Mourning To Morning: Shane's Wardrobe In Lost Without You

A transition to the truth, as told by Shane's clothing.

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From her black dress to the black jumpsuit and fringed blazer---and the many colors in between---Shane's wardrobe is perhaps the most dynamic in Lost Without You. An outward reflection of internal conflict, it shifts and changes with the state of her heart, ultimately revealing where and with whom her heart truly lay.

Little (Blue &) Black Dress

We haven't talked much about Shane's post-From The Heart wardrobe, mostly because One In A Million took place over the course of a day with the time jump to Curly's retirement party near the end. But Shane's wardrobe throughout From The Heart, One In A Million and Lost Without You is actually on a continuum of sorts. The Lost Without You segment of the continuum begins with Shane wearing what looks like a black dress at the Mailbox Grille. But look a little harder and you might be able to pick up the dress is actually navy blue and black.

This is important because it signals Shane is apprehensive to some degree. Shane is to blue, black and zippers as Oliver is to his suits---it's armor in whatever form it appears. But notice the feminine lace detail at the shoulder. In some ways it calls back on the dress she wore in One In A Million, which also had feminine detail up top. I think it would do us well to see the dark hues subtle hints that Shane might still be mourning Montaldo's in a sense. She went from bright pink to black and is only slowly coming out of it. In this opening sequence she doesn't match Oliver at all, but it's about to get worse...

The Upset

If we've seen it once, we've seen it a thousand times---when Shane becomes estranged from Oliver, especially as a result of her own internal turmoil, her wardrobe begins to shift further and further away from his. That was especially evident on Tuesday, after Dale re-entered the picture. Shane's bold, modern, long sleeved dress stood in stark contrast to Oliver's suit, and its structure---the teal, black and cream material in particular---reminded me of a shield in some respects. Not coincidentally, Shane is awkwardly distant from Oliver and leaves promptly when given the chance.

This disconnect continues throughout the week, Shane's bright orange dress, blazer and leopard print heels on Thursday the proof. Interestingly, when she is in church, her memorial service attire reverts back to black/charcoal grey and blue. It's here Shane is confronted with the two things which would cause her guard to go up---faith and Dale. And, as we discussed before, Oliver's wardrobe is split between both women. Shane, however, is only represented in his outermost layer.

The Saturday/Sunday Shift

How Shane comes to re-connect with Oliver comes in an unexpected manner. Along with the spiritual transformation that occurs over her Saturday and Sunday alone in the DLO, so comes a transition of her wardrobe.

Among the other noteworthy aspects of Shane's weekend wardrobe is her return to pants. Since From Paris With Love, and even before sporadically, Shane was moving from pants to pencil skirts to the dresses we've seen her in as of late.

On Saturday Shane's zebra print blouse, black skinny jeans, boots and perfectly woven braid are completely opposite of anything we've really seen her in, and as close to casual as she's ever been. I like to think of the blouse a sort of a melting away of the mourning indicated by the black dress and a step towards correcting the wardrobe-based distance between she and Oliver, a process only possible in his absence.

Having already spent one day "doing whatever [Oliver] would do" Shane takes it one step further with her cologne test, not unlike Oliver's sniff test the week prior on Topper's letter. In many ways Shane's behaviors and wardrobe are trending towards Oliver's each day. Sunday finds Shane adopting distinctly lighter hues and even blue jeans. Dare I say it, she even appears a bit angelic with her hair half up and half down. If you remember, Oliver's out in the wilderness wearing a khaki jacket that would probably match Shane's blouse if they were standing next to each other. Despite their physical distance, their wardrobes seem to be trending back towards each other with each passing day.

Monday/Tuesday

By Monday morning the colors Shane donned over the weekend are simultaneously and inextricably woven into her jacket, worn over a black jumper with a silver belt at the waist. In a sense it's a look that blends the best of she and Oliver in terms of wardrobe. It's a classic look with little bit of edge that's just perfect for Shane.

Similarly, she finds herself in a position of leadership that day making a variety of important "calls," all of which Oliver would have likely made if in the same position. Not only is she sort of dressed like him, she seems to truly embody some of his traits. And this is no more completely evident than as she sits alone in the chapel. Her wardrobe and peaceful demeanor, born of her spiritual transformation, serve to visually represent this change.

When reunited with Oliver, it's clear every little piece of Oliver's wardrobe color palet is represented in her wardrobe---and not in layers, either. It's one completely integrated piece. She truly is never more connected to Oliver in Lost Without You than in this moment, and their harmonious wardrobe is the visual reaffirmation of that fact.

Shane's wardrobe reflected the emotional and even spiritual journey she experienced throughout the most recent installment. From her confusion of where she stood on faith and with Oliver as seen in the dark hues and modern cuts of her clothing, to the isolation of working alone in the DLO over the course of the weekend that shed Shane of the noise and confusion as her clothing and heart transitioned to reveal that which was most important to her, everything pointed back to Oliver and clarity.

Coordinated,
~C