Today, I bring you one of my OG Period Drama Boyfriends^TM: Rufus Sewell. To give you a sense of the chronology here, I’ll have you know that I still have the photo I cut out from the 1998 Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair of a very Byronic-looking Sewell somewhere among my personal effects. He had come to my attention a couple of years before, when I watched the BBC’s Middlemarch series for the first time. I would have been 16 or 17 at the time, and if I didn’t have a type before, I certainly did after. The mid-90s were the heyday of BBC period dramas, and Pride and Prejudice ruled them all but, personally, I had a massive soft spot for Middlemarch, and an even more massive soft spot for Rufus Sewell in Middlemarch. Mr. Darcy, who?

Let’s take a look!

Birthday: October 29 (Scorpio, I mean of course)

Middle Name: Frederik

Posh: no. He studied drama at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London and was set up with an agent by Dame Judi Dench, who directed him in a play there. Not too shabby!

Height: 6’

Favourite period drama: The one that started it all: Middlemarch. I know that Austen adaptations top the list of many people’s period dramas but, for me, Middlemarch is right up there. One of the best ensemble dramas, with a bunch of intertwined plots that are each interesting on their own merit. Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that Sewell’s Will Ladislaw is one of the key attractions of the series. My main quibble with it, in fact, is that he doesn’t get nearly enough screen time, and his story is wrapped up in a rather rushed manner at the end. It still boggles my mind that, after this role, Sewell ended up getting pigeon-holed by Hollywood as a “baddie” for a long time (see Knights’ Tale, Legend of Zorro, The Holiday, The Illusionist, etc.). Listen, I am not a huge fan of Byronic heroes in general, but Sewell had that whole vibe locked down, and I feel like it was a major missed opportunity to have let that go to waste in the 2000s.

Honourable mention to Victoria, in which Sewell played Lord Melbourne as the ultimate silver fox. It’s rare that I tolerate factual liberties being taken in historical dramas, much less actively enjoy them, but this was one of the exceptions, and I confess that I found myself rather wishing that Vicky and Lord M gave in to all that (totally fictional!) UST, pretty boy Albert be damned. [I actually like Tom Hughes a lot, so that is saying something.] I also found myself wishing for a young Lord Melbourne-focused mini-series, because his actual personal life was messsssy – hello, love triangle with Caroline Lamb and Byron! – and I love mess.

Sexiest period drama role: As fond as I am of Will Ladislaw, for sheer beauty nothing beats Marco in Dangerous Beauty. That whole movie is a visual delight, and Sewell is so, so sexy in it. Again, who looked at this man and thought “yep, this guy has the vibe of someone women will definitely not want to fall into bed with”. I mean, look at that photo and tell me you care about the finer points of his personality. Also, for the record, Sewell does romantic yearning extremely well, so it’s not like he can’t compete in that category. Dangerous Beauty is proof enough, I think.

I have to give a separate shout-out to Cold Comfort Farm, which is an absolute hoot and joy to watch. It’s a movie that knows exactly what Sewell has to offer, and serves it up with tongue firmly in cheek. Seth Starkadder is a brooding hunk who doesn’t have much to offer in the sparkling conversation department but looks extremely fetching with his shirt off. The character is a parody of the Byronic hero trope delivered perfectly.

Austen adaptations: Sadly, none. Speaking of the 90s, I would have loved to see Sewell attempt Mr. Darcy or, as a less obvious choice, Henry Tilney. Alas, that boat has long sailed.

Favourite contemporary role: Zen is one of my fave detective series ever – and certainly the most stylish one – and Aurelio Zen, the Italian police detective struggling to navigate the murky waters of Rome society, is a fantastic character played brilliantly by Sewell. Zen has swagger (and plenty of smarts) but he’s also kind, honest, and loyal which make him an incredibly appealing character. And, god, so sexy! I am still mad that there were only 3 episodes of this show made.

Honourable mention to the obscure but underrated ShakespeaRe-Told, a series of 4 adaptations of Shakespeare plays set in modern times. Sewell played Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew episode, which is the best of the series and one of my fave rom-coms. I know, it’s an odd choice – particularly since I loathe the trope that underpins the original play, and I’m not even that big of a fan of Ten Things I Hate About You – and I can’t really explain it except to say that the chemistry between Sewell and Shirley Henderson (who plays Kate) is incredible. Also, Sewell has surprisingly great comedic timing.

