analyzing the outfits in clueless 🛍👠📚

[Music] analyzing the fashion in clueless as i've mentioned many times before on this channel contemporary costume design often goes overlooked and unappreciated compared to period or historical costuming it isn't seen as impressive in art form which is really a pity because it's just as if not more difficult to costume a contemporary film unlike a historical film where you can use the general public's lack of knowledge about the time period to your advantage contemporary costuming is subject to far more criticism because audiences feel better equipped to judge if it's fashionable or not contemporary costume design isn't just overlooked by audiences but by the entertainment industry itself with the majority of awards being given to films with glamorous and grandiose period costumes even if they aren't necessarily great obviously not every contemporary film has amazing costuming but when it's done well it should be praised and there's perhaps no film more deserving of said praise than 1995's clueless written and directed by amy heckerling the film is a contemporary adaptation of jane austen's 1815 novel emma which follows a young english girl who is incredibly beautiful and wealthy but also vain and naive she spends her time meddling into other people's lives and relationships convinced that she knows best even though she is in fact wildly inexperienced while she has good intentions she tends to cause more harm than good but by the end of the novel she learns the error of her ways maturing and falling in love in the process heckerling took the central story of jane austen's novel and modernized it turning the protagonist emma woodhouse into 16 year old cher horowitz a popular and wealthy high schooler who lives in beverly hills most of the original plot remains emma's matchmaking her flirtation with mr nightly and harriet's makeover but in clueless everything has been updated for a 90s audience when asked why she decided to tell the story of emma heckerling told the la times that the character of emma woodhouse was in a sense timeless and i think that the fact that cher feels like a real teenager is proof of that with costumes designed by mona may who also designed for enchanted the house bunny and a lot of other iconic films clueless is often cited as one of the most fashionable films in history but besides the clothes being cute did you know that they also helped tell the story today we're going to be looking at the costumes of four female characters from clueless amber marins ty frazier dion davenport and cher horowitz as per usual we'll be looking at how the costuming relates to the story the respective characters and to pop culture as a whole and just as a note while clueless did have a short-lived tv show in the 90s it has a vastly different premise in the film and as such i won't be using it in this analysis anyway let's get into it amber marins a small thing that even the most ardent fan of clueless may not initially notice about the film is that the costume design is also a subtle indicator of time passing when the film begins it's the fall semester and we see characters wearing layers and autumnal colors like deep red dark green and black when the spring semester rolls around we see a shift to pastel colors and clothing that's a better fit for warmer weather this is a very clever way of using costume design as a storytelling device allowing the audience to see the progression of the school year without having to directly tell them something more recent films often struggle with taking on the role of mrs elton with just a touch of jane fairfax amber is one of the few characters outside of the primary female friend group that is given a fair amount of attention while both popular and seemingly running in adjacent social circles amber and cher have a bit of a frenemies relationship with the two often exchanging snide remarks with one another she's a full on monet what's the monet it's like the painting see from far away it's okay but up close it's a big old mess do you prefer fashion victim or ensembly challenge like her book counterpart amber is ill-mannered pretentious and garishly dressed throughout the film the majority of her time is spent attempting to diminish cher's achievements typically when it comes to school work hello was i the only one listening i mean i thought it reeked i believe that was your designer imposter perfume whatever if she doesn't do the assignment i can't do mine during the brief montage at the beginning of the film we see amber in three different outfits the first a purple sweater with a yellow patch that kind of resembles the rugrats logo along with a shiny orange skirt and reflective choker we only see it for a moment but it foreshadows the way her character will be portrayed throughout the film showy and somewhat out of place constantly looking for a way to draw attention to herself while lounging in cher's pool she wears an ode to the early 1970s with flipped out hair giant statement earrings and a star patterned bikini it's kind of reminiscent of the outfits kirsten dunst and michelle williams were at the end of the movie dick throughout the film we'll see amber in outfits that feel distinctly vintage and it's an interesting juxtaposition to share in dion's wardrobe which are very much in the present during this sequence she also wears a blue fur trimmed set with pink socks matching ribbons and a t-shirt with a heart on it and overall the look is very similar to what cher is wearing down to the heart shirt again this is foreshadowing amber's habit of copying cher's style considering the girls seem rather close and friendly at this point we as the audience do wonder what happened that made them drift apart and become more hostile to one another perhaps amber's desire for popularity was more important than their friendship when we get to school amber is wearing a pair of high-rise jeans a white t-shirt a black feather trim jacket with a matching headband and a choker necklace while the base of the outfit is fairly casual we can see that amber is desperate to be the center of attention choosing to wear something that inherently makes people look at her because of its outlandishness it's not necessarily a bad outfit but it's probably not the most appropriate thing to wear at school in an earlier scene cher wears a black feather trim top and skirt and she often wears other things with feather motifs perhaps this is amber aggressively trying to take that look for herself in brief scenes throughout the school term we see amber in a variety of other outfits that express her more is more fashion philosophy this military inspired look features a green jacket with cheetah trim an animal print skirt a camouflage bag and socks combat boots and dog tags all of these elements combined make the entire look quite cartoonish and silly with way too many clashing patterns to be considered fashion forward by anybody but funnily enough amber likes the