PREVIOUS ARTICLE
Screenwriter Gemma Burgess (and my BFF) lives in downtown Manhattan with her husband and two little boys. “I truly love clothes,” she says. “But when it comes to choosing what to wear, I just wing it. If I’m writing, I wear one step up from pajamas, and if I actually leave the apartment, I dress to feel happy and confident, and that means somewhere between Gordon Gekko and Courtney Love.” Here, Gemma shares five outfits she wore in a week…
Coat: Zara, similar. T-shirt: Feminist Fight Club. Skirt: The Kooples. Boots: Topshop, similar.
“When people ask me where I’m from, I take a deep breath: I’ve lived in Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Zurich, London and New York City. I don’t feel like I’m from anywhere in particular – I have British and Australian passports, an American green card, and my husband is Irish. I feel most at home in walking cities with crowds and skyscrapers. I lived in London the longest: 11 years. Living there inspired me to just wear what I like and not worry about what anyone else might think. London girls are experimental and cool and full of attitude and humor. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and therefore, they always look just right. Also, for bare legs: I have been trying the St. Tropez spray tan stuff from Sephora, and I must say it is delightful.”
“Okay, so here is The Ugly Clutch Story: When we were living in London, my husband Fox was offered a job in Zurich. He commuted for a year, while I worked in advertising, and then I moved to join him in Zurich to work on a book series when I was pregnant with our first son. But Switzerland was hard for me. Fox traveled a lot, and I was lonely and unhappy. My secret dream was to be a screenwriter and live in NYC, but I was scared that I would never do these things. On the corner of our road in Zurich was an odd little boutique, and in the window was this horrendously ugly clutch. Every time I passed it, first heaving my giant pregnant tummy and then pushing the baby in his stroller, I would scowl at it. But as soon as my U.S. visa arrived, I was prematurely nostalgic for the ugly clutch, so I purchased it as a memento. Now it is one of my favorite things. I wear it everywhere.”
Sweater: Brooks Brothers. Jeans: Zara. Socks: Heat Holders.
“When I’m writing at home, which is almost every day, there is a 99% chance I am wearing my favorite jeans (they’re much too big and soooo comfy), this mottled green sweater that my dad gave my husband years ago and I stole at some point, and a brown leather belt I got when I was 23. I also wear Heat Holders socks, which my husband and I both LOVE and snatch straight from the clean laundry pile to hoard from each other. They are like wearing bunny rabbits: soft and warm.”
Faux fur jacket: Topshop, similar. Dress: Topshop, similar. Boots: Doc Martens. Fishnet socks: ASOS. Bag: Isabel Marant.
“My date nights outfits depend on my mood and the weather. Sometimes I want to be cozy in a big sweater; sometimes I feel like being a little sparkly and flashy. One time I was wearing something a tad over the top and said to Fox, ‘Is this too much?’ and he said, ‘Well, you look exactly like you, and that’s why I love you.’ We like to squeeze every ounce out of a date by starting early. We kiss the boys goodnight and skip out of the house, before the bedtime/bathtime hour of power, and go to a museum or movie and don’t think or talk about work or children for a few hours. Then we always eat at the bar in a restaurant, rather than at a table. I think food tastes better at the bar, and the drinks are definitely better. (Our go-to spots are Lure, Augustine, Mermaid Oyster Bar and Dirty French.) Then we go home as early as we can without the babysitter thinking we are totally lame.”
Pants: Vince. Top: H&M, similar. Blazer: Zara, similar. Shoes: Tod’s.
“I wear this to pitch meetings. I’ve been screenwriting for a couple of years – I’ve sold enough pitches and scripts to make a living, but nothing has been on screen yet (please cross your fingers, toes, everything for me; scripts are like baby turtles: most of them never make it to the sea). With screenwriting, the odds are strongly stacked against success. But I try very hard not to think about that. I love to write — I write all the time, constantly, I can’t not write. So, as long as I’m enjoying the journey, I can avoid freaking out about reaching the destination. My favorite TV shows are Catastrophe, Fleabag, You’re The Worst, Shameless and This Is Us; and I love re-watching comfort food like Felicity, The West Wing and Brothers & Sisters.”
Sweater: Brooks Brothers. Jeans: Zara. Slides: Urban Outfitters.
“On the last day of the week, I wrote again at home all day, so I re-wore my favorite jeans and the ancient green sweater. NO JUDGING. I wore a different bra. (Probably.) And my pink fluffy slides. When my husband first saw these slides, he said, ‘You’re not wearing them outside the apartment, right?’ and I said ‘Of course not!’ But I am one hundred percent wearing them outside the apartment. They look like something Miss Piggy would wear, and that is a very good thing.”
Thank you so much, Gemma! We love you. (And here’s her beauty uniform, if you’d like to see.)
P.S. More women share their week of outfits, and five things I can’t stop wearing.
(Photos by Julia Robbs for Cup of Jo.)
182 COMMENTS