Two seasons were not long enough for me to enjoy all that Fairly Legal was. The main character, Kate (Sarah Shahi) was a former lawyer turned mediator, and managed to make it look like the kind of job I want. The pilot episode revealed that, among other things, her father had just died, his young widow was in charge of his firm, and Kate herself was in the process of getting a divorce while still sleeping with her husband occasionally. Drama drama drama, sure, but also very interesting, funny, and compelling television.
But one thing I could never, ever get enough of was Kate’s wardrobe. She had the perfect blend of classic and eclectic, and used her clothes to reveal her personality while maintaining professionalism. The only problem that I have with trying to write this post is that there are so many perfect outfits that this character wears, and I want to include them all! But I won’t, because I have self control sometimes. I will try to break down what makes her style (from season 1, season 2 will have to wait) so memorable and fantastic.
She has a uniform BUT gives her self room to play: Most of the first season what we see Kate wearing is some mix of a blouse and pencil skirt or a dress with a cardigan or blazer, or a blouse and slacks. She always has a functional and super cute purse, as well as a trench coat of some kind, and usually a belt. Classic pieces, yes, that are easy to throw together and accentuate her hourglass figure without being to revealing or too stuffy.

She gives herself room to play with her separates, usually with the different colors and patterns she adds to different pieces. Generally one piece is black and the other is colorful, and her coat is always a different color… seriously, how many coats does this woman have? I’ll take one of each please.  She finds interesting ways to stick to her uniform without repeating, like the sweater over blue shirt with a skirt on the left above, which looks similar to her shirt and blazer with pants on the right.  Not the same though, but if you were to switch around any of these items her outfits would still work.

Another way that she gets to play around is by wearing fun jewelry. In the first episode they overdid her necklaces, but after they found her staples of thin chains with small pendants, chunky rings and thin bracelets that can stack right up.
This kind of style wouldn’t be difficult to put into practice in your own life, which I’m sure every fashion magazine in the world has told us all at least a bajillion times. I’ll reiterate though: figure out what shapes of separates look best on your figure. For Kate it’s pencil skirts and blouses that meet at the smallest part of her waist. Then figure out what dress shape works for your body. For Kate it’s a shift or an A-line (flaring out after the hips). Then find some good pieces in different colors and patterns and pick out some fun accessories to give it your own feel. Oh, and don’t forget a fantastic coat.