As far as I know, ShakespeaRe-Told (god, that’s such a dumb title!) isn’t streaming anywhere at the moment, but it’s worth digging up if you can. I bought it on DVD years ago. The versions of Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream were meh for me (which is funny, because I like those plays more than the others), but Macbeth was a banger. The setting is a fancy restaurant owned by a celebrity chef (aka the king), with James McAvoy as Joe Macbeth, the ambitious sous chef. Yes, that James McAvoy. And, yes, it is sexy AF. Did I mention that Richard Armitage has a cameo as McDuff, the head waiter?

Least romantic role: Given Sewell’s extensive villain filmography, there are plenty of options in this category – even if we stick exclusively to period dramas. My choice may be a little out of left field, but it was a recent watch for me, so it’s top of mind: Mark Gertler in Carrington. The movie is based on the life of artist Dora Carrington (and featuring Emma Thompson in the titular role), and Sewell plays one of her lovers who is, to put it mildly, a real sh*t. Not in a cartoonish villain kind of way, but in a depressingly realistic “supposedly nice guy who’s actually completely toxic” kind of way. I actually enjoyed the movie – it’s Bloomsbury Group-adjacent, and I love that stuff – but it’s full of unlikeable male characters, and since I don’t know much about the real people on whom they are based, I have no idea if that’s a function of historical accuracy or artistic choice on the part of the filmmakers. Poor Carrington, plagued by unsatisfactory though extremely good-looking lovers! [In addition to Sewell, that line-up includes Jeremy Northam and PDB alumnus, Samuel West.]

Murder mystery cameos: Strangely enough, Sewell hasn’t done the usual round of British mystery shows, which is the bread-and-butter of a lot of his peers. I wonder if that was a function of his work in American film/television. Anyway, apart from Zen, there is the recent role in the new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse. I did not enjoy it – it’s an adaptation only in the loosest sense, they completely changed the plot – but Sewell’s performance was ok.

Watch at your own risk: I have not subjected myself to all of the lesser known entries in Sewell’s filmography (hi, Bless The Child) so I can’t say for sure which one is the worst of the lot, but as noted above, I did not like The Pale Horse AT ALL.

Adieu, darlings, and till next time: happy period drama watching!

Details: Toni T dickie, Supply & Demand tee, Chicwish skirt, Banana Republic belt (all secondhand), Zara boots (retail)

Thoughts: Wednesday Addams meets 90s grunge meets my obsession with greyish blue. The colour isn’t the only reason I thrifted this graphic tee; I am also obsessed with cherubs. Weird, I know. Or maybe not so weird, considering I am a younger Gen X and had the mandatory poster of Bouguereau’s kissing cherubs on my wall at a certain point in my life. Were you even a teenager in the mid-90s if you didn’t? Anyhoo. This outfit was based on the simple idea that this black tulle skirt never met a graphic tee she didn’t like. I added the white-collar dickie because I like how it changes up the vibe of a basic tee. And voila, outfit.

Details: Banana Republic turtleneck, Uniqlo sweater, Ralph Lauren trench, Banana Republic jeans, Coach bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: I am utterly obsessed with this Uniqlo sweater. UTTERLY. I want to wear it with everything, and it wants to be worn with everything. The colour is sheer perfection, 10/10, no notes. The sweater itself is lovely: 100% wool, good weight (not to heavy, not too thin), not too scratchy, perfectly cropped length, very nice quality. I have been very impressed with the quality of some of the Uniqlo knit pieces I’ve come across at the thrifts lately, this being only one example (albeit my favourite). I layered the sweater, as I do all my wool sweaters, over a thick, cotton turtleneck — the colour of which just happens to be a fantastic match — and that provided enough insulation to help me carry off wearing my fave trench instead of a bulkier jacket. It was snowing that day, but not especially cold, and I refuse to concede it’s winter until Mother Nature beats me into submission. Not literally, I hope. Also, we haven’t talked about that bag yet … but we will.

Details: vintage shirt, Ralph Lauren sweater & skirt & jacket, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Just all the Ralph Lauren things.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, Everlane sweater, Jones & Co. jacket, Banana Republic jeans, Coach bag (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Okay, guys: that bag. I haven’t been moved to buy a shoulder bag in aaaages, but something about this one immediately spoke to me when I spotted it at Value Village. The colour accounts for a lot of its appeal; it’s not a deep deep red, but it’s pretty saturated and very, very red. Love that. And there is also something to be said for the shape, which is surprisingly appealing given how committed I have been in recent years to small crossbody bags. Ok, moving on. This jacked: also amazing. I am really into cropped, boxy, collared jackets, and this one checks all the boxes, with the added bonus of a fabulous houndstooth pattern. Love me some vintage Jones!

Details: Ralph Lauren shirt, InWear dress, Manolo Blahnik shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I thrifted this dress because it totally set off my nostalgia radar; the 90s vibes are strong with this one. I am not wild about the length, and which it were longer, but I am determined to try to make it work for me. Paired it with a white shirt, it came over very 90s corporate creative chic.

