To kick off the tried-and-true incubator of weekend date nights known colloquially as “Friday,” Man Repeller asked artist and model Jade Gord to style herself in three outfits for virtual Zoom dates. Jade’s Zoom dates just so happen to be with her top celebrity crushes–but feel free to [insert your real or imaginary crush here] and abscond with her styling tips accordingly. —Harling
Cottagecore Vibes for a Date With Shia Labeouf
This gingham dress is custom-made from a small brand called 3234u. I’ve been into the whole cottagecore aesthetic, but with super boxy silhouettes—almost like a muu-muu, comfortable and easy to wear. It’s perfect for a Zoom date because most of the fun stuff is happening up top, like the square neckline and gathered sleeves.
My gold jewelry is a mix of things that I bought for myself recently from New Top Jewelry and eBay. There is so much good vintage gold, 14-karat jewelry for great prices on eBay! I’ll just search something like “14 karat gold pendant” or “14 karat gold heart” and scroll through every single page until I find something I like.
I’m really weird when it comes to head accessories, especially hats, because I feel like they never look right on me, but I’ve been really into headbands lately. This puffy one is from Ganni, and I think it elevates any outfit I style it with. It kind of ups the ante on the whole look, and would frame my face on a video call with Shia Labeouf.
I love that Shia is kind of dusty. He just doesn’t care what people think, in the best way, which is probably why he wears the same three shirts and two pairs of pants. He’s also insanely committed to whatever he’s doing. He got a full chest tattoo for a movie he’s starring in. A real tattoo. I’m not a spontaneous person at all, so I’m naturally attracted to people who are. I think we would talk about nothing but everything at the same time.
An Outfit That Goes “Boom!” for Aminé
I love styling a tight top with something loose on the bottom. There’s something really nice about how the proportions play against each other. When I wear a crop top, it either has to be super cropped where it’s right under my boobs, or something subtle that only shows an inch or two of my stomach.
This black tank and skirt are thrifted from MyUnique, a huge thrift store in Jamaica, Queens (they have the craziest items–honestly, a good amount of my wardrobe is from there). The top is vintage Calvin Klein. I was going for a sexier vibe with this outfit, and a statement skirt on the bottom so if I had to stand up during the date to grab a drink it would be like, “BOOM!” Perfect for a hypothetical date with Aminé. He seems really fun and goofy to be around, but I also just find him really attractive. I feel like we would get along really well, and just have a lot in common (I swear I haven’t thought about it too much…).
Going All Out From the Waist Up for Jacob Elordi
I thrifted this dress from MyUnique, too. It’s the perfect dress for a Zoom date because not only is it comfortable but it also draws attention to my neck and chest area. If I’m dating somebody I’m into, that’s always a nice thing to highlight.
I’m not one of those people who puts on shoes for a virtual date. I stick with socks and my house slippers and leave it at that, but I’ll go all out from the waist up for Jacob Elordi. When I first saw him, I thought he was really basic, but then when I was re-watching Euphoria with my roommate, and I was like, “Whoa.” I also actually like the mullet that he has now. Mullets can be hit or miss, but on him–the mullet with the mustache, and then his Australian accent on top of it? It really works.
I’m not sure how much we would have to talk about, but he’s cute to look at. And the nice thing about a virtual date is that, worst case scenario, you can just “fake freeze” your computer or hang up and be like, “Oh, my Internet’s not working. Sorry!”
