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  "path": "/rhori-premiere-bravo-fashion",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-10T17:17:10.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.papermag.com",
  "tags": [
    "Bravo",
    "The real housewives",
    "The real housewives of rhode island",
    "So chic very chic",
    "So Chic, Very Chic"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\n_This is_ So Chic, Very Chic_, PAPER’s examination of Bravo’s sprawling cohort of fashion obsessives. From haute couture to TJ Maxx, they’ve literally worn it all. We've just got two questions. Is it so chic? Is it very chic?_\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nSix Italian-American Lisa Barlow's walk into a yacht club in Rhode Island. They're filming _The Real Housewives of Rhode Island_ and they're screaming about polygamy and running over women in their cars. I'm in the corner filming them on my phone, tears silently rolling down my cheeks as I hold back laughter. This is the best day of my life.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe long-awaited newborn of _The Real Housewives_ universe has finally arrived on Bravo. It is the first new _The Real Housewives_ installment in the mainline franchise (barring international seasons) since the ill-fated _The Real Housewives of Dubai_. Unlike its short-lived predecessor, its cast is off to the strongest start we've seen with _The Real Housewives_ since _Salt Lake City_ put Mormonism on the map six years ago. (And smelling like hospital.)\n\nFrom the opening moments on the show, we're introduced to an eclectic mix of eccentric small-town Italian-Americans, so deeply rooted in tradition and New England accents that they feel pulled from another America entirely. Breaching an insular world foreign to most viewers is partly the magic that made _The Real Housewives of New Jersey_ such a sensation back in the day, like _Salt Lake City_. Their lives are totally unknown to us, and for what it's worth, our lives seem totally foreign to them as well.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nShould anyone remain unconvinced, here's a list of things that happens in the opening episodes. A woman drives a speedboat to her favorite restaurant in Prada combat boots with the matching Prada anklet (and a hooded vest. A second woman sees a strangers husband cheating on her over on Instagram and posts about it to her local small-town Facebook community. A third woman discusses her open relationship with a man who has a second girlfriend half the time in Miami; she lives in his palatial estate by herself for the majority of the year and is probably cheating on him too. A fourth woman casually mentions she ran over a woman. A fifth woman was the first openly virgin _Bachelorette_ star. There's other women too, and they all look exactly like the other.\n\nI've never seen anything like it.\n\nThe fashions are, like their personalities, completely extreme. We have that aforementioned Prada set and ostrich feathers and sequins and more clip on ponytails than the _RuPaul's Drag Race_ cast would know what to do with. Shall we peruse them below?\n\n### The Real Housewives of Rhode Island\n\n\n\n\n### Liz McGraw\n\n\n\n\n### Liz McGraw\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nLiz McGraw is the queen of Rhode Island. She's both the literal queen of Rhode Island and also the marijuana queen of Rhode Island, boasting one of the first dispensaries in the state, if I have my information correct. She also dresses like a queen, and looks exactly like her queen bestie Dolores Catania from _The Real Housewives of New Jersey_.\n\nAll in, I've never met a woman like Liz here, which gives me profound sadness, because she's the only woman I think I want to know from now on. She's hot and dresses like it, two things that work well to endear me to a new Housewife. I love this _I Dream of Jeannie_ drag she has on in the confessional booth. I do not love this wide-sleeved, jacquard something or other she has on in the second confessional booth. Thankfully, I don't care, because at least the lady is dressing.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nLater in the premiere, she drove a speed board in a hooded sleeveless vest with mirrored Watersport shades and a full Prada set. I was legitimately gagged. Again, I've never seen anything like this woman. Has anyone?\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nFor the premiere's Fourth of July party, she dressed like Syrian Carrie Bradshaw in that episode where she sees Big is back and with Natasha. I love this outfit, both for her commitment to vests and ponytails and also for how low this skirt sits. The Hermes-adjacent scarf through the braid is, similarly, a nice touch!\n\n### Alicia Carmody\n\n\n\n\n### Alicia Carmody\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nAlicia has a big Italian family and also ran over a woman. She likes to take Fig Newtons with her on the road, because they're healthy, and speaks with the same voice as Little Edie. She's probably a future mother too, even if her wardrobe hasn't quite caught up to the likes of Liz. For what it's worth though, I appreciate that she can at least pile it on and put it on. Her cast mates haven't quite grasped those skills!\n\nIn the future, though, don't go white for undergarments. We can see them through the red corset! Go red or layer it with a sleeveless nude shift.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n### Jo-Ellen\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHas anyone ever seen PAPER's executive creative producer Angelina Cantú? Jo-Ellen looks like he evil, Italian version of our queen. I sent this to her and she gagged, as did I when Jo-Ellen popped up onscreen. She's the definitive villain of the first half of the season, and seems to be revealing in it. We commend her for the commitment, but I do hope she leans away from this diva curls and off-the-rack dresses from Saks.\n\n### Rulla Pontarelli\n\n\n\n\n### Rulla Pontarelli\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nRulla is an interesting character on this show. Her fashions feel pulled right from Orange County but her personality is distinctly east coast. She loves her marriage to a fault — notice I didn't say husband — and loves bold jewel tones. All in, the first look is better than the second, even with the visible faux-boning in the corset. When does that trend die? I've been looking at it since the 2010s!\n\n### Rosie DiMare\n\n\n\n\n### Rosie DiMare\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nRosie was a newscaster in a previous life, and now she dresses like a newscaster in a Ryan Murphy show about newscasters that are evil. The ostrich feathers are dreadful; they are about as dreadful as the petal cut in the pink outfit. Both outfits are baffling, but then I zoom out, and remember she stepped out the Ryan Murphy School of Evil Newscaster dressing. In that department, she's the very best we've ever seen.\n\n### Kelsey Swanson\n\n\n\n\n### Kelsey Swanson\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nKelsey is a pageant queen with two boyfriends and a mansion. Despite the fact these women all look alike, it helps that Kelsey also looks like a pageant queen with two boyfriend. Despite the riches of one of them, and his mansion, it doesn't seem she's balling out on his dime, at least where her clothing is concerned. I'll be interested to see how that evolves during her time on the show, and as that relationship disappears into the rearview!\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n_Photos courtesy of Bravo/NBCUniversal_\n\n _Graphic Design by Composite Co_",
  "title": "Six Lisa Barlows Walk Into 'Real Housewives of Rhode Island'"
}