We Can’t Stop Looking At Renata’s Suit from Last Night’s “Big Little Lies”

Kittens, sometimes you just don’t need an exhaustive costume review. Sometimes, you just want to talk about one costume you just can’t get out of your head. For us, at this moment, that costume is Renata Klein’s Roland Mouret suit, worn spectacularly by Laura Dern in the “Kill Me” episode of Big Little Lies. Check out this flex:

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Everything about this suit screams the two things that Renata absolutely wants to get across in wearing it:

1. I mean business; and

2. I make damn good money doing my business. 

There’s also a bit of an “I work to maintain this fit” undertone to it; not quite as important to Renata as her ability to convey competence, aggression and power, but it’s all part of her Alpha Female personality. She’s in charge, in control in every way, and has the financial rewards she deserves for all her hard work. That’s the message.

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As businesswear goes, it’s not remotely practical and to be fair, she doesn’t seem to dress like this all the time. But she’s at a particularly image-focused period in her career, trying desperately to convey the image of someone who’s ascending even as she battles the reality that she’s on a sharp decline. The Hermès belt wasn’t necessary, but it coordinated perfectly, slaps a luxury logo on her, and gives the suit both military and menswear undertones, even as it sports a flouncy peplum and is paired with a soft white blouse.

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The blouse gets highlighted more when she sits down with Mary Louise and attempts to make a power play while under the guise of being a chatty concerned mom drinking her tea. It doesn’t work; not just because Mary Louise is way smarter than any of these women, but because it’s just not an image she can readily convey. EVERYTHING about Renata is a flex, all the time. You can’t soften her edges any more than you can make this suit look cheaper than it is by fraying all the hems. Like all good costume design – and we should absolutely shout out to BLL costume designer Alix Friedberg for once again nailing it – this tells a story of the character who’s wearing it.

Also, it’s just a fabulous damn suit.

Style Credit:
– Roland Mouret ‘Delen’ Bouclé Jacket and ‘Norley’ Bouclé Midi Skirt
– Hermès ‘Constance’ H Buckle Leather Belt
– Cartier ‘C de Cartier’ Leather Bag

Costume Designer: Alix Friedberg

[Photo Credit: Jennifer Clasen/HBO, net-a-porter.com, hermes.com, cartier.com – Stills: Tom and Lorenzo via HBO]

• Alix Friedberg
• Big Little Lies
• Big Little Lies Style
• Cartier
• Costumes
• HBO
• Hermès‎
• Laura Dern
• Roland Mouret