Angelina Jolie spent Thursday, May 23, running errands in Los Angeles. You could call her outing to Nordstrom and Diptyque a casual one, except for the fact that she was dressed in the rich mom uniform for a late afternoon power lunch.
Jolie's outfit channeled the refined, yet minimal, personal style she displayed in a golden goddess Chloé gown last month into a slightly more dressed-down form. (Key word: slightly.) She layered a mid-calf length, scoop-neck black dress beneath a longline coat in the same inky shade. (Credits for both pieces haven't yet been shared.) A Phoebe Philo-era Celine bag rested in the crook of her elbow, and she walked in a pair of Christian Louboutin Dolly 85 pumps. Somehow, she made bustling from store to store in one of the city's busiest shopping centers look aspirational.
Jolie's daughter Zahara walked by her side in an outfit more common at an outdoor mall: a casual jersey midi dress, a cropped cardigan, and trendy New Balance sneakers.
Most celebrities will take their casual outings to do one of two things, style wise: They'll test-drive runway trends (often through pieces loaned from the designers who started said trends) or they'll combine the most laid-back pieces in their wardrobe. Katie Holmes embodies a downtown New York mom in button-downs, biker jackets, and velvet Mary Janes; Jennifer Lawrence mixes fancy mesh flats by The Row with spring staples like a white ribbed tank top and jeans. Jolie sticks to an entirely different script by re-wearing designer pieces she's owned for years. Both her Louboutin heels and her Celine bag have been a constant presence in her street style, and she's also touted both with similar combinations of black jackets and black dresses. The actress, activist, and Atelier Jolie founder has also walked around New York City in custom pieces made just for her, such as a black coat from made-to-measure label One Of.
While other celebrities use tackling their To-Do lists to experiment with sneaker trends—and there's nothing wrong with the Adidas Sambas route!—Jolie's errand look says you can get things done in heels. And maybe, that the true rich mom outfit formula is the version with pieces with a return on their investment, because they're worn over and over again.
