Welcome to another Songful Style challenge! If you’re new here, Songful Style is a fun monthly series where my fabulous co-hosts, Shelbee from Shelbee on the Edge and Marsha from Marsha in the Middle, and I put together outfits inspired by a song. Last month, we styled Pleasant Valley Sunday by The Monkees. This time, Shelbee picked Wish I Knew You by The Revivalists—a dreamy, soulful song with an absolutely gorgeous music video that’s full of moody blues, silvers and white.
Who Are The Revivalists?
The Revivalists are an American rock band that formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2007. The seven-member band has a mix of rock, soul, and blues elements in their music, creating a rich and emotional sound. The band consists of Ed Williams, David Shaw, Zack Feinberg, Rob Ingraham, George Gekas, Andrew Campanelli, and Michael Girardot. They gained significant recognition for their hit song, Wish I Knew You, which was released in 2015 but gained popularity in 2016, topping Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart and Triple A Songs chart.
What’s the Song About?
Wish I Knew You is one of those songs that feels both nostalgic and bittersweet. The lyrics explore the idea of meeting someone and feeling an instant connection, as if you’ve known them forever. This evokes a sense of longing and reflection on missed opportunities or paths not taken. David Shaw, the vocalist, has said that the meaning of the song is open to interpretation, and the band appreciates hearing different perspectives from their fans. With Shaw’s raw, soulful vocals, you can really feel the emotion behind every word.
The Magic of the Music Video
One of my favourite things about this song is the music video. It’s set at a high school reunion, capturing that feeling of looking back on the past and wondering about missed opportunities. The event is styled like a prom from the 60s (the class of 1965), but now, decades later, the characters are reconnecting in the same nostalgic setting. The deep blues and silvers of the backdrop are just stunning and give the whole video this almost ethereal, otherworldly feel. The video is also full of fun moments, someone spiking the punch and then everyone getting a bit out of control and having enormous fun! I love it!
My Wish I Knew You Outfit
For this challenge, I took inspiration from that gorgeous backdrop. The blues and shimmering silvers in the video create such a mesmerising aesthetic, so I wanted to bring those elements into my outfit.
I grabbed the only silver skirt in my wardrobe—this long, flowy number that has seen its fair share of outfit challenges on this blog! I bought it years ago from Massimo Dutti, and I still love it. I originally wanted to wear a deeper blue top with it, but when my eyes landed on this super cute pale blue fine-knit top, I knew it was the one. It reminded me of the top the blonde-haired woman wore in the video when she was younger (similar style, I guess!).
I thrifted it from Vinted last year but soon realised it’s quite tricky to wear in Portugal—too warm for summer but not warm enough for winter, lol. Then again, that was in a house that was always cold! Maybe in the new house, I’ll actually get to wear it more. But isn’t it cute? I love the frilly details on the sleeves and collar, and those sparkly bits just scream party, right? It’s originally from Zara.
As for shoes, I actually struggled to find the right ones. Normally, I’d go for trainers, but that wasn’t the look I wanted this time. Ideally, I would have chosen pale-coloured footwear, but I quickly realised I don’t have many! When I spotted these purple ones, I thought, Maybe they’ll match my glasses and pull the whole look together? And they did! Plus, can I just mention how super comfy they are? Another Vinted find from last year—an absolute bargain at just a couple of euros!
I threw on a denim jacket, grabbed the sparkly denim handbag my bestie made for me (seriously, that woman is so freaking talented!), added a sparkly ring and a silver bangle, and I was all set!
What do you think? Do you get where I was going with this outfit?
Make sure you check out Shelbee’s post here and Marsha’s post here to see their takes on it!
What do you think of Wish I Knew You? Have you heard of The Revivalists before? Let’s chat in the comments!
Wish I Knew You Lyrics
You shine like a star
You know who you are
You’re everything beautiful
She’s hot, hot like the sun
The loneliest one
Still everything beautiful
Well I’ll be god damned
You’re standing at my door
We stayed up in the city
Until the stars lost the war
So Friday night, holy ghost
Take me to your level
Show me the one I need the most
I need the most
I wish I knew you when I was young
We could’ve got so high
Now we’re here it’s been so long
Two strangers in the bright lights
Oh I hope you don’t mind
We can share my mood yeah
Two strangers in the bright lights
I wish I knew you
I wish I knew you
Oh I wish I knew you when I was young
Truth, it’s all that you need
You bury that seed
It’s everything beautiful
And that sound comes from the underground
It’s all inside you now
It’s everything beautiful
But what you, what you, what you, what you running from?
And they got, they got, they got, they got you on the run?
So Friday night
Holy ghost
Take me to your level
Show me the one I need the most
I need the most
I wish I knew you when I was young
We could’ve got so high
Now we’re here it’s been so long
Two strangers in the bright lights
Oh and I hope you don’t mind
We can share my mood, yeah
Two strangers in the bright lights
I wish I knew you
I wish I knew you
Oh I wish I knew you when I was young
Maybe we can share my mood
Hmm hmm hmm
Maybe we can share my mood
Hmm hmm hmm
Maybe we can share my mood
Hmm hmm hmm
I wish I knew you when I was young
We could’ve got so high
Now we’re here it’s been so long
Two strangers in the bright lights
Oh and I hope you don’t mind
We can share my mood, yeah
Two strangers in the bright lights
I wish I knew you
I wish I knew you
Oh I wish I knew you when I was young
