If you are a dedicated watcher of British film and television, I guarantee that you know who Samuel West is, even if you don’t recognize the name. The man has an impressively extensive and diverse filmography, to put it lightly. Indeed, it took years of “wait, I think I’ve seen that guy before” before it finally dawned on me that West was Period Drama Boyfriend^TM material. In that regard, he had a couple of strikes against him, the most obvious of which is the fact that, whereas most of my PDBs have dark hair and blue (or green) eyes, West is a brown-eyed blond. The second is the fact that, as he himself observed in a 2020 interview, he has mostly played “evil members of the white establishment or Victorian perverts” on screen – which isn’t exactly promising in terms of PDB status (though I do get a kick out of this delightfully mordant summing up his acting resume). But I wouldn’t be writing this post (probably) if that was the whole story. As it happens, West has played plenty of perfectly respectable non-perverts, starting with his breakout role as Leonard Bast in Howards End, a movie that has hurt my feelings almost as much as Atonement. Actually, come to think of it, West’s ability to play anti-heroes and villains as well as (if not better) than ‘good guys’ is something he shares with all my PDBs (as you will see in due course) … which probably means something. I’m not sure I want to speculate on what that might be 😉

Anyway, let’s take a look at Sam West.

Birthday: June 19 (Gemini)

Middle name(s): Alexander Joseph

Posh?: Not in the proper English sense, though his parents are famous (actors Prunella Scales and Timothy West) and he was educated at public school and Oxford, where he studied literature. Fun fact: he is also a passionate philatelist and birdwatcher. We love a man with nerdy hobbies.

Height: 6’0

Favourite period drama: All Creatures Great And Small is probably what tipped the balance for me as far as West’s potential as a PDB. If this is not a case of “tell me you’re a middle-aged woman without telling me you’re a middle-aged woman”, I don’t know what is. As soon as I started watching ACGAS – the cozy, heart-warming series to top them all – I was more or less immediately smitten with Siegfried Farnon, tweed-wearing grumpy “dad” with a not-so-hidden heart of gold. The show is a visual delight (and no, I am not just talking about eye candy here) and the best kind of soothing escapist fare for our troubled times. In every episode, there are misunderstandings, scrapes, and at least one cow in distress, but nothing truly terrible ever happens, and every character is lovable in his or her own way. The only way ACGAS could be better is if, in between farm visits, Siegfried, James and the rest of the gang solved a cozy mystery or two.

I would be remiss not to add an honourable mention in this category: Cambridge Spies, a 2004 miniseries ostensibly about the famous ring of British spies who betrayed their country to the Soviets from the 1930s through the 1950s. I say ostensibly, because this series is extremely unserious about history – “inspired by actual events” would be putting it generously. That being said, it is an extremely entertaining drama featuring top notch acting from a ridiculously attractive cast that includes Toby Stephens, Rupert Penry Jones, and Tom Hollander in their respective youthful primes (plus a bunch of other faces you will definitely recognize if you’re a fan of British TV). West plays a charming (if you forget the traitory part) Anthony Blunt. I am not the only fan of his performance; in 2019, the producers of The Crown asked him to reprise the role in season 3 of that show, which I think is kind of neat.

Sexiest period drama role: This may be a slightly controversial opinion, but I think West’s Mr. Elliott in Persuasion (1995) is sexy AF – an Austen bad boy you almost want to root for. He looks fantastic in Regency costume, and it’s one of the rare roles where we get to appreciate his glorious curls.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t tell you that this version of Persuasion is the absolute best, and worth immediately tracking down if you have not already seen it. (And I say this as someone who remains pretty devoted to Rupert Penry Jones as Captain Wentworth in the 2007 adaptation.) You can find it on YouTube, if your streaming apps (like mine) don’t have it.

Side note: if you’re an Austenite, you might enjoying looking up on YouTube the 2022 Jane Austen House Annual Carpenter Lecture on YouTube, in which West co-chairs a panel discussion about the best Austen film adaptations — I thought it was excellent.

Also, if you go down the YouTube rabbit hole a little bit further, you might also come across a fairly obscure two-part WWII-era comedy-drama set on a RAF base called Over Here, in which West played a cocky, sarcastic, motorcycle-riding, leather-jacket wearing squadron leader. In case that’s more your speed than breeches and cravats (though why not both, I say) …

Austen adaptations: see above. Back in the 2000s, I think West could have been an interesting Mr. Knightley. (As a frame of reference, my fave Knightley is Jonny Lee Miller.)

Favourite contemporary role: Most of the contemporary roles I’ve seen West play are of the “evil white establishment dude” variety, and while he does that well, I wouldn’t call any of them ‘favourite’.