look so much that she actually winds up wearing the outfit again later in the film while cher never wears the same thing twice we can see that amber doesn't have the same reservations and perhaps in that sense she isn't as preoccupied with appearances as cher is we briefly see amber in a near-exact copy of an outfit that cher wears earlier down to the zip up plaid jacket and the satin top but she's added a vinyl cap for some edge and it's of course in her signature red color on one hand we could attribute this to cher generally being stylish and setting trends at school but considering amber's personality it's far more likely that she's just copying cher and hoping some of that popularity rubs off in general amber seems to have a fondness for animal prints and furry textiles driving home the point that she's gaudy and tacky as that is often what those things are associated with at one point we even see her in a pair of black leather pants a giant shag fur jacket and fuzzy ear muffs it almost looks like she's parodying a 30 year old housewife on a ski vacation with her wealthy husband which funnily enough is the exact lifestyle that actress eliza donovan thinks the character would have in the future where do you think your characters would be today i think amber would be married to an extremely wealthy man and driving him crazy even during gym class amber is still attempting to one-up cher and make herself stand out in the crowd while the school doesn't appear to have an official pe uniform there seems to be an unspoken rule that black white and grey are the colors to wear and wouldn't you know it amber is the only person flaunting that rule by wearing another color red apart from her hair which has been done up in an elaborate exercise unfriendly style her phone shoes and top are also red in film red is often used to symbolize power and as such we can see that amber is attempting to appear more powerful than she truly is you'll also notice that there are star details on her hoodie top and shoes perhaps symbolic of the idea that in her mind she is a star it's also a motif that she wears at other points in the film you'll also notice that amber is wearing a pair of white over the knee socks an accessory we have come to associate with cher this not only affirms cher's influence on the school's trend cycle but also amber's desire to replace her one of amber's most outlandish outfits in the film is this striped number not only has her hair been done up in a gravity defying ode to pippy longstocking but she's also wearing a multi-colored striped turtleneck with matching socks and a floral skirt again she's mixing a lot of patterns but here i kind of think it works although the socks are a bit much eagle-eyed viewers will also notice that this is when amber breaks up with her boyfriend after she catches him ogling tie leaving her available to date elton in the future it's also interesting to note that the outfit itself is complementary to the one share dion and ty are wearing you could attribute this to it being fall and those colors generally being trendy in that season but it's also very likely that because of their little photo shoot that she actually asked the other girls what they'd be wearing ahead of time and wanted to match while of course still standing out in her amber way at the christmas party in the valley we see amber in the red dress that cher had worn previously she doesn't do much to change the look apart from styling her hair in a beehive vest dew and as a result it comes off as more costumey than when cher wore it what's interesting about the outfit is what it says about amber's personality she had assumed that cher wasn't going to show up and that as a result no one would notice that she was wearing the same dress revealing that she's actually somewhat of a coward at the end of the day amber aspires to be cher she just doesn't want to admit it and i love that when cher confronts amber about being an outfit repeater and a clone amber attempts to deny it by literally saying cher's catchphrase she's the ultimate wannabe how is that you going through my laundry as if as f [Applause] as f as if when school starts back up again amber is wearing a truly absurd nautical inspired outfit on her head is a bright red sailor's cap with a diamond dollar symbol and she's wearing a matching red skirt set with her red hair and the red lipstick it's all a bit much to look at and considering everyone else has switched to lighter colors for the new semester she looks terribly out of place and a bit behind trend wise honestly she almost looks like a clown at the college party amber is wearing one of her more tame outfits yet still manages to look a bit gaudy it's a talent honestly the skirt which is ruffled and tutu-esque is quite short showing the bike shorts underneath and considering the silhouette is far poofier than her other outfits we can assume it's because she wants to appear as feminine and demure as possible in front of elton because her character is still a bit outlandish by having the majority of the outfit be black it still seems true to her style but by adding the princess tiara to the outfit equation it almost feels like she's parodying herself there's also something distinctly dated about the look it sort of feels like something madonna would have worn back in the 80s aside from her relationship with elton following the book i love how it totally works for the character of course she would start up a relationship with a guy who previously had feelings for share it's just one of the many ways that she would attempt to be superior and i also feel like elton would purposely try to date someone that he knows cher hates they're a perfect awful match for one another after ty's newfound popularity we see amber attempt to befriend her likely because she sees it as a way to increase her own social standing while simultaneously getting under cher's skin we unfortunately can't see much of this outfit but with the beaded yellow cardigan and pearl details it looks very 1950s inspired and very feminine perhaps she's attempting to look more inviting so tai will feel more comfortable around her nearing the end of the film we don't see much of amber she makes a brief appearance here wearing a purple top with a sweater vest that is once again reminiscent of some of cher's outfits but a lot busier when it comes to accessories no matter how hard amber tries she just can't seem to stop going one step too far at miss geist's sweating amber literally looks like a doll she has on a large puffy plaid dress with a yellow petticoat and keeping in line with her character thus far she also has on a pink feather headband and a boa as per usual she looks pretty tacky especially with the strings of costume jewelry but it's all very fitting for her character unlike cher or tai she doesn't have any character development throughout the film so wearing something that is essentially the same as one of her earlier outfits makes perfect sense