Last fall I obsessed over the camel-colored trenches and paisley-printed scarves that Shiv Roy wears on Succession. But after recently binging Schitt’s Creek, I’ve found myself trending away from the cinched slacks of a powerful potentate in favor of David Rose’s big black sweaters and drop-crotch pants. Long before #SpookySzn was a thing and e-girls flourished on TikTok, David (played by the inimitable Dan Levy) was swaddling himself in ambiguous folds of gothic couture, paving the way for a punk rebirth.
If you haven’t seen Schitt’s Creek (and Mariah Carey recommends you do), it follows the Roses, a wealthy family who lose everything and must survive in a podunk Canadian town. They’re totally kooky—in the most delightful way—and that goes for their high-end sartorial selects, too. From episode one, I was compelled by the way David dresses, especially in comparison to the rest of his family. Moira the matriarch owns her flair for the dramatic in wigs inspired by Cyndi Lauper and Cher. Younger sister Alexis thinks Jimmy Choo heels are appropriate for community service. Doting dad Johnny dons Lanvin suits for his job as a motel manager. But it’s David—with his gender-fluid hoodies and up-to-your-knuckle brass rings—who wins most fashionable in my book. Melodrama aside, he’s everything I want to embody this year. Here’s why.
Cold Office Chic
Parka season is upon us, but the great indoors can also be a chilly place. Luckily, David’s signature draped hoodie is the perfect answer to your corporate blues. Combat chattering teeth with a fashion-forward pullover, like this Rick Owens piece David wears in season 5.
David owns a lot of Rick Owens, much of which co-creator Levy pulls from his own closet, according to the Toronto Star. Levy took it upon himself to track down standout pieces for other cast members, like a strapless pink Raf Simons dress Alexis wears in the series premiere. “We shopped for sale items, online stores, and vintage shops. A lot of my friends are in fashion and we got the majority of the wardrobe on eBay for cheap…Derek Lam lent us a ton of stuff,” Levy told the Star. “We bought from Rick Owens, McQueen, and Ann Demeulemeester and mixed high with low. We mixed Maison Martin Margiela Jewelry with Topshop.”
Incognito Diva
For when you simply cannot. In season 2, David desperately needs time away from Moira, Johnny, and Alexis, so he escapes to a Mennonite farm. Three days later, they discover him squatting in a field assisting a Mennonite woman with her chores. He’s doing it, of course, in a sleek Helmut Lang hoodie and oversize sunglasses—which is how I’d like to dress for yard work from now on.
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In a 2018 Vogue interview, Dan said it took him a month and a half of Internet research to select this particular look. “I knew that it had the right amount of insanity to make the character look completely absurd in his surroundings,” he said. “I had always remembered this Helmut Lang mohawk hooded sweater. I knew that’s what I needed for this scene…That’s the joy of the show, the joy of the job for me, these clothes that I have admired for so long, getting to see, touch, feel, and wear them.”
Haute Hiking
When I’m inevitably awoken from my Manhattan hibernation for a springtime hike upstate, I’ll go just like David: Begrudgingly in drop-crotch pants.
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In one of the series most emotional moments, David’s boyfriend and business partner, Patrick, proposes to him on a nature walk. For the special occasion, he pairs a fuzzy black sweater with chunky lace-up boots, extra-large rings, and, of course, his signature baggy bottoms.
Dressed to Kilt
By season 6 (the last, sadly, for Schitt’s Creek), David finds himself in a much better place than at the start of the show. He owns a retail business and is engaged to the love of his life. And that means wedding planning.
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For one venue scouting excursion, David dons a fuzzy black ripped sweater, a detailed white undershirt, and a kilt. The kilt! It looks amazing, and it’s not the first time he’s worn one on the show, either. Hopefully it won’t be the last.
Schitt’s Creek airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on Pop TV.