Least romantic role: Peter Judd in Slow Horses. Not a period drama, but a must-watch nonetheless – one of the best shows currently streaming. (The books are brilliant as well.) The character was – allegedly! – based on a certain floppy-haired former UK president, enough said. West plays him with relish, but ew. Watching ACGAS and Slow Horses back-to-back gave me some serious whiplash, let me tell you.

Murder mystery cameos: So many! He’s been in the Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (series 1, episode 5), Foyle’s War (series 2, episode 3), The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (series 5, episode 3), Midsomer Murders TWICE (series 10, episode 2 and series 19, episode 5 — the latter features a modern day Austen-centric plot); Agatha Christie’s Poirot ( the David Suchet version of Murder on the Orient Express), and Death in Paradise (series 9, episode 1). He’s always one of the suspects, though not always the killer, and it’s rather fun to try to guess if he’ll turn out to be the bad guy or not. Watch out for Waking the Dead (series 2, episodes 1-2), in which he plays a disturbingly charismatic convicted serial killer (that isn’t a spoiler, by the way) who terrorizes Jane Bennett from the 1995 Pride & Prejudice series — that one is definitely NOT cozy mystery territory.

Watch at your own risk: Hyde Park on Hudson is one of those movies that is weird enough to make you wonder how it got greenlit, but not weird enough to be campy good. It’s about the time that King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) went to visit President Franklin Roosevelt at his rural retreat, the eponymous Hyde Park on Hudson, to try to shore up British-American relations on the eve of WWII. I can’t speak to the historical accuracy of the movie, but it doesn’t really matter; it’s probably best approached as a story about a fish-out-of-water couple trying to survive an awkward house party. That almost makes it sound appealing, but it’s mostly just odd. West plays the king and Olivia Coleman plays his wife, which was jarring enough in itself since I had previously watched The Crown (which had Coleman as the other Queen Elizabeth and West as the aforementioned traitorous Blunt), but then BILL MURRAY plays FDR and that took me all the way out.

Alright, darlings, till next time: happy period drama watching!

Details: Ralph Lauren sweater & skirt, Tommy Hilfiger jacket, Laredo boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I love watching other people’s thrifting reels on Instagrams, which has only served to reinforce the appeal of the 90s revival. Everyone is into it! Seeing what vintage pieces people are finding, and how they are styling them, has given me lots of ideas. Including an idea about the potential of a red leather jacket. I spent a few weeks looking for one because, while leather jackets abound at the thrifts (seriously, one of the best categories of clothing to thrift), their quality can be hit-and-miss and so can their price. Patience paid off, though, because I eventually found this absolutely perfect, definitively 90s Tommy Hilfiger number for $35 at Goodwill. A bit pricey for thrift, but still great value. So, now, I am experimenting with its potential. I started with a fairly safe combo of black and white, which did not disappoint. Will be trying to add some brown into the mix next time. Stay tuned.

Details: Ralph Lauren turtleneck, Jones & Co jacket, American Eagle jeans, Esprit belt, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: As you may be starting to observe, red has been a key colour for me this fall — especially deep red shades. I’ve been adding staple pieces, like this turtleneck, in my favourite shades, and they’ve opened up new styling options for older items in my closet. I love how the colours in this outfit pop.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Vince skirt, Mackage jacket, vintage bag, Laredo boots (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’ve been wearing a lot of (almost) monochromatic brown this season, but decided to take a slight left turn with this outfit; instead of a brown jacket, I decided to go with a dark plum one instead. It coordinates nicely, in a slightly less expected way. I “mirrored” the print of the dress in the pattern of the bag, and bookended the outfit with black (turtleneck and boots) to add a bit more contrast. Overall, it’s still a fairly subdued outfit (for me, if recent history is our benchmark) but with tons of details that make it interesting … to me, at least.

Details: Pilcro sweater, DKNY blazer, H&M turtleneck, Do+Be skirt, vintage bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I am continuing to test my theory that brown (some shade of it, and there are many) goes with practically any colour. I can now add lavender to that list. It was a fun colour to try, especially in a mash-up with leopard, which I rarely see paired with pastel-type shades. A little bit unorthodox, but I liked it.

Details: M Collection vest, Banana Republic cardigan, DKNY skirt, vintage shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Whimsigoth (kudos to whoever came up with that name) pops up a lot in the thrifting reels the algorithm has been feeding me lately, and while it’s generally an aesthetic that doesn’t appeal to my current sartorial sensibilities, there is one element that has made it stick in my mind. Its 90s flavour, of course. Think Practical Magic and Charmed. So, when I found this vintage vest, I was primed. I had a vision. This was that vision. It made for a very fun and satisfying reality, ahem, outfit. Before you yell at me about one-trick ponies, I am quite certain that this vest has plenty of other potential, which I propose to tap at the earliest opportunity.