also how typical is it for her to dress this over the top at somebody else's wedding overall amber is a fantastic modernized version of her book counterpart she's snobby and rude and thinks of herself as the epitome of fashion and taste even when the majority would disagree while we're supposed to hate amber's outfits i personally get a huge kick out of them their camp as hell and here's a fun fact according to costume designer mona may amber actually had dozens of other outfits but they just didn't make it into the film unfortunately ty frazier played by the late great brittany murphy tai goes through the greatest physical transformation in the film having moved from new york tai's style is distinctly different from the rest of the girls and their valley girl chic look she could be a farmer in those clothes when she's introduced she's wearing baggy jeans sneakers an oversized t-shirt and a plaid button-up which is in stark contrast to the rest of the girl's body bearing and figure-hugging gym clothes while plaid is worn regularly throughout the film during this sequence tai is the only one wearing the print as if to symbolize how much of an outsider she is based on her clothing alone we can assume that tai doesn't actually have much in common with cher and dion and had they not interfered as a way to annoy amber they likely wouldn't have wound up as friends we've got to adopt her cher she is toe up our stock would plummet dee don't you want to use your popularity for a good cause no the clothing that ty and travis wear are very complimentary to one another revealing how tai inherently would have been drawn to the stoners and that she and travis were meant to be together by prioritizing comfort and coziness we get a good idea of ty's personality she's more down to earth than the rest of the girls caring less about appearances and more about what's on the inside we also get the sense that tai is perhaps uncomfortable with her own femininity not only because she dresses as more of a tomboy but expresses discomfort at the idea of a makeover and is nervous about her newfound attention let's do a makeover no while amber wears a lot of fur feathers and leather to fit her more prickly personality tai wears a lot of cotton and solid prints to represent her more relaxed and easy going temperament despite what the nanny or chanel's fall winter 1995 collection would have you believe the majority of young women in the mid to late 90s were not wearing fitted blazer sets and knee-high socks it was much more of a casual and comfortable time period as seen with the rise of the grunge look that many celebs wore like reese witherspoon drew barrymore and even alicia silverstone herself the slouchy seattle trend was represented in clueless not just with ty's clothing but in a brief scene where cher derides her generation's fashion sense and makes fun of josh so the flannel shirt deal is that a nod to the crispy seattle weather are you just trying to stay warm in front of the refrigerator so okay i don't want to be a trader to my generation and all but i don't get how guys dress today costume designer mona may similarly disliked the grunge look of the 90s stating in an interview with vanity fair quote it was just dreadful the plaid shirts and baggy pants and girls looked so masculine there was really none of the girliness and she went on to say in a different interview with pop sugar quote it was all kurt cobain girls and boys looked the same giant big baggy shirts big baggy trousers so it was really like how do we change that how do we really find the look for the girls to emulate to be girly again that was our goal tai's first outfit post makeover epitomizes the aesthetic that she'll wear for the majority of the film it's far more feminine than before but she still looks comfortable and approachable the design of her top is a bit childish playing into her character's goofier nature while the materials are soft invoking a friendliness it's also interesting to note that ty's hair is now brown not only creating a more natural look but it also distances herself visually from amber who also has red hair of course cher would want ty to look as dissimilar to her nemesis as possible while exercising with cher we can see how different the two girls are at their core while both are wearing athletic wear cher looks polished feminine and fashion forward while ty's workout attire is more basic with a childish floral print notice the plaid shirt wrapped around her waist it's not only an ode to her original clothing but also allows her to cover up more as she's not quite as comfortable showing off her body as cher is as far as everyone's concerned you're the most popular girl in your school and the fact that you hang with dni well that speaks very highly of you on her first day of school after the makeover tai immediately garners attention from boys and girls alike now that she's officially joined their group she dresses in a complimentary way to both dion and cher with all three girls wearing similar silhouettes and colors unlike cher and dion ty wears a pair of stockings which allows more of her body to be covered as she's still getting used to her new look and it also has the benefit of making her look more childish sharon dion have sharp collars headbands and thigh-high socks which gives them more of a mature look in comparison to tai who has on a soft cardigan and a t-shirt with a round neckline with her green velvet scrunchie we can see that she's not quite at headband status yet but she's getting there her wardrobe also reflects her character's slightly lower economic status her outfit looks like it came from the mall whereas the other girls look straight off the runway the party in the valley takes place around christmas as we can see from the decorations and everyone's outfits considering tai was initially meant to have a simple dinner at cher's house what she's wearing is understandably more casual than everyone else she's wearing a red striped shirt a plaid jacket and black pants with suspenders while the jacket calls back to the many plaid outfits cher and dion have worn throughout the film the rest of the styling makes it clear that ty picked this out on her own the pants and suspenders add a boyish twist while the striped shirt seems like something she would just have in her closet she's very on theme showing that she's missing the fashion creativity and flair that the rest of the girls have already developed when ty learns that elton isn't interested in her she's wearing a houndstooth skirt with patches and a simple black crop top the look overall is quite simple but also is an ode to the grungy aesthetic that she started off in i highly doubt cher would be caught dead buying either item so we can presume that they were purchased by tai herself she's definitely dressing more femininely but is still gravitating towards her true self during this scene both she and cher are actually wearing quite similar outfits but tai the more