Fashion

How To Dress Like Illana Wexler If You're +Size

by Jodie Layne

"Wait, hold up — Ilana who?" you're probably asking. It's not exactly easy for a viewer/fan to know where Broad City creator and star Ilana Glazer ends and where her character Ilana Wexler begins. Personally, I'm prone to referring to the character as "Ilana Glazer," since it's so obvious that the characters of my most beloved weekly show are inspired by the IRL best friends who wrote and created them. Of course, also part of the narrative is Broad City fashion and style. Both real-life and on-screen versions of Ilana have a great sense of dress, which is fun, playful, and trend-conscious. The difference? Real-life Ilana is a little more polished and glam than her on-screen counterpart. This by no means takes away from Wexler's covetable wardrobe, though. Seriously, every single time the woman wears a visible lattice bra, my social media starts blowing up trying to figure out where my bra-wearing friends can score one of their own.

Wexler's a pretty good role model: sassy, experimental, unapologetic, strong-willed, outspoken, confident, and accepting. These traits all easily transfer over to her wardrobe and philosophy of dressing. She tries new things, is almost aggressively accepting of her body (and shows it off constantly), and doesn't take her style too seriously while paying attention to it. She also wears what she wants whether it's deemed appropriate or not, simultaneously making comfort a big priority. You can tell how much Ilana cares about something by how much effort and individuality she's put into her outfit.

While the relative abundance of fast plus-size fashion options may seem like getting Ilana's extremely realistic wardrobe could easily be accomplished in a quick stop-off at the mall, it's not that simple. There can sometimes be a weird scourge on plus-size clothes where they're fast fashion, but not necessarily totally of-the-moment trendy. The people who design clothes sometimes try and modify or adapt trends in a different manner for plus-size bodies or ignore those trends altogether and the collections are this weird mix of not basic and not trendy.

Moves towards body positivity and acceptance in the past couple of years have helped a bit, but Ilana's trademark revealing style can make it hard to source exact dupes. That's why today I'm going to help you get Ilana Wexler's look:

Casual Monday Look

Clockwise, from top left: Ava & Viv Denim Shorts, $25, Target | Love & Legend V-Neck Tank, $50, Additionelle | Lattice-Back Bikini Top, $17, Forever 21 | Lace-up Boots, $35, H&M | Large Wave Hoop Earrings, $90, Upper Metal Class

Friday Night Fiesta

Clockwise, from top left: Plated Drop Earrings, $3, Forever 21 | Ankle Strap Heel, $70, Sole Society | Studded Clutch, $15, Le Chateau | Nadia Asymmetric Top and Skirt Co-ord, $44, Boohoo

Images: Getty; Twitter; Courtesy Brands