Olivia Colman is an actress; I met her at Tesco Metro in Clapham. Meeting her has completely changed my perception of everyday streetwear vs. what we typically see on Instagram. This was roughly three years ago ; I am in my absolute worst "I'll just quickly pop out" clothing. My jeans were Levis, and I have a pair with a hole in the knee, I will eventually get around to donating them, but I haven’t yet. I also wore a navy blue sweater, which had shrunk ever so slightly in the wash, but not enough for me to justify getting rid of it. And finally I wore the slip-on trainers that have certainly seen better days. I’m standing at the store deciding between two bottles of wine that look similar, apart from the bottle design, when I turn to check out the cheeses and there’s Olivia bloody Colman. She has won Oscars. She is essentially royalty in my eyes.
And honestly? She pretty much looked like me. Only, she had nice jeans. Hers didn’t have holes. However, she had on the same faded denim jeans, navy blue sweater (which had what appeared to be a small coffee stain), and white Superga trainers. She was wearing a baseball cap but even that seemed like she’d simply taken it off of the hook by the front door and thrown it on as opposed to putting together a deliberate disguise.
At that moment I realized that there is a distinct type of celebrity style that only occurs in Britain ; the “I’m just nipping out to pick up some milk and loo roll” look. It isn’t the trendy casual-wear that American celebrities wear when they want to be photographed at an expensive farmer’s market buying organic kale. Nor is it that effortlessly chic French-style. Rather, it is something far more genuine and, bluntly put, disheveled. As someone who devotes way too much time thinking about what other people wear (this is an occupational hazard of working in an image-driven field), I found this fascination to be absolutely fascinating.
To be fair, American celebrities treat errand-running as performance art. Photographers capture them buying groceries in $300 workout ensembles and perfect messiness buns that probably take 45 minutes to create. British celebrities at Tesco Metro? They look like they threw on whatever happened to be closest when they realized they were out of teabags. There is something refreshingly genuine about it — there is an unstated acknowledgment that some chores aren't worth calling your stylist.
Adele is another great example. Prior to transforming herself into red-carpet royalty, she was constantly photographed at her West London Tesco wearing loungewear. Not the coordinated sets that influencers refer to as athletic-wear. Real comfy clothes that you would sleep in. Hooded sweatshirts, jogging pants, hair that looked like she just rolled out of bed. I recall seeing paparazzi photos of her from 2012 where she is holding a packet of Digestives and appears to be quite annoyed that she is being photographed in what was clearly her PJs and some random leggings. Queen, relatable.
Then you have Daniel Craig who makes a Tom Ford suit appear as if it was stitched directly to his body, and frequently photographed at Tesco Express in completely anonymous attire. His attire consists of faded jeans, non-descript sweaters, and occasionally a flat hat – the ultimate expression of British Dad Energy. The contrast between James Bond and "the man who has forgotten to purchase milk on Tuesday afternoon" is almost jarring, but reassuring? Like even 007 has to deal with household responsibilities.
British actresses seem to have developed their own particular uniform for low-key supermarket excursions. Carey Mulligan gets photographed outside Tesco Metro wearing skinny jeans, Converse, an oversized coat, and a "don't bother talking to me" expression that I can entirely understand when you simply want to purchase pasta sauce without being recognized. Emma Watson does the same thing — good quality trainers, jeans, a non-descript sweater, perhaps a high-quality coat (which is the only indication of her actual budget). Both have opted for minimal makeup and what appears to be a sloppy bun rather than the Instagram-facsimile that necessitates seventeen bobby pins.
The guys generally opt for complete anonymity. Tom Hardy (who can smolder in historical costume like no one's business) becomes this utterly ordinary dude in jogging pants, plain t-shirts, and a water-resistant jacket (that suggests he checked the forecast prior to heading out) that indicates he wanted to ensure he stayed dry. Brilliant actually — being both a sex symbol for the entire world and the guy living three houses away from yours.
It is fascinating how this differs from "American Celebrity Caught Being Normal" photos that feature casual-wear displaying designer pieces and current fashions. British celebrity Tesco trips seem genuinely unplanned — like the clothes were picked based upon functionality rather than potential photo ops.
This honesty extends to the actual shopping experience itself. There is a lovely photo of Dame Helen Mirren (actual Dame, Red Carpet Regular) looking completely perplexed by a self-service checkout machine at Waitrose while sporting reading glasses attached to a chain and an air of technological befuddlement that transcends socio-economic status. Or Idris Elba appearing lost in the spice section of Sainsbury's wearing what appears to be his post-workout outfit.