sexually experienced one is revealing a lot more skin when they skip class tai throws on a red sweater helping solidify the impression that she is an approachable person especially when compared to both cher and dionne who look far more dressed up the red of the sweater can also be symbolic of her current romantic status despite being hurt by elton she still has feelings for him at the college party we can see that ty still hasn't totally gotten the hang of dressing herself yet she i have a question what do you think i should do with this thing should i um like tight around not only does she ask cher for fashion advice but due to her insecurities she winds up changing the ensemble several times over the course of the evening still recovering from her heartbreak with elton it feels like she's trying just a little too hard to get attention like many of her other outfits there's a sense of childishness and innocence in what ty is wearing and it's also very clear that she has her own unique look we would never see cher or dion walking around in a pair of patchwork overalls and a floral blouse at this moment ty is feeling incredibly vulnerable and as such she reverts to the more oversized silhouette she's more comfortable in as she becomes more confident in herself flirting with a group of boys at the mall her wardrobe is more feminine than we've ever seen it she's wearing a pair of pink pants a white button-up polo and a white headband apart from the pants this looks exactly like something cher would wear and it's at this moment we can see their roles reverse and the power dynamics start to shift would you look at that girl she is so adorably clueless i'm amazed that i am devoting myself so generously to someone else no that you found someone even more clueless than you are to worship you boy considering how clueless she was ty certainly had that damsel in distress act down with ty's newfound popularity also comes in new style philosophy she's playing the part of the popular girl mimicking not only shares style of dress but also her attitude loadies generally hang on the grassy knoll over there sometimes they come to class and say bonehead things and we all laugh of course but no respectable girl actually dates them mm-hmm could you show dallas no hello don't the slackers prefer that grassy knoll over there at lunch we see her sporting a stiff white blouse layered underneath a blue top with matching barrettes as we can see any semblance of the past tie is gone she's not only starting to look like cher but is starting to act like her too when ty comes over to share's house to reveal her new crush on josh she looks like a carbon copy of her friend the plaid skirt set has the distinctly sharp silhouette that we've previously seen on cher and paired with the white socks and headband tai's transformation into the queen b is almost complete the only difference between the two is perhaps in the little details for instance where cher would have worn a blouse with this outfit ty is wearing a t-shirt mona may describe ty's transformation as quote she becomes a mini me of cher wearing plaid coordinated outfits maybe not coming from high-end designers but coming from the mall although thai means no ill will she's just happy to finally be accepted at school to share this is threatening not only has tai taken over cher's role at school but now she's attempting to take her place at home ty being the most popular girl in school it was like some sort of alternate universe why am i even listening to to begin with you're a virgin who can't drive oh that was way harsh ty visually cher can see their similarities and although she tells tai that she doesn't think she stands a chance with josh on the inside cher isn't as confident after all ty seems to have picked up the role quite naturally down to the insensitivity harsh comebacks and extreme self-confidence cher is finally getting a taste of her own medicine and is being treated the way she's treated others what did i do i've created some sort of a monster it's also important to note that this plaid skirt set is pink revealing ty's blossoming feelings for josh after their fight cher and ty distance themselves from one another but they eventually make up having spent time apart with both girls re-evaluating their own behavior ty comes back with a new slash old look and attitude this outfit is a combination of the styles we've seen her in thus far feminine yet comfortable while still portraying a youthful innocence it's kind of like barbie if she was a skater girl now that tai has accepted herself for who she is she feels less inclined to dress like cher and wants to be her own person she and travis have always been a perfect fit for one another and i love that his outfit here is incredibly similar to her first day outfit mona mae said about the character at this point quote she's kind of evolved into who she is becoming this young youthful sporty girl with striped t-shirts her little pigtails cute headbands and sparkly necklaces if you look at the bookend versions of her at the beginning and end of the film it's the same person but now improved when she was dressing like cher she really wasn't herself and she further clarified in a different interview quote it's a beautiful journey of hers where she finds out who she is she kind of takes that shared persona in a way she wants to be her but then she finds out maybe this isn't really me both cher and ty go through a style evolution as a result of personal growth and it's interesting to see how they stay true to themselves while still evolving at miss geist's wedding ty is wearing a blue dress with a matching choker and while i do think it's a fit for her personality i still wish she'd worn pink for visual symmetry it almost looks like the rest of the girls forgot to tell her what to wear which would honestly be such a terrible feeling but considering travis is literally wearing a graphic tee and a clip-on tie maybe the two of them are just oddballs who don't care about that sort of thing and while not necessarily related to the topic at hand please go watch yara zade's video all about britney murphy she really was such an amazing actress who deserved so much better dion davenport best friends cher admits that their camaraderie is largely due to their social standing with both girls knowing what it's like for other people to be jealous of them canonically dion's fashion sense is meant to be quite daring in comparison to shares although obviously not nearly as crazy as amber's many of her outfits purposely feature tighter and shorter silhouettes as she's the more sexually experienced of the two girls and also has a bolder personality moname said quote cher she is the leader she is the queen of the school in a way she's very put together she's tailored dion has more experience with boys she's a little sexier her clothes are a little bit shorter and risque maybe by having the girls dress similarly the audience is immediately able to understand