Meet Joe Black is one of my absolute favorite movies.

And unlike all of these bandwagon MJB people, I loved it from first watch back in 1998. If I’m not mistaken, it was a Blockbuster rental. So, if that is not a bonafide, I don’t know what is!

There is sweeping New York City and Upstate scenery, electric cast chemistry, excellent 90’s styling and epically good Brad. One of the sweetest moments is when Bill Parish challenges his gorgeous and guarded daughter Susan to fling herself into the fray of true love. I wish I had forced my own gorgeous and guarded self to be more open in this way many years ago. I watched it recently, and this passage struck me just as it did that first time.

“Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. How do you find him? Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart. And I’m not hearing any heart. Cause the truth is, honey, there’s no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven’t lived a life at all. But you have to try, cause if you haven’t tried, you haven’t lived.”

I mean, fucking bars! My dear therapist Karen told me something very close to that right before I fell madly and irrationally in love with someone I still think about fondly.

If you have not watched recently, or at all, remedy that immediately. It’s streaming and there is some fascinating online chatter about the film’s reception then vs. now. The ever-evolving conversation on celebrity, especially A-listers, also adds a nice twist!

One thing I did not know is that Claire Forlani and Brad Pitt allegedly dated briefly after wrapping this film, and who the hell could blame them? They were visually stunning together, and dare I say she was one of his best on-screen partnerships! (#1 being Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, obvi).

I stumbled on images of this golden couple and want to recreate Claire’s look for two possible occasions! Big Swoon Energy.

Birthday Celebration/Special Date Night with Impossible to Get Dinner Reservations:

1. I cannot bring another sequin into my closet, but I LOVE this ALC midi!
2. How freaking great is this Veronica Beard via Vestiare? The RealReal is also flush with VB leather!
3. Why not do some early aughts McQueen skulls? I am obsessed with this vintage dancing skeleton!
4. There are too many good, real leather bags on Etsy for us to be dropping $10k at The Row. Period.
5. Gianvito Rossi’s PVC mules are simultaneously so overpriced and so good. The Elle in smoky black with a blood-red pedicure would tie the whole look together.

5pm Work/Board Event with 8:30pm Dinner at the Bar of Your Fave Restaurant:

1. The Frankie Shop has become untouchable in the sheer basics department! I would invert Claire’s sheer-to-leather ratio and make good use of either this bomber in cocoa brown a few sizes up or the wildly popular Peri shirt in perfect inky black.
2. This ABSURD leather dress from Staud makes me want to SCREAM AND TYPE IN ALL-CAPS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! Ok, Sarah Staudinger, YOU WIN! How crazy with that brown bomber?
3. I would personally scour local vintage shops for a black leather dress, but this Calvin Klein midi for <$200 is kinda great. CK has had some down years, but let’s show some respect to the brand that all but invented 90’s minimalism!
4. For either the brown or black looks, I would forgo the pashmina (lol) and layer on CZ tennis necklaces. This is the exact necklace I procured from Liberty London two summers ago– the definition of no-fail, and I love the Dynasty-esque chevron cut! I also own this J.Crew version, which is a great lower price point.
5. This is the black twin to my 18th birthday Coach babydoll in creamy white. It is simply too good paired with either look! Omg, do I need this bag?! Vintage Kate Spade or Gucci canvas in black would be fantastic as well. I own both and you can find them reasonably priced on consignment!
6. Claire’s clunky sandals are such an excellent time capsule, but as much as I love a TBT, I do believe shoe aesthetics have evolved exponentially! Splurge with this fantastic mocha satin from Aquazurra or Semi-Splurge with this sexy number by Alexis. (on sale at Shopbop in size 10!)

Beauty for either look should be unfussy and lean into whatever gorgeous features you have naturally. I mean, we can’t all be Claire and Brad, but each one of us has our own brand of hot. Work it with good hair, great skin and a dollop of bold mascara, bronzy blush and a glossy lip. My make-up must-haves here.

This was soooo fun and very OG High End For Your Rear End! Let me know in the comments if you want to see more of the styling component. Should I do Brad next? 😊

At the urging of Bill Parrish, let this be the week you lose your head and find your heart, and become irrationally obsessive and passionate about something. Who knows? Lightening could strike! Xx

**first image via Style Addict