The second season of FX’s hit series Feud unveils the lives of Manhattan’s elites the late 1950s and ‘60s. It’s the world of black-tie galas, gossipy lunches, and old-school glamour that Truman Capote wrote about in his novel The Swans of Fifth Avenue. As in the book, the series follows so-called swans Babe Paley, C.Z. Guest, Lee Radziwill, and Slim Keith who were not only wealthy and powerful, but notoriously well-dressed. The women represented the pinnacle of New York’s elite in that era—as did their style.
Throughout the eight-episode series, the swans, played by an all-star cast including Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevingy, and Demi Moore, are dressed to the nines in a style I can only describe as ultra-refined and elegant. Each scene is a feast of for the eyes with styling elements that include impeccably tailored skirt suits, polished lady bags, large costume jewelry, prim pillbox hats, and more. The swans’ wardrobes may be circa the 1960s, but their style has never been more relevant than it is now, with the resurgence of elegant dressing that we’re seeing on the runways of Brandon Maxwell, Altuzarra, and more modern designers in 2024.
If you’ve also been swooning over the opulent style in the series, then continue on to shop a number of pieces that are directly influenced by the costume design in Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans. And if you have yet to tune into the show, consider this your official cue to do so.
ME+EM
Cotton Textured Sculptural Sleeve Swing Coat