their bond as friends as well as their shared values unlike amber who is a copycat sharon dion complement one another during the opening montage we see dion in an all-white crochet swimsuit and platform heels that looks significantly more mature than cher's gingham bikini and while sitting with cher and amber dion's outfits come off as a touch edgier and more hip unlike the other two who are wearing furs and other girlish trim dion is wearing a mini skirt knee-high boots and a ringer tee she doesn't look underdressed but it's more effortless than the other two according to the costume designer they purposely wanted dion to look more colorful than cher quote she had the leopard the neon the vinyl and the 50s purses she was much more adventurous so we had a brighter super fun color palette for her both girls regularly wear a variety of hair accessories from berets to headbands but dion experiments with hats far more often and with far more whimsy while cher calls dion's hat an ode to dr seuss it actually looks more like a reference to my fair lady or perhaps they're even a reference to the hats that many black women wear to sunday service in an interview with elle magazine actress stacy dash stated quote i loved the thigh highs and the mary janes but to me the hats were the icing on the cake women don't wear hats anymore those hats became characters unto themselves amy heckerling and mona may have both stated that sharon dion would coordinate their outfits for school every day and there is no better example of this than these outfits dion's black plaid suit is quite similar to shares in silhouette but hers has added details notice the black vinyl on the lapels and cuffs it not only ties into the look of her hat but also a symbolic of the more mature and outspoken persona that dion has the two girls are often matching yet never clashing and by giving dion a simpler color palette she and cher look like a cohesive unit while each still standing out individually the next time you watch this movie check out the background characters you'll see various other girls around school start to wear very similar outfits showing how dion and cher influenced their peers besides making a lot of the girls outfits by hand mona mae also used vintage pieces that she found at thrift stores as well as contemporary mall fashion by mixing high and low fashion she created a unique aesthetic that was both stylish yet wearable and completely unique to the film while shopping dion wears a pair of leopard pants a black mesh top a leopard backpack and a striped cap unafraid of showing a little skin we can see that she's much more comfortable with her body than cher is and while cher seems to have a penchant for skirts and blazers dion experiments with the pieces in her wardrobe far more often creating an edgier look that stands out in comparison to cher's more classic chic style although amber's outlandish wardrobe choices often come off as garish or tacky dion just seems bold and courageous when the girls move forward with their matchmaking plan we see dion wear an assortment of red outfits as if she's dressing for the part of cupid in this scene her orange and yellow top contrast with cher's pinstripe set while her hat is the perfect dion touch and while it may look like an odd choice today these soft top hats were actually quite popular in the 90s with a variety of musicians wearing them quite regularly dion's skirt is classic tartan as if she didn't want to completely ignore the grunge movement and underneath she wears a pair of red stockings overall it's a bright and bold look that is quite fun and experimental she isn't afraid to break a few fashion rules here and there moving on we see dion in a red vinyl miniskirt black fishnet tights and a blue sweater vest it again makes the two girls look like a pair without either one looking like they're copying one another we as the audience can understand that while they have a lot in common they are definitely still their own person as previously mentioned there seems to be an unspoken monochromatic rule when it comes to the girls gym clothes as you can see even with their cheerleading uniforms and this was confirmed in an interview by mona may quote we imagined that there was a wardrobe code for what the girls could wear in gym which was black and white clothing if that was the case we could make their costumes different and flattering for each actress while sticking with the black and white theme had there been a larger budget both mona and amy heckerling stated that they would have loved to have the character's outfits coordinate throughout the film but instead had to limit it to specific moments like the gym class christmas party and miss geist's sweating during gym we see that dion has gone for a simpler look when compared to amber's pinstriped monstrosity like cher she has layered much of her clothing to create a sleek form-fitted look but with the addition of the white paisley scarf she looks just a touch edgier than the rest of the girls in their standard sportswear while it's been very obvious that cher is all about appearances and popularity it's not until this moment where we see that dion shares very similar sentiments expressing concern about their own social standing if they choose to befriend tai after jim she and cher change into other outfits and we see dion in a matching black skirt and jacket set with a neon pink crop top overall the look is very simple with just a hint of rock and roll and this is perhaps the outfit where she and cher look the least compatible however she does compliment her boyfriend murray allowing the audience to understand that in spite of their very public relationship problems the two are still a good fit for one another both dion and cher are incredibly judgmental of others criticizing tai for her drug use and implying that if she dates one of the stoners no one will respect her and that she will immediately start off on a bad foot dion and cher care about their popularity and image first and foremost not how their actions make other people feel dion's next outfit is one of my favorites in the entire film the sharp collar with the gorgeous fluted cuffs is utterly gorgeous and creates a really beautiful silhouette in comparison to some of the other dresses we've seen thus far keep in mind that just the day before cher had worn a red dress herself so not only do the two girls likely have interest in the same trends but they have enough foresight and consideration for one another to not wear a similar thing on the same day the differences in these two dresses are also representative of cher and dion's differences in personality cher is a bit more soft-spoken and seemingly sweet while dion is more willing to be bold and bossy as seen through her interactions with murray while shopping we see dion in a pair of jeans a patterned top and an orange bomber jacket overall it's very simple but cohesive and we can understand that she dresses for the occasion at