If you are a woman of a certain age who maybe just streamed Something’s Gotta Give or A Room With a View in the past month or so, Netflix has probably suggested you watch Under the Tuscan Sun. I am an Italophile with a deep love of low-stakes rom-coms, so it was an easy sell for me. The proto-Eat Pray Love (it came out in 2003) follows Frances, a recently divorced novelist (played by Diane Lane) whose two lesbian best friends (Kate Walsh and Sandra Oh) send her on a healing trip to Tuscany, where she ultimately decides to buy and renovate a crumbling villa. It is a true trifle of a film, but saved by several things: the Tuscany porn (rolling hills, olive groves, sunflower fields, eccentric old Italian ladies, strapping young Italian men), Diane Lane’s winning performance, and Diane Lane’s normcore-fabulous wardrobe. The movie is a sea of chunky knits, white crewneck tees, loose-fitting blouses, boxy peacoats, fashion scarves, and flow-y linen pants. In other words, exactly how I want to dress always and forever. Click the slideshow for a tour through Diane Lane’s most memorable unmemorable looks.
View
1/15Photos
Here, in one of the movie's first scenes, when Diane Lane's character, Frances, is feeling her lowest — staying at a depressing temporary apartment in... Here, in one of the movie's first scenes, when Diane Lane's character, Frances, is feeling her lowest — staying at a depressing temporary apartment in San Francisco, post-divorce, pre-Tuscany — she manages to look both cozy and chic in a light-gray oversize knit.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Frances is finally in Tuscany! Which means she can pair a suede, Eddie Bauer–looking blouse with a suede shoulder bag in the very same shade of burnt ... Frances is finally in Tuscany! Which means she can pair a suede, Eddie Bauer–looking blouse with a suede shoulder bag in the very same shade of burnt sienna and still look fabulous.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Here she is getting the keys to her new Tuscan villa: The corduroy blazer and cotton scarf are a winning duo, but the gold watch with a thin leather b... Here she is getting the keys to her new Tuscan villa: The corduroy blazer and cotton scarf are a winning duo, but the gold watch with a thin leather band is what pulls the look together.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
One of my favorite Frances outfits: speckled chunky knit, small gold hoop earrings, messy bun.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Her frumpy "renovating the villa" look.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
All about that black-beret life.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Nothing says basic like a white crewneck tee underneath an unbuttoned denim button-down. Here she is serving her Polish contractors an Italian feast.
... Nothing says basic like a white crewneck tee underneath an unbuttoned denim button-down. Here she is serving her Polish contractors an Italian feast.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Frances serving another Italian feast, this time, hair half-up, half-down, and in a simple white blouse.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Frances looks her most breezy and elegant on a trip to Rome, with a long, boxy black wool jacket, and perfectly scrunched scarf.
Photo: Touchstone Pi...Frances looks her most breezy and elegant on a trip to Rome, with a long, boxy black wool jacket, and perfectly scrunched scarf.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Frances in that same oversize black coat. (Note the pregnant Sandra Oh in the background.)
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
White crewneck T-shirt, white blouse, unflattering denim.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
It's a Gap Outlet explosion in this bathroom.
If Eileen Fisher had a 19-year-old second cousin named Britnee Fisher, she would likely wear an outfit similar to what Frances is donning here: l... If Eileen Fisher had a 19-year-old second cousin named Britnee Fisher, she would likely wear an outfit similar to what Frances is donning here: linen pants, brown loafers, orange scarf ... crop top.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Frances, after she finally gets laid, looks ravishing in a simple white Anne Klein–esque dress on a trip to Positano.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
An orange iridescent belted dress is so bad ... yet so, so good.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
By submitting your email, you agree to our
Terms and Privacy Notice
and to receive email correspondence from us. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
or
Already a subscriber?
What is your email?
This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:
Lower case letters (a-z)
Upper case letters (A-Z)
Numbers (0-9)
Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)
This password will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.
You’re in!
As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime.
or
Already a subscriber?
What is your email?
This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:
Lower case letters (a-z)
Upper case letters (A-Z)
Numbers (0-9)
Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)
This password will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.
You’re in!
As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime.