What Barisi Wore

This will just be a quick update post but if you do want the details on this outfit which was posted a couple months ago (maybe? what is time?), check that out here.

I am once again asking...for you to forgive me for disappearing! 

Unfortunately, after a series of bad storms and mismanaged utilities bureaucracy, I’ve actually been without power for a good portion of August, and then once I got power back, life and **gestures vaguely** happened and I wasn’t able to make gifs and keep up here! Apologies for that.

The good news? We finally have a premiere date for SVU Season 22 (November 12th) so it seems like I’ll need to get my behind in gear to get some more posts out before we head into the new season (but keep your fingers crossed for the cast and crew because Dodds knows a whole lot could happen between now and then!)

It’s back!! Barba’s three-piece pewter and lavender plaid suit—or as I like to fondly refer to it: The Best Suit to Ever Grace the Halls of One Hogan Place™.

We just saw this look, more or less, in American Disgrace, but instead of the more classic choices he made last episode (white straight point collar, gray pin dot tie), here he chooses a very fine purple dress stripe (and I mean “fine” as in: small, delicate, thin) with a spread collar, which really draws out the lilac overstripe in the notched lapel waistcoat. 

He’s also wearing one of his more rarely spotted navy ties (get it? Spotted because we don’t see it often but also because it features a subtle satin contrast spot pattern) with a hearty windsor knot at the neck, one that falls comfortably within the color family while still offering a bit of contrast and visual interest.

Though this scene is yet another short one, what I love most about this look is that we can sneak a peek of Barba’s navy suspenders and onyx cufflinks, as well as the striping on the back paneling of his waistcoat. The coordination of his suspenders to his tie, if nothing else, evidences just how meticulous of a man Barba can be—just because the world might not see it, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be perfectly appointed.

Tie also worn in: 14x03, 16x08

Hello friends, old and new! It’s been a minute, and since this post has already been sitting in the drafts for too long, we won’t dwell on that, nor will we dwell on any pesky nonsense like the never-ending pandemic or systemic racial violence (have you donated to a bail fund lately?)

No, today we’ll be focusing on the one, the only, the human cannoli—Sonny Carisi!

As you might remember from the last full post, at this point in his tenure (his third episode, for anyone keeping track), Carisi has come into his own in one of his trademark “uniforms”: a simple, slim-fit suit (this one a charcoal gray two-piece, which we know because his jacket is draped over his chair); a classic collar dress shirt (here, a brilliant white) with the sleeves rolled just past the elbows (which almost makes me wonder why he doesn’t just wear a short sleeve shirt—but I’m so glad he doesn’t given that’s just a little too Elliot Stabler for my taste); and a sensible striped tie.

Not much to look at, am I right?

Maybe! And maybe we’ll have to cut back on the length of these posts in the future as Carisi’s—and on occasion, Barba’s—outfits become more and more redundant, but there are a few things to note here.

What jumped out right away is the unusual seaming on this shirt. This shirt has two front seams on the front panel between the button placket and the side seam. This struck me as odd given that it’s not exactly common to see this kind of seaming in men’s shirting anymore (though it is still prevalent in women’s shirting, given that the additional seams provide more flexibility around the bust).

This seems to be so out of style for men that it was difficult to find such a men’s shirt via a cursory google search; it looks like this shirt was either snagged from the women’s section at TJ Maxx OR it might be an oldie that Carisi’s kept in his closet for quite some time, which isn’t totally unbelievable when you’re a string bean and rarely change sizes!

Carisi’s also wearing an exceptionally thin silver satin tie with a multitrack silver and purple striping. While it might not be out of the ordinary, I’d encourage you to take in the details of how he wears it: loose around the neck with a rather messy knot that causes the tail of the tie to split—a sloppiness that will soon be rectified, perhaps with help from a mentor’s discerning eye, and of course, with his soon-to-be signature tie clip.

All in due time!

Congratulations! You made it through yet another week of a pandemic! Pour yourself a nice refreshing beverage and give yourself a pat on the back for me, okay?

Today we’re moving onto the next episode (well, the next-next episode, given that neither Carisi nor Barba made an appearance in 16x04 Holden’s Manifesto), and I know I might be biased, but I have to say that they both serve some looks in this one. 

You’ll see.

If you happened to catch the last post, you saw Carisi’s first outfit of the episode—which I initially thought was one and the same with this one, given that they supposedly occurred on the same day, but I was wrong! 

All of that’s to say, I apologize for skipping out on that outfit analysis, but they’re so similar, I think you’ll still get the picture.

