As much as I write about celebrity style, personally, I don’t often find myself looking to the celeb set for outfit inspiration. Sure, the occasional Zoë Kravitz or Jennifer Lawrence look will catch my eye, but it’s rare that one single high-profile person’s style choices get their hooks in me. And yet, there is someone right now who has done just that, and it’s probably not who you’d expect.
In the last few weeks, no one’s Instagram account has enthralled me quite as much as Kelly Rutherford’s. Containing a mix of inspirational quotes and seemingly effortless yet mouthwateringly chic outfits, the former Gossip Girl star’s feed has had me in what I can only describe as a chokehold for days now, so much so that practically my entire saved folder is made up of mirror selfies she’s posted this winter.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s recently become a super fan. “Out of all the original Gossip Girl cast members, I don’t know why I didn’t think to follow Kelly more closely,” Brooklyn-based freelance fashion editor Cortne Bonilla explains over DM. “A few weeks ago, I came across her Instagram profile after one of my favorites brands, By Malene Birger, reposted an ensemble of hers,” she continues. “In the age of mass girlhood, it’s so refreshing to see a woman of a certain age embracing personal style, experimentation, and emerging brands.” For her, it’s Rutherford’s very personal sense of style that drew her in. “Kelly doesn’t dress for a trend or age, she dresses for herself—you can tell by her mixture of the old and the new, the classic and the experimental.”
On her feed, one will find a mix of just-released outerwear from the aforementioned Danish brand that fashion girls regularly obsess over to casual yet luxe knitwear. Most of her looks are colored in a palette of quiet-luxury neutrals, from camel to ivory, with touches of navy, black, and brown for good measure. Every article of clothing is glamorous yet nonchalant, making each of the actress’s outfits more than worth copying.
Unfortunately, scoring anything on her feed—especially the footwear I’m currently eyeing, her By Malene Birger shearling slippers—is going to take some saving up on my part (not to mention restocking, since those exact shoes are almost sold out). Fortunately, I did find a slightly more affordable and readily available alternative that’ll allow me to mimic Rutherford’s best cold-weather outfits in the meantime.
Below, shop the $160 Ugg boots that I will no doubt be styling alongside winter whites sweaters, camel coats, and oversize sunglasses à la Rutherford from now until spring. Plus, find plenty of other Rutherford-inspired pieces to add into your wardrobe while you’re at it.
