How To Dress Like 'New Girl' Jessica Day In +Sizes

Last week I kicked off a new column that's about the on-screen styles we love and lust over, and how to recreate them for plus-size bodies. "So You Wanna Dress Like a Fat Olivia Pope" touched upon Olivia Pope's fierce work look and her sophisticated, polished casual after-hours vibe. This week, I'm switching gears to help you nail Jessica Day's fun and flirty look. A reader told me: "I'm new to being plus-size and am feeling so frustrated about clothes. I always like Jessica Day's style. That's what I would wear if I could find it in my size."

Ah, Jess Day — the patron of all the twentysomethings who feel like they're floundering when it comes to this whole "being an adult thing." She's the reason why the word "adorkable" exists, why so many of you are happy to describe yourselves as "quirky," and going on feminist rants is kinda her thing to boot. She's not always right, but her wardrobe is always cute and true to her own sense of personal style.

There are also some episodes where Jess experiments with different aesthetics or tones down her look a bit, as we're all prone to doing in real life. At the core, though, her style is retro-inspired and pretty classic. She loves a traditional print, like a stripe or a polka dot, and keeps to a fairly primary color palate that makes mixing and matching easy. For special events, she goes '50s glam with fit and flare, full skirt, or swingy silhouettes and there's usually some shimmer. It's definitely a really cute style and pretty easy to pull off day-to-day.

Trying to dress yourself based on a body that's very different to your own is one of the weirdest things mentally — and tricky enough all on its own. Never mind that when you have an idea in your head about how you'd like to dress or what style you like, you don't even know where to look for clothes. Let's start here: ModCloth is your best friend. Their ample plus-size section is chock-full of the types of dresses that would look perfectly at home in Jess' closet. If you're not an online shopper, try and load up on the following pieces: fitted cardigans, full, knee-length skirts, pussy bow blouses, printed button down shirts and short-sleeved, structured day dresses.

Here's my interpretation of a Jessica Day plus-size look for day and night:

Clockwise, from top left:

The Dream of the Crop Cardigan, $30, modcloth.comTextured Geo Skater Skirt, $16, forever21.comLoafer Achiever Vegan Suede Loafer, $22, lulus.comHousewarming Your Home Top, $55, modcloth.com

Clockwise, from left:Shining in the Spotlight Dress, $220, modcloth.comRhinestone Embroidered HEad Wrap, $8, charlotterusse.comASOS Curve Tipped Belt, $18, asos.comHep in Your Step Heel, $35, modcloth.com

Images: FOX; Giphy; Courtesy Brands