Portia’s ‘Ambiently Tasteless’ Style Makes ‘The White Lotus’ Star TV’s Best Dressed Character, According to Harper’s Bazaar
Season 2 of The White Lotus wrapped on December 11 in a thrilling seventh episode. Viewers excitedly debated the outcomes and meanings behind each character. Other than the HBO series’ titillating storyline, the characters’ fashion choices also come up quite often.
In Season 1, Connie Britton’s character, Nicole Mossbacher, walked around the resort in bohemian yet expensive cover-ups. Her daughter, played by Sydney Sweeney, wore Golden Goose sneakers and t-shirts. The entitled Shane had a closet full of so-appropriate Polo shirts.
Alex Bovaird, the costume designer for both seasons, is able to excellently convey the personalities of the characters through their clothing. This season, Harper’s Bazaar has declared Portia, played by Haley Lu Richardson, “TV’s Best Dressed Character.”
Some fans found it hard to describe Portia’s style on ‘The White Lotus’ Season 2
Portia is the assistant to Tanya, the only character back from Season 1, who’s played brilliantly by Jennifer Coolidge. Portia screams Gen Z in both her personality and her wardrobe.
Bovaird dresses her in outfits that look thrown together without much thought. But there was probably plenty of planning when she packed for the trip. Her wardrobe seems to come straight from social media, especially TikTok.
Harper’s Bazaar explains it well: “It isn’t that Bovaird is suggesting Gen-Zers are unstylish; in fact, she dresses Portia to suggest that they are almost too stylish. (And let’s be clear: some of the most stylish people in the world belong to Gen Z.)”
Some of Portia’s most-discussed outfit choices include a rainbow-striped shrug with a zebra print bikini top, a sweater vest with swans, and a neon shirt with images of women. Plus, we cannot forget Portia’s space buns and funky sunglasses.
The generational divide is obvious, especially when Tanya questions whether Portia has any “cute things” to wear. She seems to quietly question Portia’s wardrobe, but there is no dress code for her job.
Speaking of her job, what does Portia do for Tanya? She seems to be on a free vacation, hanging out with guys she meets and sometimes even partying. Tanya only needs her when upset and wants her assistant to “sit with her.”
Portia’s outfits reflect her personality
Portia is a little unsure of herself. She is at a crossroads in her life, both professionally and personally. She knows she is getting nowhere as Tanya’s assistant but has no idea what to do next.
She has a similar problem with men. The two she meets on the trip are polar opposites. Albie is the smart, nice guy she knows she “should” be with, but she is drawn to Jack, who is fun but obviously trouble.
Portia is young and still trying to figure it all out. She is definitely making mistakes along the way, but she may still get it together. That is if she is still among the living at the end of this trip.
How Bovaird dresses other guests at ‘The White Lotus’
Mia (Beatrice Grannò) and Lucia (Simona Tabasco) must have charged thousands of dollars to Dominic’s (Michael Imperioli) room. Their clothes, especially the sequined dresses, make them feel like they fit in with the guests at The White Lotus.
Dominic is going through a very troubled time, and his dark wardrobe reflects this, right down to the black sunglasses.
Daphne (Meghann Fahy) always seems happy, and her expensive-looking bright prints display her outer cheerfulness and confidence. Her new friend Harper (Aubrey Plaza) is more conservative, but her clothes brighten up and relax a bit when she spends time with Daphne.
Bovaird tells People that Coolidge had some input in Tanya’s style, “We decided together that she would have upped her style game for Italy so she’s wearing less caftans and more designer dresses this season.”