Details: Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Ralph Lauren sweater, Brave belt (all thrifted), J. Crew jacket, Zara pants (both retail)

Thoughts: I bought this J. Crew field jacket at the end of the season last year, on deep clearance at Winners, and put it aside for future me. I didn’t have any particular plans for it at the time, but it struck me as a fairly classic piece that would eventually come in handy in a climate like mine. Future me is very grateful because this style has become trendy again, which is a nice bonus, and this colour combo (olive green and dark brown) is perfect for my current wardrobe palette. That corduroy collar … be still my heart.

The current 90s revival has kicked my nostalgia into high gear again. To be fair, it doesn’t take much to do that. If something like immutable character traits exist, susceptibility to nostalgia is surely one of mine. Indeed, I consider it one of the most important milestones of my personal growth that I have reached a stage where the pleasure in looking to the possibilities of what is to come neatly balances the pleasure in looking back at what already came to pass; for most of my life, the uncertain thrills of the future seemed but poor competition to the established delights of the past. But I digress – digression also being something of an immutable trait of mine 😉 With all this sartorial nostalgia floating about, I was struck by a thought: wouldn’t it be cool to look back on what I actually wore in, say, 2000-2004 and compare it to what I’m wearing now, influenced by my memories and ideas of that time?

It would be SO cool.

Sadly, that’s all this thought was destined to be: a cool idea. The concept of photographically documenting one’s daily outfits (as a non-celebrity) is a progeny of smartphones and fashion blogs, neither of which yet existed back in 2000. Sure, I have photos of myself from before 2010, but they were usually taken on special occasions and rarely focused on what I was wearing. So, goodbye, cool idea.

However, I hate giving up. Settling for “something vaguely similar” is, in this case, a preferred alternative. And that’s how we end up here, with this post. In lieu of 2000, I present you 2011 and the beginnings of my fashion blogger era.

I chose a sampling of outfits that felt accurately representative of what I was wearing in 2011. Obviously, the 90s did not figure strongly (or at all) in my sartorial inspiration at the time. It was too soon, for one thing. For another, I was in my “figuring out colours and proportions” phase. Well, to be honest, I was in my “figuring out fashion, period” phase. At a first glance, I would say that the middle outfit is closest to something I might wear today – though not in that exact silhouette. Indeed, I was rather pleased to see myself even wear brown 13 years ago; I had forgotten all about it, in the wake of the intervening corporate goth era (2017-2019).

That being said, most of the clothing I’m wearing in these outfits are things that, for one reason or another, I wouldn’t wear today. They include:

• Thin cardigans with cap sleeves
• Knee-length pencil skirts
• Low rise pants
• Baby-doll style tops
• Peep-toe shoes

The black shoes, white shirt, brown cardigan, and brown belt are items I would still wear today, if I still had them, which I don’t. I would also wear those jeans, were it not for the almost-certain fact that they were low-rise, just like the black pants. I do like the bootcut style, which is all the proof you need that denim silhouettes are eternally cyclical. The leather jacket is almost another “yes”, but the ruched collar frill thing kinda ruins the vibe for me.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how god-awful low-rise pants look on me? Visually, they cut my body in half, as perfectly illustrated in the middle outfit. I’m sad to say, the relevance of the fact I have a long torso and short legs remained lost on me for almost another decade.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to compare each of these outfits to a current-day equivalent.

The main difference here is silhouette and proportions. Longer hemlines and a higher waist help me to achieve an impression of (extra) height, which I appreciate. You will also note that the sleeves in the current outfit, while still short, are different. The triangular effect they create on the top half of the outfit nicely balances the fluted silhouette of the skirt. Most of this stuff is, of course, a question of preference not objective value. I’m not here to rain on your pencil-skirt-loving parade.

Once again, it’s a question of silhouette and proportions. The pants are higher-waisted and have a menswear-inspired pleated cut. The shoes are also more masculine in style, and chunkier. Also, the current outfit offers a juxtaposition of vibes – casual chambray with preppy corduroy blazer – that makes it more interesting, imo, than the 2011 version.

In some ways, this side-by-side offers the least jarring contrast. Sure, my current jeans have a wider leg and higher rise but, to my eye, it’s a difference that whispers rather than screams. The proportions of the jackets are surprisingly similar. Obviously, it’s the tucked-in shirt that represents the biggest difference. The baby-doll top is probably the piece that feels the most “dated” (i.e. of its time) but, ironically, is probably closest to making a comeback as the fashion trend cycle continues to churn, getting ever closer to the late 2000s as a source of inspiration.

Well, that’s it. If you thought this post was building up to an interesting thesis of some sort, sorry to disappoint. Like a lot of nostalgic exercises, this one offers no special insights, its sole reward being the pleasure of remembering what was, and marvelling how different it has since become.

Let’s do it again, yeah?