Blonde vs Brunette: Tinsley Mortimer vs Bethenny Frankel’s Fashion

Some famed rivalries are tales as old as time. The Montagues vs The Capulets. Erika vs Dorit. Blondes vs Brunettes. And finally, Tinsley Mortimer’s closet vs Bethenny Frankel’s closet.  While Bethenny Frankel has been known to run the fashion-show on Real Housewives of New York, there’s a new girl in town, and Tins is giving us some new style to covet. Sally and I thought this new development was worth a closer look in this week’s Blonde vs Brunette.

The Blonde Says:

In the words of a wise woman named Nene Leakes, if I was a “Rich Bitch” I’d totally dress just like Bethenny Frankel. My favorites designers are Balmain and Victoria Beckham (with a side of McQueen) so Bethenny’s big budget closet is something I definitely aspire to obtain, regardless of my lamenting about her wearing less accessible clothing these days. I was a late adopter of Real Housewives of New York, and frankel-y her wardrobe is the only reason I started covering/watching the show, and that’s not to be forgotten.

I’m super into the fact that she loves structured pieces and follows my general personal style mantra about prints and bright colors—prints are for my vacation wardrobe and bright, primary colors belong on structured dresses. Don’t get me wrong, I love a pop of color on everyone else, this is just the approach I am drawn to while shopping for my own pieces.

While she’s come a long way from her days of Amrita Singh jewelry, which she has traded in for lines Hermes and Ben Amun, I love the upgrade to sleek, bold, metal pieces. And while we used to see a lot of Haute Hippie, Alice & Olivia, Milly and Tibi—and we still do occasionally—her style can definitely now be defined as more Net-a-Porter and less Neiman Marcus. And I can probably blame myself because the excessive amount of Skinny Girl White Cherry water enhancer that I drink when hungover has HAD to have lined her pockets with even more dollars.

And while, of course, I’d love to be able to afford more of her current fashion (even her H&M is all from their Balmain collabo which is still at a premium on eBay) I’ve decided to sit back, enjoy and know it’s not all about me—it’s all about New York’s Queen B.

Shop Fashion Seen on & Inspired by Bethenny Frankel:

The Brunette Says:

So last night Lauren and I went to see our FAVORITE podcasters/actresses/writers/comediennes/moms from Bitch Sesh. If you haven’t listened, do yourself a favor and download it asap. And while getting drinks with friends, the natural question that came up was who was the best dressed NY housewife. And while we all agreed that Bethenny’s style is by far the fanciest and most put together, to me her closet is so unrealistic that I just couldn’t give her the title. So my vote this week goes to Tinsley Mortimer, New York’s “it” girl turned cougar. There are lots of reasons I love Tinsley’s style. First, I have said this before during our ‘Look of the Week’ segment, but Tinsley’s go-to brands are not Balmain and Victoria Beckham like Bethenny, they’re high-end department store brands like Alice + Olivia, Alexis, Equipment, etc.

I personally love her style choices both because of the playful designs and patterns but mostly for the fact that they get heavily discounted every few months so you can buy them at a reasonable price! Although I’m sure Tinsley is paying full price for her clothes, she’s not always donning the high-fashion, curated museum closet that one only gets upon selling their alcohol empire for a cool billion. Second, she has a splash of fur on as often as possible, which is a sad but real love that I share with her. Even in the summer, fur is acceptable, like Khloe Kardashian’s Fur Slides worn here. I would love to spot her in a Self-Portrait number, since the brand is in line with both her style and price point and I think the items they make are magical (shop some current faves below!). I would also love to see her move out of her current roommie situation and into her own pad with a walk in closet and no bidets. A girl can dream!

Keep it Real,

Sally

Shop Styles Seen on Tinsley Mortimer Below:

Shop Some Brands Favored by Tinsley Mortimer Below:

Have you seen fashion on the Real Housewives or any other Reality TV style you can’t live without? Post a comment below, follow @RealityStarStyle on Instagram, tweet @BigBlondeHair or leave a comment on  Big Blonde Hair’s Facebook page