How to Think like a Stylist
G. LABEL BY GOOP PATRICIA STRIPED SHIRTDRESS, goop, $575
A few weeks ago, on a characteristically sunny LA day, I reported to set for the shoot of our newest G. Label collection. I was there to watch the action—and catch up with our associate styling director, Sarah Rose, who was adjusting the model’s shirt cuff when I walked in. After a few deft folds, she joined me behind the monitor, where we watched the images materialize on the screen as the photographer snapped away.
Usually our interactions are confined to the fashion closet. I’ll pop in to inspect a new jacket we’re about to launch on the site and she’ll be in there, styling out a rack for the next e-comm shoot. We’ll end up chatting—our conversations often revolving around where to find an oddly niche fashion item (our latest quest: brown croc-embossed slingbacks) or how we feel about Greta Lee’s latest red-carpet Loewe look (love!). I’m constantly blown away by her ability to make clothing come to life through imagery, so getting to watch her work her magic in real time is a treat.
“This month’s collection leans fairly feminine, but I wanted to show how it’s not too precious—it’s still cool, you know?” says Rose. “Part of that’s on the model—her attitude, her poses. The rest comes down to the styling.” Rose brings me over to a table in the corner with several velvet-lined trays, each laden with chunky gold earrings, ear cuffs, bracelets, and rings. “I knew I wanted to play with gold jewelry,” she says. “Nothing too dainty or pretty or feminine, but bolder, more modern pieces to contrast with the clothes. I also wanted to avoid anything that felt obvious, like pearls, so we went with these big, almost Bottega-style earrings instead.”
Over the years, Rose has developed a system for gut-checking her instincts and styling decisions: “I’ll ask myself, Is this a woman I’d want to know more about? Does she have a clear sense of herself? Is she confident? Is she chic? Cool? Put-together? Those questions keep me on the right track.”
Ahead, she walks us through four of her favorite looks from the shoot.
G. LABEL BY GOOP GOETZ PLEAT-NECK TOP, goop, $395; G. LABEL BY GOOP KELLY WIDE-LEG TROUSERS, goop, $495; LIÉ STUDIO EARRINGS, goop, $310
When I’m styling for editorial, I always think, How do we elevate this and make it feel aspirational? This white top reminded me of an old Celine one from the early 2010s, so I went back to that collection to get inspired. I found this photo where the model is wearing a few chunky silver bracelets on each wrist. That was a reference. The ones we used are from a brand called Renato Cipullo, which we just launched on the site.
G. LABEL BY GOOP PATRICIA SHIRTDRESS, goop, $575
This shirtdress comes in two colors and can be worn multiple ways. For work, I would definitely belt it. You can either use the sash that it comes with or swap in a thin leather belt, which feels a little dressier. The blue dress reads more weekend to me—I could see that as a beach cover-up in the summer, worn without the belt for a more relaxed feel.
G. LABEL BY GOOP SUSIE LONG CARDIGAN, goop, $545
The intention is to wear this with the matching tank. You can belt it around the back if you want to, but we threaded it underneath because it’s more flattering. It gives it a totally different shape.
G. LABEL BY GOOP JENSEN POLO SHELL, goop, $395; G. LABEL BY GOOP FAITH SWEATER SKIRT, goop, $695; G. LABEL BY GOOP KARLA SHRUNKEN CARDIGAN, goop, $595
My favorite piece from this collection is the polo. It’s a piece that I styled quite differently for editorial versus e-comm. The editorial look shows how you can wear it more casually—those are the Pepper jeans from January—whereas the e-comm pictures show the full set with the skirt and cardigan. In both cases, we buttoned it all the way up—a very Gwyneth move.
