For a former cosmetics salesgirl from Flushing, Queens; Fran Fine sure had a kick-ass wardrobe.
From Moschino to Ralph Lauren, Anna Sui to Christian Lacroix; we were all apparently too busy waiting for her to pash Mr Sheffield to notice her designer threads.
Well, now is a time for reflection, with some clever bugger creating an Instagram account dedicated wholly and solely to the Queen of ’90s fashion herself, Fran Fine.
What Fran Wore is dishing up some statement-print realness, with almost 200 shots of classic Fran getups for us to gush over.
More is more with the world’s most famous Nanny, and we’re ready to countdown our favourite looks.
Fran was often carted around as the date for commitment-phobe Maxwell Sheffield. And she always bought the goods with her black tie numbers. (Because, ya know, we all have that flower-trimmed Moschino frock gathering dust in the back of our wardrobes.)
Yeah, but does your bag match your shoes match your jacket match your skirt? #ClassicFran
The year is 1993; and big hair, little dresses, and eyeshadow up and into your eyebrows is the peak of fashion.
More eyeshadow, please.
The Fran Fine ‘look’ was cemented from the start, with the pilot episode showing off some pretty serious printed shirt action. It’s like The Sound of Music meets Heidi meets Rent: The Musical, and we dig it.
There is a fine line between fashion and costume, and Fran Fine sits somewhere in the middle. If she took on a trend like camo, she did it to epic proportions.
Case in point? This sailor-inspired look. Okay, yeah, you’re right. It’s less ‘sailor-inspired’ and more just ‘dressed like a sailor’.
Fair to say Fran Fine single-handedly created the ‘statement headband’.
Things that scared Fran Fine: CC Babcock, an empty fridge, Danny Imperialli. Things that didn’t scare Fran Fine: a loud print.
OH MY GOD YOU GUYS IT’S THE PIANO DRESS. *Squeals* <screenshots> <saves>
Did they just buy metres and metres of material and make as many different items as they could? “We have sixteen meters of this stripe, I want to see skirts, hats, jackets, bags, underwear, everything!”
It wouldn’t be a ‘best of Fran Fine’ countdown without some leopard. And we’re not just talking a dash of print in a cuff or collar – we’re talking the whole nine yards with this two piece Moschino leopard-print-denim set. Reoww.
Okay, just one more with the leopard…
Novelty prints were Fran’s specialty, and this brick-print suit is just too damn good. Because like, what do YOU wear babysitting?
And if the brick print suit wasn’t enough, how about the Vivienne Tam face print suit?
Move over, Ginger Spice. There was one big-haired beauty rocking the Union Jack in the ’90s and it was Miss Fine.
The ‘What Fran Wore’ Instagram account also works to serve as a very important reminder that, 20 years on, we still just all want to dress like her.
And so, two decades from when Nanny Fine first graced out screens as “…the lady in red, when everybody else is wearing taannn” we still have no much to learn from the first lady of ’90s skirt suits.
In a world where fashion has just become a series of beige, skintight layers (thanks for that, Kardashians), we feel more nostalgic that ever for the days of statement headbands and polka-dot denim jackets.
Time to shine, sisters – and if you are ever in doubt, just sit back and ask yourself: what would Fran do?
Hey Mia: What’s a surprising style secret?
Top Comments
I LOVE that show. I still watch all the reruns and it's still funny.
This is great, there is also an Instagram account called Murdershelook that celebrates all the things Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote wore, because why should fashion be for just younger people.
Thanks nashina - I'm going to look now :) :)