If you haven’t seen Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, you’re missing out. The movie flashes back and forth between daughter Sophie’s (played by Amanda Seyfried) present and mother Donna Sheridan’s past. We get to see a young Donna (played by Lily James) in flashbacks to her wild summer in 1979. We get introduced to the three young suitors who all could be the father to her daughter, Sophie. Sophie is in the present day and dealing with grief after the death of Donna. Add ABBA’s famous hits, Colin Firth, and Cher, and you’ve got the classic summer jukebox musical.
I am currently on my 5th watch of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, and I adore this movie. The cast, the story, and the music all come together to create the perfect summer flick. But the thing that sticks out to me the most in movies like this is the clothing.
While the storyline is a bit cheesy, you can’t help but fall in love with the story. One thing that stands out throughout the story is young Donna’s style. Michele Clapton got nominated for the Costume Designers’ Guild Award for this movie. The costumes for young Donna encapsulate the strong and daring aspects of her character. I knew I had to copy them.
While the outfit Mamma Mia is always associated with is Meryl Streep’s overalls (we’ll get there), young Donna Sheridan makes bold fashion choices of her own.
So I decided to harness Donna’s main-character energy and dress like her for a week. This was a challenge because my regular outfit is shorts and a t-shirt. But my love for the movie far outweighed the confines of my comfort zone, so Mamma Mia, here we go!
Day 1 — On The Water
I’m kicking myself because I had a bathing suit top that looked exactly like Donna’s here, but I threw it out before I moved. I still had a strong start. It was a beautiful day and my partner and I went to the pool, so I figured we should do the bathing suit look!
I have a total of 3 bathing suit pictures ever, so I had to bolster some confidence to take the picture. A good start to a bold week. I love this little outfit. Donna wears her jean bikini top a couple of times and always pairs it with her jean shorts. It gives off an immaculate summer vibe while also remaining somewhat modest.
Day 2 — Travel Day
Bury me in this shirt, thank you so much. Donna’s boat outfit isn’t form-fitting so I went with the flowy shirt, blue bandana, and the same shorts from the pool day.
When we watched the movie together, my partner questioned if Donna had only one pair of shorts — and she did! Donna went to an island with one suitcase, so she had a limited selection of clothes, so that’s what I’m going for.
I love how soft this outfit looks while also making a statement. I hadn’t gone too far out of my comfort zone, but I knew that was going to have to change pretty soon.
Day 3 — You Don’t Know Me At All
It’s the day I’ve been waiting for — it’s overalls day! I knew the second I saw these overalls that I had to get them because of this movie. I didn’t have a flowy yellow top, so I paired them with my lemon button down. I grabbed my colorful converse to complete the seventies vibe.
I love this look so much. Every time I go anywhere in these overalls people always compliment me because they’re so cute! This was my favorite outfit that I’d worn so far, especially because it strayed away from the regular shorts and top that I’d been wearing. No more playing it safe!
Day 4 — Performing in Walmart
I had plans to go to all these cool places dressed in these amazing outfits. But that’s not life. I spent today packing and running errands and I took Donna’s energy with me. I love this jumpsuit. It’s comfy but gorgeous. This is the closest thing I have to Donna’s first performance jumpsuit, so I wore it out today. And no Donna Sheridan performance outfit would be complete without crazy shoes.
So this is what I looked like in Walmart today. I loved today because I’ve been to the pool and downtown Nashville in the other clothes, but this was Walmart. I wore heels and a pretty cute outfit to Walmart. And this is why I wanted to dress like Donna this week — I felt powerful and beautiful as I strutted down the chips aisle. 10/10, if you’re ever feeling down on yourself, put on a power outfit and go to Walmart.
Day 5 — (Housework) Is The Name Of The Game
I forget how much I love dresses. The dress-like-Donna-Sheridan challenge had a slow start, but I’m invested now. Today was a low-key day, so I didn’t leave my apartment. I am planning on wearing this dress to my friend’s rehearsal dinner, so it will get the spotlight it deserves later. But for now it was a super comfortable dress and I loved swooshing around my house in it.
I got creative with the pictures, too. I’m starting to feel the seventies vibe that this challenge has and I love it. I also love that I can wear cute clothes like this even when no one will see them (at least in person). Very fun dress day.
Day 6 — That’s So 70’s Dress
We went out on the town today! Nashville had some pop-up events that I had to go to and my partner came along for the photos. This dress wasn’t based on a certain Donna look, though I could argue it’s a take on her billowing white shirt. I wore it because it felt like something she would wear.
I’m starting to get more comfortable with wearing what I call “real people clothes.” While my athletic shorts are great, I don’t get as many compliments as I do with these outfits. I felt like a real native and although the shoes gave me blisters, this was an amazing outfit.
I have to say it, I’ll be sad when I’m not challenged to wear these amazing clothes every day.
Day 7 — Let’s Go-Go!
I saved the best look for last! And for the most mundane tasks. We needed to do some last minute bits for a road trip. I uttered the phrase I’ve said a few times this week — “what would Donna Sheridan do?” – and I threw on a vintage 70’s dress and pumped gas in it!
I adore this dress. My friend found it thrifting and it was super light and form-fitting. It falls a little lower on the chest than I’m used to and a little shorter than I loved. But this was a wonderful way to wrap up the week on a strong note.
Final Thoughts
If you’re ever lacking motivation in what to wear, do something like this. You might not want to go as bold as Donna, but look up a movie character or celebrity you admire and try to steal their look. A lot of the outfits I wore this week weren’t carbon copies of Donna’s look — they were a mixture of what she wears and what I have in my closet.
This challenge did exactly what I wanted it to: It grew my style and helped me branch out from the workout outfits. It also let me have fun doing mundane things like going to Walmart and getting gas. There are psychological benefits to dressing up and I was not doing that enough.
Wearing 70s-inspired clothing forces you to do nothing but dress up. I would recommend doing this over and over again. And if you’re looking for some inspiration, these pieces are similar to what young Donna Sheridan and I have — now it’s your turn to go out and have some fun!
Who should I dress like next? Leave a comment below!
For More Style Inspo, Check Out These Articles:
Steal Her Style! Fran Fine Wasn’t Afraid To Dress Bold In The Nanny
Princess Diana Will Always Be A Modern Fashion Icon — Steal Her Best Looks
Markey THese are beautiful, cool idea! I Loved hEr outfits too, especially the orange skirt 🙂
put outfits together inspired by each taylor swift album!!