132. The Seven-Look Season of Sarah Godfrey
From art openings to MET opera nights, seven outfits that carry a New York week.
For most of my adult life, I woke up to that familiar feeling of ‘I’ve got nothing to wear.’ Leaving getting dressed to the last minute meant pulling outfits I didn’t feel excited about from a bloated wardrobe, and starting every day frustrated. I saved great outfits for ‘good days’ and accepted ‘just fine’ as the default. That was until I experimented with a wardrobe system, which I now call the Seven-Look Season. By planning and leaning on a few great outfits on repeat, I removed all decision fatigue from getting dressed without sacrificing creativity. This monthly column highlights the Seven Outfits of women who’ve adopted the framework. Find past editions of the column here.
I recently came out of a two-year-long social media hiatus, and one of the first people on my feed was Sarah Godfrey. It was a video of her in a floor-length black Ulla Johnson frock, a Gigi Burris pillbox hat (which I have since purchased—100% influenced by Sarah), and a vintage birdcage ‘purse.’ The video right before that one showed her discussing how the word ‘curate’ has lost its meaning in the fashion space. I followed. Sarah would know; she works on the artist liaison team at Gagosian in New York and previously had the word curator in her job title. Her job entails planning exhibitions and handling whatever the artist or the foundation needs. Her previous roles included assisting a Chanel personal stylist at Bergdorf and working for the accessories department at Christie’s. Her experience and discerning eye make her fashion history deep-dive and runway analysis videos fascinating to watch.
I DMed her and asked if she wanted to share her seven outfits for this series. I was personally curious to find out what someone who looks so chic wears on casual weekend days, how working in art and her past as a classical ballet dancer affect her style, and where she finds those gorgeous hats. I love the interview that came out of it, especially the balance between Sarah’s incredibly chic outfits and the candor of her approach to getting dressed:
‘When I attempt to put a good outfit together, and it flops, it can ruin my mood. The act of getting dressed can give me awful anxiety when it doesn’t go well. I have left my house in tears for work because of bad outfit mornings. I think some of this comes down to how I feel in my body, the time of the month, and the strain these things can put on one’s hormones and psychological state. I now have one or two outfits designated as my I feel like sh*t outfit'; one of them is a brown Banana Republic suit that never looks bad and is appropriate for most occasions.’
These are Sarah’s seven outfits. You can follow her on Instagram, Substack, and TikTok.
Monday
📍Where Sarah wears it: office-to-evening out look.
‘On this day, I went to the office, then to an event at the Armani store, and finished the night with drinks at the lounge by Casa Tua at the Surrey Hotel uptown. Of the pieces I’m wearing, the trousers are probably the most sentimental. My aunt-in-law, who passed away earlier this year, was a veritable style maven and almost exactly my size. She and I bonded over fashion, and before she died, she passed on a selection of pieces to me, including these vintage Armani trousers. They have a high waist and tapered shape. They don’t make them like this anymore. The other special piece is my Birkin 30. I purchased this in Paris while my husband and I were there on our mini-moon. I think the phrase “investment piece” is a bit overused, but I bought this knowing I would pass it down to my children or family, just as my aunt did. I love actually wearing this bag—lugging around my laptop and whatever else—accumulating wear and building up the patina.
The most meaningful change in my personal style thus far began when my husband and I chose to combine our finances after marriage. Not because I married into a