Details: Gap shirt, Benetton cardigan, Ralph Lauren skirt, MaxMara belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: The colour of this vintage cardigan spoke to me and it said “buy me, Adina”. So I did. And then I remembered that I thrifted this Y2K Gap washable silk shirt (remember those?) a few years ago, and it matches the colour of the embroidery almost exactly. And then I added a brown skirt, because I am convinced that brown is always the answer, assuming the question involves sartorial matters.

Details: Bozzolo tee (retail), Tahari shirt, Limited cardigan, Brighton belt, Levi’s jeans (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Denim on denim, with brown to keep things interesting. See what I mean? These 80s Levi’s are the original mom jeans, and I’m pretty pumped about them.

Details: Babaton turtleneck, vintage sweater, Chaps pants, Tough Duck coat, Coach bag (all secondhand)

Thoughts: I’m not entirely sold on these red corduroy pants. I love the colour and I love corduroy, but the cut … hmmm. However, I gave them the old college try and paired with 2 very solid pieces (the sweater and this amazing vintage preloved barn jacket), the result wasn’t terrible by half. I’m not ready to declare the pants a permanent addition to my closet, but they passed the first test.

We had so much fun with the last Style Flashback, we are doing it again. I am using the royal “we” and you are along for the ride. Fun, fun! This time, we are going back to 2012 and my back-to-work outfits following my first maternity leave. Bonus cameo appearance from my ill-calculated “new toddler mom” pixie haircut that was definitely not lower maintenance than my previous shoulder-length bob and took entirely too many years to grow out.

Let’s go!

First of all, yes: that is the same brown cardigan and belt from 2011. I didn’t choose the outfit for that reason; it just happens to be one of my favourites from that era. In fact, I’d probably still wear it now – the skirt is a touch short for my current taste, but it has the right ideas. As you might be able to tell from these outfits, I was beginning to experiment with pattern mixing and some bolder styling. These are all outfits I wore to work. At the time, I was a research lawyer in private practice; because my role wasn’t generally client-facing, I had a fair bit of leeway when it came to dress code, and my outfits ran the gamut from business casual to almost-business formal (not pictured here because, let’s face it, it tends to be pretty boring).

Apart from the outfit on the left, the styling and proportions wouldn’t work for me today – and neither would most of the clothing. Apart from the Louis Vuitton bag, I don’t own any of it anymore. I do wish I’d kept that pretty, patterned silk blouse from the first outfit, though. I love the collar! Otherwise, there are various design elements that don’t suit me anymore:

• Fitted blazers with “fussy” details
• Knee-length (or just below) skirts
• Dropped waistlines (middle photo)
• Peep-toe shoes

Here are some 2024 iterations of the same outfits:

The key changes here, for me, are the length of the skirt and the shoes. Look how much taller (and longer legged) I look when wearing a high-waisted midi skirt! But, like I said, the 2012 outfit is still pretty solid.

To be clear, if I were to put together a blazer-and-pants outfit today, it would look nothing remotely like this 2012 version. Indeed, if I’m wearing pants these days, it’s more likely to be with some combination of vest, men’s shirt, sweater, and (outerwear) coat, rather than a blazer. But in the spirit of the exercise, I tried to find the closest approximation of the 2012 outfit, black pants included. I also tried to stick to a restrained colour palette. You will notice the waistline is a lot higher and the pants are belted. The blazer is longer, less fitted, stripped of embellishments; visual interest is, instead, added via a textured, patterned fabric.

Finding a current version of this 2012 outfit was the most challenging of the lot. My lifestyle is completely different now, and I rarely dress to this level of formality for work. The outfit on the right is the closest I could find – something I wore to the office on one of my rare in-person visits. My current role is in-house, and most of my colleagues are, like me, working remote, so the office dress code is about as relaxed as it gets in the legal profession. My corporate goth era is long past, so I rarely wear head-to-toe black at the office; there are always at least a couple of other neutrals in play (white, cream, brown, and blue being some of my usual go-tos). There are still “embellishments”, but they are more subtle: coloured tights (not patterned), a jewel collar, a simple belt. The skirt is longer, but a less traditional style. The blazer is also longer and less fitted, almost a bit boxy. And the textural contrast has been dialed up, between the tweed blazer, the cable-knit sweater, and the corduroy skirt.

I will leave you with this thought: none of these outfits are objectively worse or better – they are simply different. It’s not necessary to completely disavow the things I once loved in service of the things I love now, nor hold them sacrosanct simply because I once loved them.