school she gravitates towards the preppy look but at the mall she wants to be more comfortable also look at all the outfits in the display window don't they all look exactly like something cher and dion would wear considering her next outfit is unlike anything we've seen her in thus far i firmly believe that dion went and bought something specifically for the party similarly cher changes her outfit entirely for the event because dion is constantly experimenting with different hats and hairdos it's no surprise that she's changed up her hair specifically for the occasion by twisting ribbons into her braids her top which has green purple and red flowers fits the christmas theme but isn't too on the nose the large skirt is also a nice contrast to cher's form-fitted dress and ty's trousers and in a way i think dion's outfit stands out the most even if it isn't necessarily the most ostentatious we see dion in another neon pink outfit when the girls get back to school she tends to show more skin than the rest of the girls and as such her top is not only sheer but rather low cut with a leopard print blazer and skirt the silhouette of her outfit is very similar to others that she and sheriff worn in the past but it comes off as more adventurous and risque and considering the sex talk that is occurring that's pretty fitting while she and chair are planning for her date with christian dion arrives in an adorable pleated plaid skirt a baby blue polo and matching headband it resembles many of her earlier outfits but updated for the spring season and again it's complementary to what cher is wearing also i love that dion is the one cher decides to call over not only has dion actually been in a relationship but she also understands cher to a better degree than ty does and i like that the film still makes it clear who cher's closest friend is mitt's driving lesson dion wears a crochet beanie with white flowers and a white knit sweater other than it being a great outfit for spring it also comes off as youthful and innocent which is really important because she and cher are kids although they often act and dress like they're more mature there's in fact a lot of things they don't know after losing her virginity we see dion briefly lose interest in her original friend unlike other characters who are drawn to tie because of popularity dion gravitates towards her because of her knowledge and experience cher has been acting like she knows what men want but the truth is that she's totally clueless and dion needs actual advice in the scene she's wearing a hot pink top with matching flower barrettes basically she's dressed like a girl in love also note that she and cher aren't dressed remotely alike they're not prioritizing the same things right now dion's neon green outfit is nothing we haven't seen before but i do think it's really cute while helping share with the pismo beach relief we see dion in a baby pink crop top and metallic hot pants it's an alarming amount of skin to be showing at school but as it's moving into a warmer season we can somewhat justify it you can also see that she and cher are on the same page again as they're matching down to the reflective fabrics the outfit dion wears to miss guy sweating seems to be a callback to the christmas party where she wore something incredibly similar in silhouette while the majority of wedding guests are wearing pastels dion is sporting a bubblegum pink halter top a neon green floral skirt and an assortment of flowers in her hair the look overall is incredibly playful and fun while still staying true to her character's color palette notice that the last few outfits she's worn all look somewhat reminiscent to one another perhaps dion has fallen into a sort of comfortable rhythm now that she and murray are happier in their relationship we've made comparisons between amber and dion throughout this section but their similarities are made most obvious when dion explains the sailor theme that she wants for her wedding when i get married i'm gonna have a sailor dress but it's gonna be a gown and then all my bridesmaids are to wear sailor hats cher horowitz while we all love cher today it's important to note that that wasn't the point the title of the film clueless is representative of cher's entire character she's incredibly out of touch with reality and lives a lifestyle a lot of people can only dream about this really hip young girl who's so high in fashion and so intelligent but so like shallow in a way if this character is so much together why is the name of the movie clueless well my interpretation i'm sure everyone's different but my interpretation is when i want kids to get out of it i mean all this makeup and all this you know facade we all put on and all this behavior it's crap it's just it's not real and bottom line is your heart's what's important important early on in the film she jokes about how her life looks like a noxzema commercial for you youngans noxzema was a face wash company that switched up their advertising model in the 90s to focus on teens and began featuring young attractive models in romanticized settings as a way to sell their products oh no the guy from my art class there's probably more oil on my face than this canvas relax you just used noxzema much like how using a specific brand of face wash isn't going to make your life instantly better cher is not the kind of person you should aspire to be like you know i don't speak mexican i'm not a mexican what was that all about lucy's from el salvador so it's an entirely different country oh what does that matter you get upset if someone thinks you live below sunset jane austen herself said that emma woodhouse was a protagonist that nobody would like and as such cher is initially portrayed as a spoiled brat who is incredibly selfish and shallow she acts like a know-it-all and regularly puts others down in order to make herself feel superior the only reason we don't see her as a regina george type is because one alicia silverstone is so dang likable and charming and two by the end of the film cher actually attempts to atone for her past mistakes and better herself over the course of the movie cher wears over 50 different outfits with actress alicia silverstone stating in recent interviews that she absolutely hated the fitting process not understanding why the clothes were so important until after watching the film herself because cher is meant to be incredibly influential director amy heckerling wanted her style to be ahead of its time and as such her look was heavily influenced by trends that were coming down the runway instead of what was being sold in stores mona mae often described share's style as timeless quote when i look at her clothes i don't think they will ever go out of style she's very euro fashion and we can see this french aesthetic make appearances in cher's berets pea coats and a-line skirts as for all the plaid her character wears throughout the film mae said quote it had to be plaid it's just