Splash NewsIn the eyes of the fashion elite, Jennifer Garner's style may not be particularly groundbreaking; it's neither avant-garde nor trendy.
Call it a lack of polish, if you will—but Jen represents what Lainey Gossip and Buzzfeed has called the "Minivan Majority." Should she choose, the Miracle From Heaven star could market her everyday look into a full-fledged lifestyle brand—to the delight of mainstream mothers everywhere. Think: Reese Witherspoon's Draper James without the prep or Gwyneth Paltrow's goop…without the goopiness.
Hate or love it, there's power in Jen's style sensibilities—here's why.
Even Glossy Fashion Magazines Know Her Value.
In just over a decade, Jennifer went from Maxim's "Sexiest Woman Alive" and barely there Alias costumes to walking around town, bare-faced in jeans and a comfortable sweater. It's a refreshing perception of celebrity that's so relatable that not even the fashion elite can ignore her mass appeal. Granted, this is the same set that might trash talk her style behind closed doors, but in editorials, angle it as "casual-cool," "effortless" or another FC (fashionably correct) synonym.
"This native West Virginian's relaxed, unpretentious style has made her arguably one of the most respected public mothers in America and still a draw at the box office," wrote Krista Smith of Vanity Fair.
Sure, you could argue that her split with Ben Afleck has made her all the more newsworthy—enough for even high-fashion glossies to cash in on her story. But whether she's wearing a white, collared wrap dress in a glamorous VF spread or walking on the street in a Soia & Kyo Rosaleen Classic Coat (currently sold out, by the way), there's a styling present that exudes something pure, maternal yet modern.
She Is No Fashionista.
That said, Jennifer doesn't pretend to be something she's not.
"I'm not someone who should be in a beauty spotlight. I was one of those people who wore pajamas to class every day in college, and I would still be that way if I could! I'm in New Balance sneakers every day," she told Allure in 2014.
It's this take on practical fashion that makes her popular, especially to those attracted to the wholesome, all-American lifestyle. "Ben's wife, Jennifer Garner, sells a shitload of magazines in the Midwest," Matt Damon noted in a 2013 interview to The Guardian.
She Works it When it Matters.
At the end of day, she's still an A-list celeb with endless resources at her fingertips. The star publicly noted how she has grown to appreciate high fashion, especially on the red carpet. However, it's not without its challenges.
"See how I have a waist right there?" she said on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon of her custom Versace dress from the 2016 Oscars. "I don't have one in real life anymore. What they do is they move your organs around. There are basically two men who come in with screwguns, and they screwed me into a metal corset—this isn't true, but it was a metal corset and it did take two Italian people. The next thing you know, my ribs were compressed."
From anyone else, this could sound irreverent, but Jennifer manages to be relatable—exposing what it looks like behind the glitz and glamour—while still sounding appreciative for the position she's in and the things she's learned from the artful albeit sometimes over-the-top world of fashion.
So, as a fashion enthusiast, am I a fan of Jennifer Garner's sense of style? No. But as someone in the business of trends, do I respect her point of view? Absolutely.