Carmela From The Sopranos Has Such 2018 Style

last updated 14 August 2019

The head-to-toe animal print, the pastel shades, the skinny-rib knits, the gold jewelry… Is it really any wonder that I and Who What Wear UK's social media editor, Isabel Mundigo-Moore, started thinking about Carmela Soprano's costumes and their relevance in 2018? A few weeks back, our conversation/obsession started. We were both in agreement that the flashy ensembles of the long-suffering mafia boss's wife were underrated and looked down upon at the time, but that now—just under two decades later (wow, I feel old typing that)—her choices couldn't be more suited to what's trending on Instagram.

More recently, I invested in a three-piece ocelot-print vintage Cavalli creation from Vestiaire Collective, and I wanted to wear it with a chain belt. The resulting look could have been quite literally swiped from one of the early-noughties seasons of The Sopranos. If I had blonde hair and a husband who liked to wear his dressing gown open as he huffed and puffed his way up flights of stairs, people might even get confused and stop me in the street.

Check out any other cool vintage accounts on the social media platform and you'll see Carmela trademarks everywhere. What's more—in a bizarre stroke of fate for Isabel and me—it turns out there's an entire Instagram handle dedicated to the unsung stylings of The Sopranos. Set up by The Cut fashion news writer Emilia Petrarca, @sopranosstyle promises to bring you "all the best looks from your favorite gaudy goombahs and stylish Italian stallions," and we couldn't be happier that it exists.

While the gumars and their overtly sexual getups were enjoyable for their brashness or the austerity of Dr. Melfi's serious suits appreciated for their appropriateness, it's Carmela (and later on, Adriana) who should be present on Pinterest for true fashion inspiration. As the stars are clearly aligned on this one, let's take a trip down (a New Jersey–themed) memory lane.

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Lime green, skinny rib, gold chains… This triumvirate of greatness wouldn't look out of place at a retailer like Lisa Says Gah right now.

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Stops tucking in; starts adding chain belts to jumpers right away. A small shoutout to Furio's Versace-style shirt, as that is also very 2018.

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Perhaps the most Instagrammable neckline of all time: This could well be the new off-the-shoulder for influencers everywhere.

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One of this summer's most viral outfits revolves around matchy-matchy cream trousers and tops. Carmela was way ahead of the trend.

Pink AND Fila? Well, now you're just really spoiling us, Carm.

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I'm telling you now that if you saw this turquoise beauty on the streets of Stockholm Fashion Week, it wouldn't look out of place.

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If I don't buy a silk printed shirt this season, I have failed in life. This one is particularly good at bringing so many trends together.

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Carmela knew when and how to allow her anger to come to the surface, but she also knew how to wear color. This shade of blue was all over the fall 2018 runways.

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Pastel pink and elaborate—that's how we like our shirting too.

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If there's one major styling hack to take from Carmela this fall, it's necklaces over roll-necks.

Tiger print is back on the scene, and you can now buy it everywhere from ASOS to Attico.

This post originally appeared on Who What Wear UK.

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Hannah Almassi is the Editor in Chief of Who What Wear UK. She joined in 2015 when she launched the UK sister site following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine as fashion news and features editor. With experience in print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 18 years of experience as a journalist, editor and content strategist. Her opinion has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com and she is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.