Obviously the weather plays a huge factor in these outfits. Since American celebrities can depend on consistent sunshine for their errands, British celebrities must endure the same unpredictable meteorology as everyone else. Thus leading to very British styling options — layering, a "just in case" jacket, footwear suitable for sun or unexpected showers. Kate Winslet is photographed at Tesco wearing a common-sense raincoat (that could be purchased anywhere by any middle-class mom) along with wellies when necessary. She appears less like a Hollywood Star and more like someone about to walk the dog.
Accessories provide additional insight. Where American celebrities may dial back the glitz but still carry designer handbags or sport statement sunglasses, British celebrities at Tesco are more apt to be lugging around the exact same reusable bag as anyone else with minimal jewelry and sunglasses intended for actual use (but realistically how many times will you need them in this climate?)
Younger British celebrities add an intriguing spin on the concept. Those who grew up during the era of continuous social media documentation seem marginally more aware of their supermarket style (although still within distinctly British constraints).
Tom Holland gets photographed at various supermarkets in what I’ll call “upgraded basics.” Good quality plain garments that wouldn’t look out-of-place at COS or &OtherStories but are ultimately plain and straightforward. It’s smart really; the types of outfits that wouldn’t generate interest if he wasn’t famous and yet wouldn’t mortify him in photographs either. Dua Lipa pre-fashion-plate status was photographed at a London Tesco in 2017 wearing an oversized hoodie as a skirt with cycling shorts — fashionable yet with that characteristic "thrown together" quality associated with British off-duty style.
Beyond individual preferences for style, what these outfits illustrate is something deeper related to British perceptions of fame. We collectively agree that regardless of how famous you are, you are entitled to go shopping with subpar appearance. In fact this seems somewhat akin to bragging rights – this acceptance of rejecting the notion that being in the public eye demands perpetual theatrical performances. It’s quintessentially British.
Additionally this extends into what they buy too. Unlike American celebrities who carefully curate their farmer's markets purchases (always kale, berries, etc.) featuring artisanal and visually appealing products for photographic purposes, British celebrities seem to buy the same random items as everyone else. Photos exist of Andrew Garfield at Tesco Express carrying a basket containing white bread, Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes, and what appears to be a multipack of potato chips — the kinds of nutritionally questionable yet perfectly average selections most of us make at some juncture.
Laura claims she saw Judi Dench comparing fabric softeners at Waitrose last year dressed exactly as her grandmother would be for weekly shopping — comfortable trousers, fleece and functional slip-ons.
There’s something pleasantly earthy about imagining Dame Dench caring enough about fabric softeners to study the labels while dressed comfortably rather than stylishly.
Victoria Beckham, naturally always impeccably dressed, is rarely photographed not looking impeccable however she has been photographed in significantly more casual attire than typical — flat shoes instead of heels, jeans instead of fitted dresses. Even she manages to pull off a relaxed version of "casual" whereas most people's best efforts fall short of hers; possibly due to her occupation as a fashion designer.
Alexa Chung does this interesting combination of maintaining aspects of her standard style when purchasing foodstuffs but relaxed for practicality. Essentially she creates casual versions of her standard attire while still recognizable as such — elevated basics for casual outings.
Perhaps most charming regarding these celebrity Tesco photographs is how they dehumanize individuals whose professional personas appear unreachable. Seeing someone who dazzles on screen appearing stressed while attempting to remember whether they require pasta provides reassurance that beneath all the glamour lies an individual who may occasionally run out of toilet paper or suddenly needs baking supplies on a Sunday evening at eight o'clock.
Furthermore these brief glimpses offer truly helpful style ideas. Unlike red carpet styles created using designers and budgets that most people cannot identify with, supermarket attire are composed of easy-to-access garments that most people currently possess or could easily acquire. These demonstrate how fundamental garments can be styled in uncomplicated but cohesive ways while also serving as functional alternatives.
Ultimately there is a lesson here regarding the importance of developing a dependable "run out" wardrobe – those quick-draw pieces designed for instant use requiring zero thought yet providing adequate appearance.
The comfort derived from realizing you have sufficient basic items for emergency errands including good jeans, high-quality plain sweaters and reliable trainers which can be quickly assembled when required should not be underestimated. Since meeting Olivia Colman I have spent a lot more money investing in my casual fundamentals recognizing that many/most likely more often than anything else in my wardrobe.
As part-time financial professional I continually analyze images and attempt to determine appropriate attire for work-related functions; however these celebrity Tesco moments remind me that authenticity has its own charm — occasionally the most relatable/realistic things you can do include acknowledging you’re throwing on whatever happens to be clean when you need milk and you’re running behind schedule