quintessential school you're taking this catholic school uniform and now twisting it to high fashion and then transforming it yet again through the eyes of the high school girl aside from plaid we also see shareware argyle another academia associated print which interestingly enough has made a comeback in recent years much like fran fine in the nanny who has a go-to look of mini skirts and turtlenecks cher similarly has a uniform of sorts when going to school we see her wearing a-line or pleated skirts some kind of blazer or long-sleeve blouse sweaters mary jane heels and knee-high socks it's an ode to a classic schoolgirl uniform but with a high fashion twist in cher's mind appearances are everything hence her desire to make over both ty and miss geist believing that by changing their looks as she has they'll be successful in the same way cher makes sure that every aspect of her wardrobe is perfect from the top of her head down to her shoes which is why it's cool she feels like she has to cultivate the image of the perfect student early in the film we see that cher has a penchant for skirt sets and feminine colors so it's no surprise that her ahead of its time computer closet swipes through a few similar options before finally settling on the iconic yellow plaid suit costume designer mona may said that the yellow suit was actually one of the most difficult outfits to figure out they wanted it to be memorable while still making sense for the scene and for the character they tried on several different iterations of the plaid suit from red to blue but it wasn't until they had alicia try on the bright yellow dolce and gabbana suit that they fell in love with the yellow suit cher looks like sunshine symbolic that she is not only the center of her own world but firmly believes that she's brightening others lives as well as if the computer wasn't enough of an indication that her character is committed to perfection she even choose gum that is the exact same color as her outfit and no i don't think that's a coincidence as even dion has color-coordinated candy at one point in the film in the 26 years since the release of clueless the yellow suit has become a legendary fashion moment not only is it a go-to halloween costume but it's also been referenced in other media like iggy azalea's fancy music video and k-pop group luna for their love forever music video even in the recent adaptation of emma starring anya taylor joy they take a moment to reference the looking clueless with the character wearing a bright yellow police as a purposeful reference to cher's suit when cher gets home she changes out of her stiff school outfit and into something more casual yet still undeniably chic whenever she's at school she consistently wears skirts and dresses always playing the part of the perfect girl she only ever wears pants at home where she doesn't feel the need to put up a front i know it sounds mental but sometimes i have more fun vegging out than when i go partying maybe because my party clothes are so binding similarly when she's around josh she dresses in simpler outfits of black and white as opposed to the glamorous colorful look she wears around school this is similar to how she and dion coordinate to publicly show their friendship she inadvertently dresses like josh because of her attachment to him over the course of the fall semester we see cher in various iterations of her go-to outfit with plaid print and blazers making regular appearances this pink yellow and black plaid jacket is actually from the ana sui fall winter 1994 collection and like a few other outfits share wears throughout the film it actually makes an appearance in the nanny although it may look silly at a quick glance the hat that cher wears in this scene is an ode to a real pop culture moment and no it isn't mary poppins on the show blossom which ran from 1990 to 1995 mayam bialik's title character wore floppy hats with large oversized flowers they were initially worn to give the character a unique look but it eventually became a full-blown trend in the 90s and you could find blossom hats everywhere aside from her school girl look cher also wears cap sleeved empire dresses helping create a classic aesthetic that ties into her character's somewhat princessy attitude it also happens to be a clever ode to the source material jane austen's novel was published in the midst of the regency period when empire wasted gowns were in fashion by having shareware this style of dress it calls back to the idea that this type of person will always exist regardless of time period and also how fashion is cyclical unlike dion who dresses in a more mature way much of cher's clothing reflects her character's childishness and naivete a great example is her pe uniform while layering tops in this fashion has since become popular it is distinctly unique in the context of this film notice how most of the other girls are wearing tight-fitted clothes yet cher has on a looser t-shirt it immediately makes her look younger in comparison which is important to understand as her character is constantly trying to act older than she truly is do you have any idea what you're talking about no why do i sound like i do we'll see a similar look make an appearance again later in the film after she realizes her feelings for josh and is left feeling even more like a child at the party in the valley cher wears another one of the film's most iconic outfits a red dress that yes is actually an alaia at the time the brand itself was really only known by those in the fashion world so the fact that cher not only knows what it is but also owns an ally address reveals that she is incredibly knowledgeable about fashion much more than the average person for the most part cher seems to fit in when she's out in public but this outfit reveals how little she cares about conforming to others most people at the party are dressed casually jeans and t-shirts even but cher looks like she's headed to a black tie event obviously she looks fantastic but it's hardly appropriate for the situation so when someone drops a drink on her shoes it's not only inevitable but kind of justified the peplum jacket is a nice touch that creates gorgeous shape and it's also interesting to see feathers make yet another appearance and solidify how on cher it looks glamorous while on amber it's messy luke over on hot lamode has a great video covering the importance of this outfit as well as other moments in clueless so i'd highly recommend checking that out if you're interested in learning more about the impact that clueless had on fashion in film at the start of the spring semester cher develops a crush on christian and she begins acting and dressing in a more romantic and sultry style in an attempt to get his attention it worked for miss geist it should work for her too right chery spent the majority of the movie playing a part but now instead of trying to be the perfect school girl with christian she's trying to make herself appear as the