Fran Drescher Is My Unlikely Fall Muse

I grew up watching The Nanny in the ’90s and, like anyone watching, can never forget the outfits of Fran Fine. Recently, it’s been all too clear that I’m not the only one thinking about the iconic fashion from the show. In September, The Cut posted a photo of Fran Drescher in one of her outfits from the show, remarking how on point her style is: “screenshot and remember that this is Grade A #falloutfitresearch.” A week later, Cardi B posted an Instagram photo wearing head-to-toe animal print, captioned “Fran Drescher in @dolcegabbana”—an homage to Fran Fine’s similar outfits on The Nanny.

Taking things a step further, there’s an entire Instagram account dedicated to all of Fran Fine’s outfits from The Nanny. Meet @whatfranwore. Here, you’ll find not only some of the most memorable looks from the show but also details about exactly what she’s wearing. After scrolling through the account, what struck me was just how many designer pieces Fran Fine wore on the show. Moschino skirt suits, Dolce & Gabbana blazers, Tom Ford for Gucci—I could go on.

The Instagram account @whatfranwore currently has 264K followers. Intrigued by the huge audience, I asked Shanae Brown, who runs the account, to weigh in about why people still care about fashion from the sitcom 25 years later. "Fashion always has a second life," she says, "and I think people my age (mid-to late 20s) who were too young to really participate in the 90s era fashion are really nostalgic for those looks and this is our way of paying homage to that decade.

Another realization is just how relevant her outfits are for today. Perhaps it’s because the fashion world is looking back to the ’80s and ’90s right now, but Fine’s larger-than-life style, with bold animal prints, loud colors, and ornate pieces, suddenly seems to resemble much of what’s in style now. I know I’ve certainly adopted some pieces from her wardrobe and plan to continue. Scroll down to see the trends I’m borrowing from Fran Fine’s closet.

LEOPARD

Animals prints are one of the biggest—and most popular—trends this fall. Fran Fine certainly embraced this to the max. I’ve been wearing it myself this season on the regular. See how I wore it with Réalisation’s slip skirt, leopard-print jeans, and a field jacket.

SNAKESKIN

While leopard was one of her standbys, snakeskin is another way she wore animal prints. I’ve been quick to hop on board as well, taking a cue from Fran Fine with a snakeskin miniskirt.

ZEBRA

Clearly, animal prints are a major part of Fran Fine’s wardrobe, and there is no version she won’t wear. Case in point—her zebra outfit here. While I haven’t worn this yet, I have plenty of zebra-print items sitting in my shopping cart now.

LIME GREEN

Easily one of the major colors of the season, Fran Fine wore lime green long before it was cool for fall 2018. This is another trend I haven’t tried out for myself, but I recently sang its praises including a pair of By Far shoes that are topping my wish list.

SKIRT SUITS

Skirt suits are pretty much a Fran Fine uniform because she wears them so often. Especially versions from designers like Moschino. I tried one out for myself and plan on mixing more into my closet.

HEADBANDS

Headbands are another trend I haven’t fully embraced yet but already have plans to wear. When recapping the S/S 19 shows recently, I shared my plans to wear padded headbands just like the one Fran Fine is wearing here.

CHAIN BELTS

A chain belt is something I would be wearing this very minute, but I haven’t been able to find the right one in my size. But if you looked at my recent search history, you would find "Chanel gold chain-link belt.”

THE RETURN OF ESCADA

Escada made a big splash at New York Fashion Week this season, and we can expect to see its S/S 19 collection everywhere in six months. What does that mean? A return to the ’80s and ’90s silhouettes the brand is known for—and worn here by Fran Fine.

MINISKIRT OUTFITS

A turtleneck top and miniskirt is a winning outfit combo in my opinion. I haven’t worn it recently, but I’ve been a fan for years. I had to dig all the way back to 2016 to find a photo of me wearing it, but Fran Fine is convincing me to bring it back.

Next: 23 investment pieces our editors are buying now.