Any devout SVU fan knows Carisi was originally supposed to be around for just three episodes; as it turns out, his apparent naiveté, burgeoning empathy, and brash accent were just too charming to turn away. Pornstar’s Requiem thus marks his first episode as a regular member of the squad!

While this is important for his career trajectory, I bring it up not just to celebrate Peter Scanavino’s charisma and acting chops that secured him the gig, but also because it ushers in an important development in Carisi’s wardrobe as well:

The arrival of The Detective Carisi Uniform™.

We may have seen its beginnings in the last episode, but here “the uniform” is realized in its enduring form:

Simple, classic collar dress shirt with a punch of color (here, a lilac that reads almost as pale rose under the lighting in Liv’s office) with sleeves rolled to the elbows

Dark tie that’s as narrow as Carisi himself is, usually striped, but sometimes patterned and occasionally solid. This one—a dark brown and navy number with subtle multitrack stripes—is a bit thinner than usual, but given he’s not wearing a suit jacket, gets a pass

Slim-cut, flat-front suit trousers

Black or brown leather belt—an accessory adopted presumably to hold the weight of his holster and badge, but one that he continues to wear once he becomes an ADA

A leather wristband watch!!!

THAT’S RIGHT, FOLKS: It seems like Carisi’s first big boy paycheck must have hit because he has finally ditched that miserable ninja turtle-looking rubber watch and opted for something more age-appropriate. I literally could not be happier and will cherish this feeling forever  or until he swaps it out for an ugly Apple Watch.

Barba is also in a uniform of his own kind and, I’m almost sorry to say, kind of puts Carisi to shame. 

(Am I right or am I right?)

The slate blue dress stripes of his semi-spread collared shirt are perfectly matched to the wide blue pinstriping on the front of his brown waistcoat, and also compliments the navy silk lining on the back of the waistcoat (that’s “vest” for all of the Americans in the house).

If you can get a close enough look, you’ll note that the back panel of his waistcoat has triple stripes, which means he’s wearing a total of three different stripe patterns in one outfit (triple stripes, pinstripes, and dress stripes). Rafael Barba remains unparalleled!!

To complete this three-piece suit, Barba opts for a lovely auburn tie with an all-over neat pattern (this one resembles something between a paisley flower and a lima bean, but I’ll leave it to you to decide what the actual pattern is), and we can also see his black crocodile leather briefcase sitting in the chair alongside his suit jacket. 

Judging by the formality of the entire ensemble, I’d venture to guess this was a court day for ADA Barba. Let’s hope he impressed the judge half as well as he impressed us with his sartorial choices!

Barba’s suit also worn in: 16x13 ,17x20

WE DID IT! We made it through the episode that would NEVER end. I would like to thank Dodds and also coffee for getting us to this point, without which truly none of this would have been possible.

Anyway, happy Friday, friends! I know, I know—it feels a little off to say that right now, what with the world burning, and people getting sick, and our governments collapsing, and people in the streets, and the glaring inequities that plague the same systems that some of us have so long clung to for comfort and privilege. Is it even possible to be happy right now? 

Well, that’s debatable, but it’s my personal belief that there’s always good to be found even in the worst of situations: increased race consciousness, sweeping changes in the legal system now on the horizon, learning and growth and hope for a better tomorrow than yesterday...

It’s not a lot, but it’s something. Am I right?

All of that said, today will be a short one—and not just because we have important books to read and history-making battles to wage, but because, once again, we’re looking at a scene that’s not only extremely short (I’m talking mere SECONDS, people), but there’s also not too much going on by way of Carisi’s outfit.

Not much, but still a little something-something.

If you’re anything like me, you might have recognized this tie from earlier in this very episode.

And if you’re anything like me you would also know that you were...wrong. Very wrong.

This purple, silver and white, multitrack striped tie is similar to the eggplant number he wore earlier on in the “week,” but has approximately 66% more stripage (and therefore a bit more personality too). Though the lavender of his shirt might be a no-nonsense pairing for the tie, like any good ADA-in-training, Carisi takes a note out of Barba’s Textile Handbook (Fall 2020) and pairs his tie stripes with even more pencil stripes, and of course, finishes it off with his character rolled-up sleeves.

Can we also give him some credit for knotting his tie at the correct length so it falls just at his waistline?! He’s learning!

Carisi also has a pair of black—*gulps*—single-pleated slacks on (it could be worse), and presumably has a somewhat-oversized suit jacket hanging on the back of his chair or in his squad locker to match. 

So what’s the downside here? Well, that awful Boy Scout belt we’ve already seen a few times is back, and unfortunately, I think we’ll continue to see for some time to come.