Gwyneth Paltrow in The Talented Mr. Ripley Is My Summer 2018 Style Icon

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m kind of obsessed with watching old movies, and The Talented Mr. Ripley is hovering at the top of my list for all-time favorites. The plot, though kind of haunting, is riveting, but the real reason I keep coming back to it is the seriously dreamy aesthetic. It makes me want to impulsively buy a ticket to Italy, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s iconic outfits play a big role.

What strikes me every time I watch the movie is the timeliness of all her looks. Paltrow plays a well-to-do American vacationing in Italy in the late 1950s, so everything her character wears captures the fashion of that time. But also, it was filmed in the late 1990s, so there are nods to what was happening in fashion then. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for ’90s fashion and thus can’t help but draw a connection between her black evening dress and one Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

And even though the film is straddling fashion between those two decades, it still feels amazingly right for 2018. The puff-sleeve top (arguably one of the biggest trends of the moment), high-waisted bikini, cat-eye sunglasses, and everything else Paltrow wears in the film could easily be sold in stores today. In fact, don’t be surprised if you see me wearing each of these outfits very soon.

A high-waisted bikini

Easily the most flattering swimsuit style you can wear, a pair of high-waisted bottoms and a matching top feels retro but still modern and cool. Currently plotting how I can find this exact spot on the beach in Italy to wear one.

A bandeau top and floral skirt

Now, this outfit alone makes me want to buy a ticket and hop on a plane to Italy. What I love is that these pieces are timeless and versatile enough that they look equally relevant for the late 1950s (when the film is set) as they do today.

A puff-sleeve top

This top looks like it could have been plucked from the current runways. Puff sleeves are sure to be the It trend this summer.

The perfect outfit for an alfresco dinner

This is when things are bright and happy in the movie, and her outfit mirrors that. Don’t be surprised if I start planning rooftop dinners this summer and start wearing something suspiciously similar to this look.

An LBD worth repeating

Okay, this is where the carefree days on the Italian coast come to an end. As the film gets darker, so do the outfits. Even though the film was set in the ’50s, this feels like a nod to the style of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in the ’90s, when it was filmed. And yes, I would wear this exact outfit today.

A truly Hitchcockian outfit

Toward the end of the movie, things have turned really dark, and she looks more like the heroine from a Hitchcock movie—a trench coat and cat-eye glasses included—than an American on vacation. But her look is no less stylish.

You can bet I'll be wearing each of these outfits this summer.