Forget the Lab Coat—Lili Reinhart's 'The Love Hypothesis' Era Begins With a Rom-Com-Worthy Cardigan

The Love Hypothesis trailer opens with Lili Reinhart, who plays Olive Smith, wearing a lab coat. But even though she portrays a biology Ph.D. candidate in the book adaptation, Reinhart's press tour started on a not-so-method note. For "The Olive Soft Launch" on August 27, her stylist, Ib Abdel Nasser, dressed Reinhart in a fall cardigan fitting of a romance heroine.

One month before the film's Prime Video release, paparazzi captured Reinhart in a Resort 2027 skirt set from the Australian label Leo Lin. Looking every bit a rom-com lead, she wore a white tank top beneath the pink Claire Cardigan and the ivory Nori Mini Skort. The cropped cashmere wool-blend knit featured sweet floral appliqués, which complemented the bow-belted skirt's print.

The skirt set's "silhouette, patterns, and cheekiness" drew inspiration from 1999's Jawbreaker, a crime-comedy about a clique of teenage, cardigan-and-mini-skirt-wearing socialites, Nasser tells Marie Claire over email. The "naughty tailoring," on the other hand, paid homage to the actor's most recent character, Apple, in Forbidden Fruits (the film that brought Nasser and Reinhart together).

"Apple will always have a special place in me and Lili’s hearts, but Olive will have a different approach for sure," he says.

Staying true to candy-colored looks straight out of the '90s, Reinhart accessorized with matching Andrea Wazen peep-toe Carol Mules. For the finishing touches, the 29-year-old wore a black bow in her Riverdale-ready ponytail (IYKYK), the creamy Valentino DeVain bag, stud earrings from Melinda Maria, and a $900 pink pear-cut ring, courtesy of New York City-based brand Bondeye Jewelry.

The press tour attire for Reinhart's Love Hypothesis era has been in the works for almost a year. In fact, Marie Claire played a small part in the creative process: "When we started having conversations about what we were going to do for The Love Hypothesis, I started at this article," Nasser says, referencing our coverage of Reinhart's little black dress from De La Vali. The floral slip served "as a starting point for what became our moodboard for The Love Hypothesis press tour," he added.

Reinhart's rom-com era is just getting started, but it's already one for the, well, books. As for future step-and-repeats, Nasser says fans of Ali Hazelwood's New York Times best-seller will be happy.

"Both Lili and I are chronically online," he says, suggesting that he keeps tabs on reader requests. "We love all the fans, all the joy and passion they have for this film. We want to give them what they want, what they deserve."