 | Shane McInerney's unraveling from another perspective. |
Recently we discussed the interplay between Shane and Oliver’s wardrobe in From The Heart, and how Shane’s attire slowly descended from its present state into a familiar set of hues, signaling her distress.
But almost a year earlier, something similar occurred in the face of Holly’s return as well. In From Paris With Love, from the time Oliver’s letter resurfaces, the hues in Shane’s clothing fade from a deep purple ultimately back into her trademark blue and leather accented armor as her insecurity grows.
But almost a year earlier, something similar occurred in the face of Holly’s return as well. In From Paris With Love, from the time Oliver’s letter resurfaces, the hues in Shane’s clothing fade from a deep purple ultimately back into her trademark blue and leather accented armor as her insecurity grows.
 Bright, bold, confident. | Shane starts this film in a deep purple blouse and even a purple coat that Oliver, the gentleman he is, steps up to help her remove in the opening minutes, resulting in that swoon-worthy moment when they locked eyes. While it's unclear how it connects with Oliver's wardrobe, one wonders if it’s even necessary given the fact Shane not only seemed to captivate his attention, but also a space on his coat rack! |
Clothing connection does become more critical, however, as we move towards Holly's return. As Shane happens upon, reads and ultimately prompts the accidental delivery of Holly's letter, her wardrobe shifts away from Oliver’s as a function of her guilt, which I hinted at while discussing Oliver’s wardrobe last week.
 |  |
The day after Holly's letter is accidentally mailed, Shane's wardrobe starts to depart from Oliver's. One way this occurs is through her adoption of neutral blouse, black suit and dark coat---with one easily missed exception.
Shane's purple leather gloves worn to Rita's event are a subtle connection to Oliver's wardrobe through his tie, as seen above. The color connection is reduced to his tie to reflect Shane's growing guilt and concern over sending Oliver's letter, and the fact that she's keeping it from him.
Shane's purple leather gloves worn to Rita's event are a subtle connection to Oliver's wardrobe through his tie, as seen above. The color connection is reduced to his tie to reflect Shane's growing guilt and concern over sending Oliver's letter, and the fact that she's keeping it from him.
 The gloves come off, literally and figuratively. | Once the fate of Oliver's letter is revealed, the next time Shane is seen in her coat, the gloves are absent, completely severing their wardrobe connection. Let's not forget this is also the same scene in which their argument on the street occurs. On or off, the gloves are a visual representation of the distance that only continues to grow between the pair from this point on. The day of Holly's return, paired with Shane's leather skirt, is that pale purple blouse. Much like her presence, Holly overpowers Shane during their initial meeting in both personality and wardrobe. From this point on, as her insecurity grows, Shane, much like her blouse, begins to fade into the background. |
 From this... |  ...to this. |
By the time Friday arrives, Shane has fully retreated in every way possible. We don't see her interact with Oliver past their morning heart-to-heart, but as Caitlyn and Joey reconcile, Rita and Norman happily cheer them on, and Shane witnesses Oliver and Holly's kiss, her emotional state reduces her to tears and a late-night exit strategy. Much like running is one of her built-in defense mechanism, so was her wardrobe, a navy blue blouse with leather accents at the shoulder and black skirt with leather trim.
Additional Observation
There is another interpretation of Shane and Oliver's wardrobe situation in From Paris With Love that I could only offer after analyzing Shane's side of the story. I found it incredibly interesting that even as Shane's wardrobe falters, Oliver's wardrobe connection to Shane never really does.
 |  |
Even as Shane's guilt grows, her gloves match Oliver's tie. When Oliver's growing internal conflict finds him in a plaid shirt, Shane is represented in its hues. As Oliver returns to work still troubled the following day, the navy blue of his tie connects to her blouse. Though Shane perceived a growing, and eventually irrevocable, distance, their wardrobe connection signaled otherwise. Overall it seems that Shane was the one truly pulling away in both wardrobe and action the entire time.
Further evidence of this is the fact that once he achieved clarity, the first thing Oliver did was seek out Shane. During even this encounter Shane continues to try and pull away both emotionally and physically, the pair ending up on opposite sides of the porch for a time. It was only Oliver's reality check and admission that his marriage to Holly was over that proved strong enough to snap Shane out of it.
Over time, Shane's wardrobe has been a consistent and accurate indicator of her emotional and relational state, particularly when it comes to Oliver. In From Paris With Love, Shane's growing insecurity and the perception of growing distance between she and Oliver found her wardrobe fading from deep purple to self-defense driven blue and leather accents, an outward reflection of her internal conflict.
Though, if Shane had the ability to see the wardrobe situation from the perspective of an audience, she would have seen that her connection to Oliver, and his feelings towards her, never truly faltered. It was, in fact, Shane herself who created the distance as an act of emotional self-defense that only a frank discussion with Oliver corrected.
And that, POstables, is the magic of wardrobe!
Seeing Different Sides,
~C
Further evidence of this is the fact that once he achieved clarity, the first thing Oliver did was seek out Shane. During even this encounter Shane continues to try and pull away both emotionally and physically, the pair ending up on opposite sides of the porch for a time. It was only Oliver's reality check and admission that his marriage to Holly was over that proved strong enough to snap Shane out of it.
Over time, Shane's wardrobe has been a consistent and accurate indicator of her emotional and relational state, particularly when it comes to Oliver. In From Paris With Love, Shane's growing insecurity and the perception of growing distance between she and Oliver found her wardrobe fading from deep purple to self-defense driven blue and leather accents, an outward reflection of her internal conflict.
Though, if Shane had the ability to see the wardrobe situation from the perspective of an audience, she would have seen that her connection to Oliver, and his feelings towards her, never truly faltered. It was, in fact, Shane herself who created the distance as an act of emotional self-defense that only a frank discussion with Oliver corrected.
And that, POstables, is the magic of wardrobe!
Seeing Different Sides,
~C
RSS Feed
