Zooey Deschanel on Twee Style and What She’d Gift Jessica Day for Mother’s Day

“There was definitely stuff that I liked from Jessica Day’s wardrobe, but it’s not stuff I would wear now,” Zooey Deschanel tells ELLE.com over the phone. With the overwhelming return of the “twee” aesthetic, the reigning queen of saccharine silhouettes and dainty accessories spoke about its return, but she’s reluctant to wear the crown. “I’m flattered and amused that people are pulling out some old looks of mine, and I think it’s awesome, but I just want people to be happy,” she says humbly. “My style has evolved; it’s more sophisticated. I think the thing about what you wear is, does it make you feel pretty, or handsome, or attractive, or whatever you want to look like? Is it projecting what you want to project to the world? If it makes you feel good to wear it, you should wear it.”

And evolved Deschanel has. She represented an attainable version of the indie It-girl of the late 2000s and 2010s, whether it was a manic pixie dream girl in (500) Days of Summer or the beloved character of Jess in New Girl, but Deschanel has never wholly been the characters she portrayed, even if there was some crossover in the cardigans they wore. Outside of her film career, she is the mom of Charlie and Elsie, and yes, her daughter adheres to twee sartorial codes. “She’s little, but she’s kinda fashionable. She’s only six, so I don’t want to brand—everything you’re buying for a six-year-old is going to have the twee aesthetic anyway.”

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, we spoke to Deschanel about her favorite gifts from her kids, what she’d gift her own mom, and what she thinks Jess would appreciate as a New Mom (sorry if that’s a spoiler, the show ended in 2018). Read on to see her recommendations, below.