Who cares who murdered your husband when your hair and wardrobe look like a million bucks. (Getty Images)(Getty Images)
I love a crime-thriller TV show. However, I especially love a thriller centered around wealthy characters, like Your Friends & Neighbors or The White Lotus. It's a fun look into another world, and I can't help but admire all of the high-end fashion. So when Amazon Prime released The Better Sister, you know I spent my weekend binging all eight episodes.
Without giving too much away, Jessica Biel's character, Chloe Taylor, is a magazine editor who seems to live the perfect life. She's married to lawyer Adam and has a son in high school, a NYC penthouse apartment and a beach home in East Hampton. When Adam is brutally murdered, her estranged sister, who was also married to Adam at one point (yep, the plot thickens), comes back into her life. Together, they untangle the mystery and a load of family secrets. It's gotten mixed reviews, but I loved the show, which is based on the bestselling novel by Alafair Burke.
As I binged The Better Sister, I also clocked all the "rich-mom" outfits Biel's character wore. From a summer soiree to the police station, every look is simple, understated and polished. (You can watch the trailer here to get a look at some of her fits.)
To nail the look, Biel's character rotated five basic style staples, including some you may have in your closet already. While many of her looks came from high-end designer brands like The Row and Zimmerman, you can copy the look for less with these style picks inspired by The Better Sister.
Chloe Taylor knows the power of a basic ribbed tank top. She wears a few throughout the series while in the Hamptons, usually paired with a sweater tied over her shoulders — you know, just in case she has to run to a chilly courtroom at the last minute.
Real rich moms make sure their tank is opaque (not see-through) and neatly tucked in with nary a bra strap showing — but we won't tell anyone if you don't follow the style code that says "I have a trust fund." You can, however, switch things up with different colors, necklines and straps, like those in the picks below.
As far as trends go, wide-leg pants are having a moment. Chloe wears hers to the office, in the Hamptons and beyond. Does she change into sweats at home? She does not. There's a pair of wide-leg denim trousers for that.
For true rich-mom style cred, not just any wide-leg pants will do. They must fit well and be the perfect length, skimming the ground ever so slightly. The picks below should suffice, but at a fraction of the cost of Ms. Taylor's.
Biel's character carries a few leather bags, including a $3,300 The Row tote that screams "rich mom." It's simple, sleek and beige — flashy logos, loud colors and obnoxious prints are taboo in the world of stealth wealth. I like the sleek look, but prefer to pay a lot less.
Most genuine leather totes, even on the lower end of the price spectrum, will still cost between $100-$300. But a well-made bag in beige, black or another neutral hue is something you can wear with almost anything and anywhere for years to come. In other words, consider it a good investment.
OK, Chloe Taylor doesn't wear a ton of slip dresses, but she wears a white one in The Better Sister's opening scene that had fans all abuzz, mostly because it showcased Biel's enviably toned arms. The actual dress her character wears is a Proenza Schouler design that retails for over $1,000. We found a few more affordable options that will let you try out the look and still buy groceries for the month.
Finally, Biel's character wears a lot of minimalist gold jewelry, including a short, gold chain necklace that shows up in several episodes. While real gold jewelry or even gold vermeil will last longer than gold-plated or gold-toned jewelry, not everyone has the big bucks for that. For those of us in the lower tax brackets, I found a few similar styles starting at just $9.
