The Sopranos Style Playbook
How to bring sexy (and the drama) back
Name a better or more iconic show than The Sopranos. I’ll wait (impatiently).
And while you’re thinking of another one, just know you’re already wrong.
Typically it’s around this time of year where I fall victim to re-watching the series which becomes my entire personality for approximately 3 months. In fact as I’m typing this I’m already mentally planning a date with myself to hit play on E1.
Every part about The Sopranos is appealing. And speaking of appealing.
Tony fu**ing Soprano. Am I right?
But for once this isn’t about him. This is about fashion.
Mob wife fashion. And yes I’m bringing it back.
Maybe it’s the cancel culture today or the reality that heaven forbid a beautiful woman wears something she feels sexy in. I can’t help but wish I had come of age in an era where even a trip to Satriale’s or the local grocery store felt like an occasion—one where I could slip into my finest fur coat and stilettos just to pick up prosciutto.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from Carmela Soprano it’s that even if you’re married to a sociopath, you should look good while he’s out whacking someone or doing time.
So, let’s start with fur coats, shall we?
In Season 2 Episode 13 Tony gifts Carm the most beautiful and luxurious long fur coat. It’s a very illegal and stolen fur coat but it’s undeniably luxurious nonetheless.
And I ask myself, what’s more glamorous and gaudy than a fur coat?
Crickets.
A fur coat makes you feel powerful. There’s something about it that just screams:
I’M A POWERFUL ADULT WOMAN, AND YES IT’S REAL FUR G DAMMIT!
Carm proves they’re not just for cold-weather, they’re a metaphor for wealth, style, and power dynamics. See below other said fabulous and powerful women in fur.
And let’s be real, if you’ve got a fur coat, you’ve got presence. Fur doesn’t just keep you cozy, it keeps you dominant—even if you’re just walking from your car to the grocery store. Throw on a fur coat and suddenly, you’re not just a person navigating the frozen food aisle; you’re a force of nature. The kind of person who stops traffic—and might just have the deli counter handing you salami like you're royalty.
Then of course there’s the animal print. A trend loved so dearly by The Sops’s leading ladies. It silently threatens and quite literally tells us things are about to get wild.
Let’s take for example Carmela wearing animal print around the house. If you thought a fur coat was a statement about power... a leopard doesn’t just purr it says, “I run this whole damn savanna. You think Tony’s the head of this household? Think again.”
“I manage the land line, learn about the stock market, and make ziti.”
But really we all know who the Queen of animal print is.
Adriana fu**ing La Cerva.
Ade, a character so good I’d watch an entire spin-off. I love her because she’s the kind of girl that would say her favorite color is animal print with a straight face. She oozes insecurity and lives in fear of loving bad boy Christopher Moltisanti, but she dresses as if she’s the most confident woman in the room. A trait we could all learn from.
Cheetah, zebra, snake. Ade is the embodiment of "I’m dating a low-level mobster but I’m here to look fabulous and also to get caught in the chaos of my toxic relationship.”
Perhaps it was the influence of the early '90s, but Sopranos costume designer Juliet Polsca knew exactly what would catch our eye. Take Princess Diana, or really any A-list celebrity from the '90s and early 2000s—animal print was everywhere.
From leopard-print tops to snake-skin bags, it was the fabric of status. If you wanted to signal wealth and power without saying a word, you reached for the wild side—because, clearly, nothing says "I’ve made it" quite like looking like a fabulously dangerous jungle cat.
It wasn’t just about looking fashionable; it was about declaring, “I’m bold, glamorous, and yes, I may have a little bit of chaos in me, but I look damn good while I’m at it.”
And Polsca nailed this vibe for the women of The Sopranos. These prints were a loud, colorful scream of self-assurance, signaling that these women weren’t just mob wives—they were the queens of their own chaotic little animal kingdoms.
And lastly, let’s talk accessories. The women of The Sopranos didn’t just wear clothes—they accessorized. And by "accessorized," I mean they frosted themselves in every possible shiny, expensive thing they could find. It’s like they walked out of the house with a personal goal: to blind you with wealth and attitude.
Lauren Kulchinsky Levison, the show’s jewelry costume stylist, knew exactly how to use bling to amplify the story of these bold, powerful women. Carmela’s accessories down to her french tips weren’t just afterthoughts—they were statements. If there was a conversation to be had, her gold chains were usually the first ones to speak.
And Adriana’s accessories were an art form of their own. Her Manolo shoes and bags were so flashy and expensive, they practically had their own credit score.
Ultimately, Levison’s jewelry choices weren’t just about adding shine; they were about adding layers to the characters. Every gold bracelet, diamond ring, or flashy necklace was a way of signaling status, power, and the kind of attention these women weren’t afraid to demand. They didn’t just wear jewelry—they wore their ambition, their strength, and their defiance. And thanks to Levison’s styling brilliance, they did it all with flair, sparkle, and, let’s be honest, a little bit of danger. Because when you’re wearing that much bling, you better believe it’s not just fashion—it’s a warning.
Sure, it might look a little gaudy, but let’s be real: if you’ve ever slipped into a fur coat, rocked an animal print dress, or adorned yourself in “special occasion” jewelry, you immediately feel glamorous. Suddenly, you’re walking with a little more swagger, your step is peppier, and you might even catch yourself standing a little taller—like you belong in the pages of a fashion magazine... or at least in the VIP section of your favorite Italian restaurant.
Maybe it's just me, but some days I feel like I’ve had enough of minimalism. We’ve been looking basic, but also making sure everyone knows we spent an arm and a leg on a simple black shirt from The Row (although we love you, MK & Ashley, we really really do). It’s like the more boring my outfit looks, the more expensive it must be.
"Oh, this old thing? It’s just a simple, oversized cashmere sweater with an almost imperceptible logo... And I paid how much? Well, I don’t keep track, darling."
Meanwhile, I could be over here channeling some serious Bada Bing energy in a fur coat and leopard print, strutting around like I’m the star of a high-budget Italian soap opera, while the minimalists cling to their $2,000 "blank slates" and call it "effortless." Oh, sure, darling—effortless... if effortless means zero personality and a bank account quietly sobbing in the corner.
Anyway, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that, yes, fashion has massively changed since the late '90s and early 2000s. If we all showed up dressed like Carm, our friends would send us straight to the looney bin and then never, ever let us pick the restaurant again. So, in the spirit of fabulous (but with a little more restraint), here are a few Sopranos inspired pieces I’d rock today.
I’ll leave you with a quote from the fashion genius that is Polsca herself:
Today, a lot of things may be different, but The Sopranos remains as urgent as ever, maturing like one of Tony’s favorite bottles of Chianti and inspiring new generations of audiences. “I'm very happy that people like what we did and like what I did,” says Polcsa. “It was a special time.”
So what do you think, should we bring sexy back?
Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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