Life imitates art! Haley Lu Richardson isn’t that different from her White Lotus character.
The actress, 27, who stars as Portia in season 2 of the hit HBO Max series, which premiered on October 30, revealed that her wardrobe is “identical” to that of the quirky heroine — who worked as an assistant to Jennifer Coolidge‘s Tanya McQuoid (RIP). “With a heavy heart I can confirm I dress identical to Portia in real life,” Richardson wrote over a mirror selfie of herself posted via her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, December 21.
In the picture, the Arizona native is seen rocking a crop top, belted cargo pants and a crochet bucket hat. She wore her hair in braided pigtails, donned chipped red nail polish and cheekily flashed her tongue. Without the caption, it would be easy to mistake the shot for a White Lotus set photo.
As fans recall, Portia’s wardrobe was filled with similar items as well as chunky dad sandals, acid wash sweatshirts, floppy hats and culotte pants. Some standout moments included the retro House of Sunny Swan Lake Vest paired with denim shorts on the premiere episode as well as the multicolored Custom Barcelona top seen later in the season — that was also spotted in The Princess Diaries.
Portia’s ensembles always included color, mismatched patterns and unexpected accessories, combing the nostalgic aesthetic of the ’90s with looks seen on Gen-Z’s favorite TikTok stars.
This wouldn’t be the first time Richardson has addressed Portia’s buzzed-about fashion. (Viewers have not been shy about their opinions on her attire, sharing their thoughts on Twitter.)
In an interview with W Magazine, published on December 5, Richardson said she was first “thrown off” by Portia’s “wild” and “electric” aesthetic, but quickly realized it fit her personality.
“I was like, ‘I actually love this.’ I was talking to [creator] Mike [White] about Portia and her desperation, this extreme desire to feel alive, to feel like life is giving something to her, like she has a purpose in the world. It would make sense that this messy desperation would be reflected in what she wears,” Richardson explained.
Richardson echoed similar sentiments to Variety on December 12. “I feel like she is classically herself in the way she dresses, and how it connects to the person that she is on the inside, and the place that she’s at in her life,” she said. “I just think that it’s very uniquely her — for better, or for worse.”
She also revealed to Today that some of Portia’s clothes were her own. “Oh no, I’m scared to say this, because everyone thinks Portia’s clothes are ugly, but there were definitely some pieces I brought into it,” she said during her December 12 appearance.
Season 1 and season 2 of The White Lotus are currently streaming on HBO Max.
