes this show hilarious and unique is the quirky observational comedy, covering topics from dry cleaners to answering machines, parking garages to library books. This vein of humor, combined with dozens of catchphrases and memorable characters, made for one of the most successful TV shows of all time.

This TV show certainly didn’t set out to create a fashion icon, but often the greatest inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. Ready to snag some of Elaine’s unique style? Read on!(P.S. Old School TV Style is a new series here. Don’t forget to read last week’s post on Ally McBeal fashion!)

Street style inspired by Elaine Benes from Seinfeld

How cool do these girls look in their Elaine-inspired outfits? | Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, and 4

Elaine Benes’ Style

Elaine Benes, one of the four main Seinfeld characters, is intelligent, assertive, brutally honest, and sometimes a little self-centered. The last thing Elaine thought about when getting dressed was how to look sexy. Working in a male-dominated industry, Elaine wanted to dress in a feminine way, while always looking powerful and professional. Also, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (who played Elaine) was pregnant twice while Seinfeld was filming, and trying to hide her belly was part of what influenced Elaine’s style.

Floral dresses were Elaine’s signature look. These dresses often featured peter pan collars, long sleeves, and hit from mid-calf to ankle length. Her dresses looked more “granny-esque” than grungy, though, thanks to the girlish touches she’d add, like pearls, lacy socks, and lipstick. Her color palette was more muted than colorful, often featuring maroons, grays, and navy shades.

Due to New York’s frigid weather and the professional atmosphere of Elaine’s job, she always topped her dresses with an oversized cardigan, a shoulder-padded blazer, or a floor-length trench coat.

Elaine also lived in chunky shoes. Remember those pilgrim-esque buckled shoes your mom bought for you to wear to church when you were in elementary school? Or, those saddle oxfords and Mary-Janes? Those styles were Elaine staples – comfortable, practical, and oh-so ’90s fabulous!

The last major feature of Elaine’s style was her signature mess of curls. Elaine poofed the front section of her hair far before Snooki came along, clipped it half up, and wore the rest down. To vary it, she’s sometimes braid the rest of her hair. To achieve this look, add some volumizing mouse to your crown, and scrunch the rest with texturizing cream. Carefully arrange the section of your hair from ear to ear in a delicate bouffant, and hold it in place with bobby pins.

Outfit Inspiration

To keep from looking costume-esque, I took many of Elaine’s signature pieces and updated them to work for today’s fashions. Check out the looks below!

Outfit inspired by Elaine from Seinfeld: Floral dress, ruffle socks, mary-janes, practical bag, glasses

Dresss, Socks, Shoes, Glasses, Backpack

The floral dress featured above looks like something Elaine would have worn, but with a more fitted cut and shorter hemline! For some of Elaine’s dork-chic style, pair lacy socks with a chunky Mary Jane heel. If this look is a little too extreme, the dress would look awesome with Mary Jane ballet flats instead. Add a pair of glasses and a backpack purse – so ’90s fab! For a modern take on Elaine’s signature hair, try the look Dianna Agron is rocking — big, wavy curls rather than crispy, tight ones.

Outfit inspired by Elaine from Seinfeld: Khaki shorts, floral tank, coral blazer, lace-up oxfords

Blazer, Blouse, Shorts, Heels, Necklace, Hair Product

This outfit is a remix of Elaine’s staple items, but reinvented for a totally modern look. I love the look of loose, high-waisted khaki shorts. Leave them how they are, or cuff the inseams for shorter shorts if that’s more your style. This blouse might look like something your Grandma would wear at first, but it will look chic when tucked into your high-waisted shorts and layered under a boyfriend blazer. Finish with oxford heels, pearls, and a big, sexy hairstyle!

Outfit inspired by Elaine from Seinfeld: Floral shorts, pink tee, penny loafer heels, pearl earrings, simple necklace

Blouse, Skirt, Loafers, Earrings, Necklace

A Peter Pan blouse will look fresh and modern when paired with a shorter skirt. This featured skirt is shorter than something Elaine would have worn, but the floral design pays homage to her style. These cute loafers will complement the outfit without looking too sexy, thanks to their low, chunky heels. Finish with simple earrings, a necklace, and a messy braid.

What Do You Think?

Do you watch Seinfeld reruns? What is your favorite episode? What’s your favorite catchphrase from the series? What do you think about the reemergence of Elaine Benes’ style? Do you think it looks dopey, or cool in an edgy, retro sort of way? What other television shows would you like to see CF cover? Leave a comment and lets discuss!!

Tags : 1990s, Blazers, Floral Prints, Loafers, Old School TV Style, TV

4 Comments
Originally published on July 12, 2012
Previous Fashion Inspiration: Bo Peep from Disney Pixar’s “Toy Story”
Next Geek Chic: Fashion Inspired by The Amazing Spider-Man

Related Posts

Being-Earnest-Book-Cover

Looks from Books: Fashion Inspired by The Importance of...

Britney Spears Oops I Did It Again video screenshot

2000s Fashion Icons: Britney Spears

I Dressed Like Gilmore Girls Characters for a Week ...

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ashleigh Maynes says

    May 29, 2019 at 5:21 pm

    wow! i would never think of elaine but it works who knew.. please do a buffy post! or even a charmed 🙂

    Reply
  2. Erica Lynette says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:17 am

    YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!! Seinfeld is my favorite show in the entire world, and omg omg omg this is crazy I was just about to ask CF to do a post around Seinfeld!!! This makes my life. 😀

    Reply
  3. Ellen says

    April 15, 2019 at 11:16 am

    I love this so much. I used to watch Seinfeld after my parents thought I’d gone to bed (I’d watch from the staircase where they couldn’t see me!) Of course I couldn’t understand any of it then, but now it is my favorite TV show of all time. This is awesome.

    Reply
  4. kary says

    April 15, 2019 at 3:49 pm

    I love old school fashion. It’s the best for me. Never gets outmoded, and maintains the feminine look of a woman. This is just one proof that fashion trend goes cycling time to time.

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • bloglovin

SEARCH CF

Get the latest CF updates! (Delivered weekly, no spam ever, unsubscribe anytime.)

Addison Rae

Addison Rae’s Clothes: How to Dress Like Addison Rae

Dress like a TikTok star: these are the key items for getting Addison Rae’s style, for less.

Bridgerton outfits

I Dressed Like Bridgerton Characters for a Week and Here’s What Happened

After becoming a smashing success, Bridgerton captured our fashion-attention. This week, I brought Bridgerton’s style to the 21st century.

Vintage Posts

Copyright © 2007-2021 College Fashion LLC | Contact • Privacy Policy • Terms of Service • Disclosure • Write for Us