The second season of FX's hit series Feud unveils the lives of Manhattan's elite in the late 1950s and '60s. It's the world of black-tie galas, gossipy lunches, and old-school glamour that Laurence Leamer wrote about in the best-selling book Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era. As in the book, the series follows so-called swans Babe Paley, C.Z. Guest, Lee Radziwill, and Slim Keith, who were not only wealthy and powerful but notoriously well-dressed. The women represented the pinnacle of New York's elite in that era—as did their style.
Throughout the eight-episode series, the swans, played by an all-star cast including Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, and Demi Moore, are dressed to the nines in a style I can only describe as ultra refined and elegant. Each scene is a feast for the eyes with styling elements that include impeccably tailored skirt suits, polished bags, large costume jewelry, prim pillbox hats, and more. The swans' wardrobes may be based on 1960s fashion, but their style has never been more relevant than it is now, with the resurgence of elegant dressing that we're seeing on the runways of Brandon Maxwell, Altuzarra, and more modern designers in 2024.
If you've also been swooning over the opulent style in the series, then continue on to shop a number of pieces that are directly influenced by the costume design in Feud: Capote vs. the Swans. And if you have yet to tune into the show, consider this your official cue to do so.
Evening coats were a core pillar of swan fashion, and they were usually styled with kitten heels and a polished frame bag.
It wasn't a full look without a personality piece—and in this case, a structured pillbox hat was the finishing touch.
Ballet flats were in then just as they are now.
Suiting was always fitted and waistline-defining.
For Chloë Sevigny's portrayal of C.Z. Guest, it was all about a string of classic pearls.
The Alaïa bag everyone wants in 2024 looks like it would have been very at home in 1964, too.
A-line silhouettes are key.
This neckline can do no wrong.
Sixties shift dresses have been popping up on the runways in recent seasons.
Coated in a lustrous satin finish, these are the epitome of polished and opulent.
Blazers were almost always fitted.
Many looks hinged on skirts and dresses, but if pants were involved, they most likely looked slim and cropped like this.
Zara's latest collection is a modern-day swan's dream.
It was most definitely the era of the opera glove.
If the swans embraced "naked" dressing, they'd do it like this.
There's just something about a cape silhouette that feels ultra refined.
I've been on the hunt for a leopard-print coat ever since I saw the above scene featuring Lee Radziwill wearing one.
When it comes to jewelry, the more of it, the better.
Thick bangles are a must.
Handbags were always structured.
Hello, beautiful.
The costume designers for the series put many of the swans in Roger Vivier's classic pumps.
Do I even need an explanation?
Cool then, cool now.
