Dressing Like David From Schitt’s Creek Made Me Want To Burn My Wardrobe
It low-key made me say “ew, David.”
In Elite Daily's I Tried series, we put celebrities’ favorite products, recipes, and routines to the test to show you what living like your fave star is really like. In this piece, we dress like David Rose from Schitt’s Creek.
Schitt’s Creek is one of those shows you can’t help but love more and more with every rewatch. The series — which follows Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O'Hara), David (Dan Levy), and Alexis (Annie Murphy) — taught viewers everything from how to find yourself when you hit rock bottom to the sheer fact that selling unpasteurized milk is illegal. Some people connect to the friendships (shouts to David and Stevie), some to the self-realizations (hi, Alexis), and some to the love stories (looking at you, Patrick and David). But for me? My most recent rewatch has drawn me to one thing and one thing only: the fashion. In particular, how David Rose dresses in the series.
Everyone on the show has their thing. Moira never leaves her house without a wig and Alexis is down to do community service in heels. For David, it’s his signature look: dark colors, lots of layers, and a facial expression that says, “please don’t talk to me unprovoked,” — the latter of which I can completely relate to.
As more Americans receive their coronavirus vaccinations and leaving the house becomes safer, I figured now was the perfect time to switch up my own personal aesthetic. While I usually spend my time in pajama bottoms and free T-shirts from college as opposed to designer labels like the sassiest Rose, I figured infusing some of David’s style into my lewk could be a fun way to change things up. After pulling out just about everything in my closet, I put together a few looks David would (maybe) be proud of.
Look 1: Classic David
When you think “David Rose,” chances are visions of skirts over pants, bold sweaters, and over-the-top sunglasses dance in your head. To really test out David’s fashion, I figured it was best to go all in and recreate his most iconique ‘fit. In one of the main promo photos for Schitt’s Creek, David rocks a black skirt over black pants, a black and white sweater, and some Willy Wonka-esque glasses.
While I didn’t have the exact pieces David wore, I got pretty close with leggings, a black skirt, a cropped sweater, and some sunnies I got for free as a promotional gift from my old apartment complex (#connected). I decided to get some use out of my look by wearing it to walk my dog to a nearby restaurant to pick up dinner.
As I marched down the street, I felt more like I was in an Avril Lavigne music video than a character from a TV show. When I stood in line at the window to grab my food, I expected people to whisper and stare, but no one gave me a second glance. By the time I got back home, I was hungry and overheated from the sweater, but felt a little more confident about dressing like a Rose.
Look 2: Casual David
Even when David Rose is dressing casually, he’s still got a whole aesthetic going on. As someone who usually just grabs whatever shorts and T-shirts are within reach, I was excited to actually try to pull his everyday look together. Luckily, it easy enough to emulate with chunky sweaters, tight pants, high socks, and Converse, all of which I already had in my closet. After pulling out a black-and-white sweater and sweatpants, I felt David AF as I walked down the street for an iced coffee.
Unfortunately, I live in Florida, and considering it was the middle of a scorching May afternoon when I decided to test out David’s style, things got hot — and not in a cute way. Just a few minutes into my stroll, sweat was already pouring down my back, and I could tell some blisters were forming around my pinkie toe from the shoes.
I decided walking all the way to the coffee shop (about 20 minutes one way) would be a big mistake, so I pulled a move David would be proud of: I went home and paid an extra $10 to have the coffee delivered after calling my mom to complain how hot I was.
Look 3: David’s Kilts
One of David’s most famous looks involves paring a kilt with an array of loose, boxy pieces. While David is known for his kilts, I didn’t exactly have traditional Scottish duds lying around my house. In order to pull off this ‘fit, I decided a pleated skirt, a sweater, and some sneakers were as close as I was going to get.
Since I didn’t really have anywhere to go while decked out David-style, used the outfit as an excuse to drink a mimosa in the middle of the afternoon in my backyard. For pictures! For content! For fashion!
While I felt a little more like I was an outsider on Gossip Girl as opposed to the owner of a hip apothecary, I couldn’t deny: This was a whole look. Sure, I hated it and felt like I looked like an old-timey blacksmith, but it was definitely unlike anything I had ever put together before.
Look 4: The Amish Field
In Season 2, Episode 1, the Rose family finds David camping out with an Amish community after he flees Schitt’s Creek. While it was an unusual scene on its own — he hides out in the pasture as an Amish woman tries to do her work — the vision of David, crouched in a field and holding a pitchfork while wearing a fuzzy hoodie and oversized shades, will forever live rent-free in my mind.
While going anywhere with a pitchfork in public is probably a crime, I figured the least I could do was throw on David’s Amish getaway outfit for a few pics in my yard. After digging out my heaviest jacket, I spent about 45 minutes in the shed in my backyard, looking for a pitchfork. While I didn’t have anything quite as dramatic (considering my job involves typing on a computer and not, you know, farm work), I did find a sinister-looking rake that seemed just old enough to complete my look.
As I couched outside, sweating through my jacket and clutching my rake, I could see my husband watching me through the window, a look of concern and horror on his face. As soon as I went inside, I immediately threw my sweat-soaked jacket in the washing machine and acted like I had never seen the rake when my husband suggested we do some yard work the next morning.
Final Thoughts
While I had a lot of fun channeling the Schitt’s Creek fashionista, ultimately, David Rose’s style definitely isn’t for me. I like wearing items that are a little more colorful and form-fitting versus baggier and darker. That said, branching out from my normal style definitely reminded me that fashion doesn't need to be taken so seriously. I can play around with styles and looks and if I don’t like it, so what? At the end of the day, it’s a way to express my feelings.
The next time I feel like living out my Schitt’s Creek dreams, I might throw on a wig or say “ew” instead of dressing like David. He might be the king of sassy comments, but when it comes to style, I think I’ll stick to my own aesthetic.
