It’s Songful Style time again (last month Marsha chose Time Waited by My Morning Jacket), and this month, Shelbee chose Madonna’s Who’s That Girl for our style challenge, and I have to admit, it brought back a wave of nostalgia for me.
Growing up in the early 80s, I was such a huge Madonna fan. I even had a little scrapbook dedicated entirely to her, filled with magazine cut-outs, stickers, and whatever bits I could find at the time. I wish I still had it now, but sadly I think it must have been lost somewhere between England and Portugal.
Although my love for Madonna’s newer music has fizzled out a bit (I honestly think she went a little off the rails if I’m being truthful!), I will always adore her early stuff. The Like a Virgin and True Blue albums are just packed with classics, and even into the 90s she released some absolute bangers. But it’s those first songs that really shaped my teenage years.
Now back to this month’s choice—Who’s That Girl. The song itself, released in 1987, was written for the movie of the same name, where Madonna plays the quirky and chaotic Nikki Finn. The track was a massive hit, topping the charts in several countries, and it had that instantly recognisable Latin-inspired pop beat that Madonna was experimenting with at the time. Lyrically, it’s all about the mysterious allure of a woman who can’t quite be pinned down—something Madonna has embodied throughout her career.
The film, although not exactly an Oscar contender (!), was such fun. Madonna’s style in it was very much of the time—lots of layered jewellery, peroxide blonde pixie crop, fishnet gloves, and oversized jackets. It was a mix of scruffy street style and playful glamour that only she could pull off.
For my outfit, I wanted to take inspiration from the music video look rather than her film wardrobe. In the video, Madonna wears a pair of paperbag-style long shorts with a black top and leggings. I don’t own shorts like hers, but I do have these khaki paperbag trousers, which gave me the same kind of vibe. I paired them with a simple black vest top from Intimissimi—my original plan was to wear lingerie as outerwear à la Madonna, but honestly, it was far too booby for my comfort levels, so the vest was a safer swap LOL!
I also tried to nab one of Michael’s jackets to match hers, but the only one he had was enormous on me and looked ridiculous. So instead, I went with my one and only smart jacket of this kind (I can never remember what this style is officially called). Blazer…it’s a blazer LOL!!! GAWD what am I like?! It’s from George at Asda a few years ago, and while not a perfect match, it definitely gave me the feel I was aiming for.
To literally top it off, I borrowed one of Michael’s hats. Again, not quite the right colour—I’d have preferred a greenish tone—but the only green ones he owns are baker boy caps, which didn’t suit the look. So this was the next best thing. Finally, I finished everything off with my trusty old black sneakers from Ecco, which I’ve had for years and still adore.
You might notice some of the photos are with me wearing green glasses instead of my usual purple ones—because I thought I might try out my new Fytoo glasses that I received last week!
I think the final look definitely channels Madonna’s Who’s That Girl vibe from the music video. It’s a bit playful, a bit edgy, and a nod to her 80s style without going full fancy dress (which, believe me, was a danger when trying to recreate Madonna!).
If you’d like to see how Marsha and Shelbee styled their looks inspired by this month’s song, make sure you check out their posts too:
Shelbee – [Shelbee on the Edge]
Marsha – [Marsha in the Middle]
And don’t forget to link up all your posts in the link-up, below! I really hope you’ll join us for next month’s Songful Style challenge because we’ll be styling a FABULOUS song, chosen by me, especially for that time of the year….I’ve Put A Spell On You from the film Hocus Pocus! That’s going to be so much fun, I can’t wait!! See you there!
