One cannot discuss the great female, archetypal characters of television without mentioning a certain frazzled haired heroine – the one and only – Elaine Benes of Seinfeld. Has there ever been a more relatable character on television? Elaine didn’t rely on the usual TV tropes to show a character’s humanness. There was no clumsy charm or naked over sharing, Elaine just was.
With her monument-sized wall of hair, padded blazers, flowing skirts and spectacles, the Elaine “look” was decidedly anti-fashion and yet she was a trendsetter in her own way. Part of her timeless appeal can be attributed to good writing, but the majority of it goes to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who remains a national treasure. Few sitcom characters have claimed the title of “summer’s downtown fashion muse” by the New York Times. Elaine’s uniform was the culmination of her Upper West Side surroundings and the late-’90s thrift store revival.
Most career women at the time on television wore tailored suits from Talbots or serious anchor wear à la Murphy Brown, but Elaine was a different breed. She was the new creative professional. Writing fanciful copy for the J. Peterman catalog by day and drinking peach schnapps by night, she played by her own style rules. Technically hers was a “fashion” job, but the show never had to deal with any of the clichés that came with that industry. We can’t even recall a time Elaine wore heels or if she used her bag for anything other than to slug people with.
She had her feminine florals and flowing dresses, but let’s face it, Elaine was just one of the guys. She wasn’t going to be doing a ladies brunch anytime soon. They dressed her up in blazers and bulky jackets but there was always a hint of satin, lace or a colorful blouse popping up underneath to remind the viewers that she was still a woman. Nothing was off limits for Elaine: lace vests, fringed leather jackets and even grandma brooches – it was a veritable hodge-podge of flea market fashion. Hers was an effortless style that never overshadowed her wit or confidence, but became part of the complete Elaine package. While part of her boxy wardrobe can be attributed to the fact that Julia Louis-Dreyfus spent Season 3 and 8 pregnant, there was never much of a noticeable shift – since Elaine liked to clad herself in layers like an Amish bride.
As the series progressed, her wall of hair tumbled down like the great wall of Jericho and her style became slightly softer. She got some no-fuss bangs and a smart pair of spectacles from Lenscrafters. She had the publishing look down, but we always fondly remember her original look from the early days. Elaine never strut her stuff, but she did dance … oh yes she did.
