Normal People: 5 looks That Prove Marianne Is A Sustainable Fashion Icon

Normal people exploded onto our screens in early May, a teen romance set in Sligo. Adapted from Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People, it has been the talk of the internet with the likes of Kourtney Kardashian, Chris O'Dowd, James Corden, Jodie Comer and Andrew Lloyd Webber tweeting about it. Disclaimer: we have only watched up until the 8th episode on RTE. Normal people have successfully captured the hearts of the nation by depicting Marianne and Connell's beautiful story. We are hooked watching them weaving in and out of each other’s lives in an exploration of sex, power and the desire to love and be loved.

The show is centred around social class, conformity, rejection and the electricity of first love. This series has the ability to transport you back to painful school and first love traumas, evoking emotions and memories that you thought you had long forgotten. The component of class and social acceptance is brilliantly conveyed as both Marianne and Connell struggle to feel accepted in one another’s world. This is a not your typical fairytale love story, this is a modern, real and relatable love story. 

The sex scenes! This is another aspect of the series that has secured headlines and caused outrage amongst many viewers. Without the sexual tension and sex scenes, we're not sure if their love and passion would have been as powerful in the show. The full-frontal sex scene between Connell and Marianne caused widespread shock. Some of the sex scenes were so raunchy that they have since surfaced on pornhub. Ed Guiney the producer told Variety. We're hugely disappointed that excerpts from the series of Normal People have been used in this way,". 

Aside from the iconic love story and controversial sex scenes, it’s Marianne’s style that needs to be celebrated. Marianne opts for vintage and timeless pieces that make her style both attainable and sustainable. Some of her key pieces include a vintage ruby velvet blazer, brown cord blazer and plaid print pants. The mini tea dress with 60’s style neck, the crochet rimmed black cotton midi she wore in Italy catapulted her into a sustainable style icon.

The simplicity of how she pairs her clothes shows she dresses for comfort and isn’t trend-driven. She incorporates vintage pieces making them look chic and modern. From vintage fur to a denim skirt to a long boyfriend jacket, Marianne’s wardrobe is both functional, fashionable, and attainable. At Rag Revolution, we believe that style isn’t derived from what you pay for an item or look, but it comes from a natural ability to select classic and contemporary pieces that suit you. As Ralph Lauren once put it “Style is very important. It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is over quickly. Style lasts forever.” and Marianne very much encompasses that philosophy.