ideal romantic interest this sequence is perhaps one of the best depictions i've seen of what it's like to be young with a crush because at the time we really think that these sorts of games and schemes will make the other person like us when really it just looks silly the film references the musical gigi when cher comes down the stairs to greet christian before the college party [Music] you're not at all that funny awkward little girl i knew oh no i was mad not to have seen the change in you in the musical the song represents how gaston has begun to see gigi as a young woman and realizes that he has feelings for her which we see mirrored by josh who acts jealously when cher appears in the 1949 gg film gigi actually wears a white gown herself during the scene and gaston scolds her for it cher's father states that the dress looks like underwear a reference to calvin klein's popular ads of the time similar to the valley party cher wears a jacket over the dress but because she's still attempting to seduce christian it's completely sheer essentially deeming it useless cher's interest in christian is entirely because of his appearance he fits her idea of what the perfect boyfriend would look like he's an accessory you like billie holiday i love him right not only do they have very little in common but if she'd been less preoccupied with herself she might have noticed the obvious signs that he wasn't interested in her when she invites him over she wears a red slip dress and far heavier makeup than we've seen her in this far her intentions are immediately obvious she wants to look older and sexier in the hopes that it will help her seduce christian sometimes you have to show a little skin this reminds guys of being naked and then they think of sex as we've learned cher believes that she can accomplish anything through sheer willpower so when this fails it shakes her entire belief system what's wrong with me she attempts to regain control with clothing by wearing the spring version of one of her plaid outfits but instead of being the center of attention as she's used to she's overshadowed by tai it's at this point that cher starts to lose control and it culminates when she has her driver's test today's the driving test it's my most capable looking outfit so i had to find my most responsible looking ensemble where's my white collarless shirt from friend seagull she wants to wear a specific shirt in order to create the image that she's capable only for her to have to resort to wearing something else and as such is left feeling insecure out of all of cher's outfits this feels the least cohesive perfectly mirroring her state of mind and after failing her test and fighting with tai she's left broken this is the first time she's been unable to change her circumstances she's finally being held responsible for her own actions i can't believe i failed i failed something i couldn't talk my way out of it all boiled down to one inevitable conclusion i was just totally clueless cher has spent the majority of her life focused on appearances but when she finally realizes that it's her soul that needs a bit of a makeover she uses her perfectionist nature to her benefit and goes into overdrive trying to be better she's able to use her influence for good and becomes less selfish not only helping out at home but at school as well maybe marky mark wants to use his popularity for a good cause make a contribution oh don't forget to sign up for the environmental fair i decided i needed a complete makeover except this time i make over my soul with her newfound emotional maturity we see cher's style shift not only does she start wearing pants to school but overall she appears more approachable this character growth is reflected by her being able to work with amber make up with ty and befriend travis her judgmental and shallow nature is gone this pink outfit is still true to her character's original style down to the collared blouse and plaid print but she looks far more relaxed and easy going when she and josh finally admit that they have feelings for one another she's wearing a white lace top purple pants and sneakers she actually looks her age and as the audience we can understand that cher is finally being true to herself without worrying about what others think of her cheri's bridesmaid stress may not be the prettiest thing in the world but it's incredibly symbolic because miss geist is the only successful match cher makes in the film this is an incredibly important moment for her character in a way it's forgiveness for her other failures and justifies some of her actions by becoming one of miss guy's bride's maids it reveals that she's not only matured enough to have this responsibility but that the two have genuinely formed a friendship outside of cher selfishly wanting to make her grades better by having cher's dress mirror misguide sweating gown and silhouette were once again shown how clothing can be used to create a camaraderie between characters allowing the audience to literally see how close they've become much like how cher's empire dresses call back to the source material her bridesmaid's dress also features a regency era fashion trend the spencer which was a short fitted jacket that was popular from the 1790s to the 1820s cher's pink satin bolero is a clever way of featuring a similar item but updated for the times every single aspect of this film is practically perfect from the writing to the direction to the costuming and it's really a shame that so many people write it off as a silly chick flick just because it happens to be about a young woman it's a brilliant coming-of-age story about acknowledging your own flaws and working to better yourself so if you haven't watched it yet you really should cbs has recently announced that they're planning to make another clueless tv show but considering the plot was described as a quote baby pink and bisexual blue tinted tiny sunglasses wearing oat milk latte and adderall fueled look at what happens when the high school queen bee share disappears and her lifelong number 2 dion steps into cher's vacant air jordans it completely forgets the film's roots as a jane austen novel and turns it into a generic riverdale knockoff what movie would you like to see analyzed next i hope you enjoyed this video don't forget to like and subscribe and i'll see you soon bye you

Channel: ModernGurlz

Views: 1,030,114

Keywords: style, modern gurlz, 90s fashion, fashion, movie review, movie commentary, moderngurlz, review, movies, Film analysis, film theory, TV, movie analysis, movie trivia, film trivia, tv analysis, analysis, explanations, video essay, trivia, filmmaking, cinematography, movie reviews, tv reviews, entertainment reviews, tv theory, endings explained, deeper meanings, symbolism, cinema, television, entertainment, deep meaning, explainer videos, movie answers, tv answers, clueless, emma

Id: -pJy8R5sG_0

Length: 51min 24sec (3084 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 05 2021