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For the past few years, Lori Harvey has been mastering the art of pilates classes while launching her own skin care and swimwear lines, but the internet seems to always be talking about her style, often consumed via paparazzi sightings. I will admit that I have long lumped Lori Harvey into the "Anything Goes" category of celebrity fashion. She's so gorgeous that she could walk outside in a plastic trash bag and I'll convince myself that she looks amazing. That, of course, put her at the top of the list for this series.
Similarly to Bella Hadid, Harvey uses her midriff as an accessory for many of her outfits. She single-handedly convinced a huge demographic of people to start taking pilates classes to achieve a figure remotely similar to hers, which guaranteed entry to the Met Gala in a simple ab-revealing gown. But, unlike Bella, I never felt like Lori's style told us anything about who she is as a person. Her sartorial choices always felt reliant on the fact that she would look good regardless. Now, I don't think everyone needs to have a sense of personal style to walk outside wearing clothes, but this is what intrigued me the most and pushed me to try out her looks for a week. Could I achieve that same effortless, chic vibe as I walk down these empty Los Angeles New York streets the way she does?
I'll be honest, the fourth installment of this series felt daunting for many reasons. Lori Harvey is someone I don't necessarily want to emulate, mostly because I hardly ever rely on my midriff to elevate my outfits the way she so effortlessly does. More than anything, this time around showed me how emotionally connected we can be to our clothes. When you spend years saying you want to work in fashion, most people turn their noses up. It's seen as vapid and frivolous to care deeply about what you wear, but that isn't the case. Clothes can be intimately linked to the way we view ourselves.
Copying Lori Harvey's style was more of a mental block than anything else for me. I've consistently put myself up next to wonderful women, all unique in their own right, but sitting next to someone whose style feels detached from her personality and more focused on just her physique terrified me. Even as I walked the Condé Nast hallways receiving compliments from my peers, I tucked my head down from nerves. I didn't think I looked good donning outfits similar to her, and that hurt to realize.
Fashion and media have played a huge role in structuring the firm parameters of style. While fashion is fun, it's also something everyone must participate in, and we've been conditioned to believe certain "rules" to be facts. It's the reason why I see Lori Harvey walking down the street in low-rise jeans and a crop top and believe it's only meant for her. Going against those misconceptions, one installment at a time, has helped immensely with my navigation of personal style. There are so many people out there who regulate what's in their wardrobe because of made-up limitations on what certain people are allowed to wear — and I want to reiterate that this should never be the case.
For a week, I tried to recreate a few of my favorite Lori Harvey looks as closely as I could as a plus-size woman. Shopping for this installment of CTRL+C was incredibly easy, mostly because Lori wears a lot of basics. It didn't take me long to source pieces that resembled hers. Where I mostly ran into issues were her elevated looks. But after similarly struggling with Zendaya, I knew that would be the hardest part. There were some failures, but it was incredibly fun, so I'd say it was a definite success. Whether you are looking for inspo or simply here for the rise, here are some plus-size-approved options if you are looking to channel your inner Lori Harvey soon.
Look 1: Skin & Green
This look is exactly what I think of when I think of Lori Harvey — a white bra-like top, low-rise jeans, and simple (yet incredibly expensive) accessories to top it all off. Wearing this one around the office was a little intimidating because it truly felt like my outfit was simply unfinished. I felt like I needed a jacket or preferably a shirt. But I know that's years of sartorial indoctrination telling me I can't leave the house in just a bra top! (As a fat person, it's taken a few years for me to allow myself to roam the streets in a crop top freely.)
Overall, I'd give myself a solid seven out of ten for this one. Though I'm quite obsessed with these Good American jeans, they were a bit too fitted for this look. I would have needed to size up in this specific style to achieve that baggy look to match Harvey's, but the mishap was not intentional. I have a few other GA pairs of jeans whose design is naturally baggy, so I can get my regular size (US 20) and they still fit loose. I expected these to be the same and was surprised to find that wasn't the case, so definitely take this into consideration when shopping! The shoes are from UGG and, to me, are a great, similar (and more affordable) alternative. Bag-wise, I still do not have access to a Bottega — though if someone is reading this and wants to send one, thank you in advance! — so I just used my everyday go-to bag from Coach.
Look 2: Pilates Princess
This look is a personal favorite since I consider myself a Pilates Princess. Lori Harvey is known for her Pilates abs, and so do I. As an avid New York Pilates goer, I spend a lot of time in workout gear, so recreating this look was not only fun but also practical — and admittedly way easier than most of the 'fits I've tackled so far during CTRL+C.
The main difference I noticed between Harvey's take and mine is that I am prone to wearing a sweater or shirt over my sports bras. That said, she has inspired me to walk to my class in my matching set and nothing else. I don't need to hide behind sweaters and jackets any longer!
Look 3: Lady in Red
This look is one of my favorites from Lori Harvey. She does elegance so well yet so simply, so I was really excited to recreate this. The hardest part of sourcing these looks is the details, and I admit I feel let down by this one. Finding a red dress similar to hers in my size was extremely difficult.
Obviously, we're also not working with a designer budget, but I was disappointed not to find anything remotely similar after hours of Internet scouring. I finally landed on this gorgeous dress from Revolve that I honestly loved wearing. It was even more beautiful when accompanied by these stunning white Steve Madden heels, which matched Lori's shoes almost perfectly and were, surprisingly, not that uncomfortable to walk in. I'm severely flat-footed and can't wear heels for more than five minutes, so know that these are worth it!
Look 4: Matchy-Matchy
Nobody understands how determined I was to at least attempt to recreate this look. It was such an interesting outfit to see on Lori Harvey. Of course, we got her signature pieces — bra top, baseball cap, and heels — but the baggy varsity jacket with matching oversized Bermuda shorts make the overall look very different from her usual style, in my opinion. I searched high and low to find pieces similar to her jacket and shorts, but everything fell incredibly short. There were a lot of navy blue bomber jackets in my size, but the matching shorts were nonexistent.
Thankfully, my brain was working the day I sourced this look, and I settled on a Canadian tuxedo. Over the years, denim is something I’ve never struggled to find as a plus-size person, and the overused safety-net jean jacket that I throw on over all my crop tops, even in 80-degree weather, can attest to that! Replacing the navy with denim felt like a safe bet and a worthy compromise. I loved these Target jorts, but I wish they were more structured rather than soft denim. The jean jacket is perfect and actually fits oversized without having to size up, which is no easy feat when shopping for plus-size clothing. I will say this look got me a lot of compliments around the office, especially my Coach bag, so maybe Ms. Harvey is, in fact, onto something!
Look 5: Leathered Up
Although I got as close as possible to achieving this look, it was the one that reminded me of how difficult it's always been to find the right fit for my body. As someone with a larger chest, finding a baggy mesh top like the one Harvey sports in this picture was quite tricky.
To me, the fit of a garment makes or breaks an outfit and while I do think my final look resembles hers, there are small things I notice that change the styling. Overall, my picks were a bit tighter on my body. The lesson of this CTRL+C is that plus-size people need access to baggy clothes. In a lot of these brands, I'm already wearing the largest or second-to-largest size in the offering, so it's fair to say that achieving a genuinely oversized fit in plus-size clothing is almost impossible.
Look 6: From Chanel to Crocs
I am honest enough to admit my failures, and this feels like one of them. To me, this look is the essence of Lori Harvey. She's, once again, wearing basics — a white top, grey slacks, and thong flip-flops. You can't get simple than that, and yet here we are.
While my minimalistic queen gave me an easy assist, this look was still very difficult to replicate. I could not find grey slacks similar to hers with a relaxed fit. These J. Crew slacks were the closest option available, and while they do fit, I would've wanted them to be a little bit bigger and longer. The top is from Madewell and fits great, so that makes up for the pants fiasco, and although I don't have the Chanel sandals she's wearing, I was able to find a similar dupe from another equally iconic brand: Crocs.
Look 7: Blazer Queen
This is a quintessential Lori Harvey look, and it's precisely why I chose it for this CTRL+C. My good sister loves a blazer moment — there's a reason why she gets along so well with Hailey Bieber! They're the blazer besties! ) — so, of course, I had to throw one in the mix.
There were so many blazer looks to choose from, but I settled on this Madewell one as the closest to Harvey's. Unfortunately, pink was the only option available at the time, but I decided to prioritize silhouette over color. I am admittedly not the biggest fan of blazers or "business casual" styles as a whole, but oddly enough, I really enjoyed this look. I love the details on Harvey's look. The juxtaposition of the hat and the jeans dialed the blazer back perfectly for me, so much so that I can now see the appeal of adding a blazer to what feels like a casual errands outfit.
Overall, I can confidently say that tackling Lori Harvey's style was more difficult mentally than it was shopping-wise. She is a celebrity I firmly believe looks great in her clothes because of how great she looks in general. To me, it is less about the actual style of clothes and more about the person wearing them. But if anything, I learned that confidence truly is key and that's a lesson I'm taking with me forever.
