analyzing the outfits in the barbie movie 👠🎀🌈

analyzing the outfits in Barbie Greta gerwig's Barbie is without a doubt the biggest movie event of 2023 being released to Commercial and critical Acclaim and grossing over 1.4 billion dollars the film which is based on the doll of the same name not only prompted thousands to dress up in Barbie inspired attire just to watch the movie but jump started the popularity of an entire fashion aesthetic known as Barbie core totally ripped off my Malibu Barbie idea uh-uh I'm disco Barbie and I'm evening gown Barbie with Barbie being known for her fantastic clothes expectations for the film's costume design were unbelievably high but they certainly didn't disappoint with the extravagant clothing being one of my favorite aspects of the film in today's video we're going to be discussing the outfits worn by stereotypical Barbie Margot Robbie in the 2023 Barbie movie we'll be focusing on how the cost being released to the character's State of Mind emotional journey and story arc and also discuss the Mattel dolls that served as inspiration I want to make it clear that this isn't a review of the movie but if you are interested in my thoughts on it I do have a video that you can check out now let's get into it as the movie itself States prior to Barbie's creation the vast majority of toys marketed towards young girls were baby dolls not so subtly implying that the only thing they had to look forward to when they became adults was being a mother how inspiring Ruth Handler one of the co-founders of Mattel which had begun as a furniture company before transitioning into toy making notice that her daughter would often give her dolls adult roles and Handler realized that there was a gap in the market that Mattel could fill in 1956 during a family trip to Europe Handler stumbled across the German doll billed Lily which had originally been sold to adults but found Success With Children because of the different outfits that could be purchased for her when Handler returned to the states she got to work on her own adult-bodied vinyl doll which was essentially a copy of billed Lily with some slight alterations at the 1959 American International Toy Fair Barbie named after Handler's daughter Barbara premiered and was an instant success for Mattel with 351 thousand dolls selling in a single year sporting a ponytail red lipstick and blue eyeshadow Barbie was initially marketed as a Teenage fashion model and was released with 23 different outfits which were designed by then head of Mattel's fashion department Charlotte Johnson although Barbie is best remembered for her blonde hair as seen in the movie when she was first released a brunette and eventually a red-headed version of the doll were available for several years Barbie is introduced to the viewer in the same outfit she wore when she was first introduced to the world with the black and white swimsuit making it immediately apparent that she was a far cry from the roughly dressed baby dolls of the past as the film discusses Barbie's impact on society we see Recreations of some of the doll's other most iconic outfits including 1961's registered nurse Barbie 1983's great shape Barbie which was also referenced in Toy Story 3 and 1985's peaches and cream Barbie the film is chock full of Odes to Barbie's past with costume designer Jacqueline Duran who had previously worked with director Greta Gerwig on 2019's Little Women saying quote my main inspiration was to stick closely to the history of Barbie to look into the Mattel back catalog and find looks for different moments in the movie Margot Robbie even found a way to recreate this look in real life with her stylist Andrew mccomel dressing her in an ervay leget bandage dress that mimicked the striped swimsuit I just love when celebrities commit to the bed during the film short-lived press run Robbie wore other looks inspired by the doll like this pink polka dot Valentino dress that was likely referencing 2015's pink and fabulous Barbie as seen with the accompanying yellow purse and bracelet Robbie's other Barbie inspired outfits included references to 1985's date and night Barbie 1960s Enchanted Evening Barbie 1964's sparkling pink Barbie 1992's earring magic Barbie and 1960s Solo in the spotlight Barbie she even dressed up as 1992's totally hair Barbie who also made a brief appearance in the film's introduction sequence if you want an in-depth look at Marco's outfits during the Barbie press tour my friend Luke over at hot la mode has a great video all about them Barbie wears the first of her many many many pink outfits when she wakes up to start her perfect day with Duran saying of the color quote it is a very strong part of her wardrobe but it's not 100 of her wardrobe but if you wanted to make something immediately look barbie I think pink does that for you the baby pink PJ set has white lace trim and a Peter Pan collar giving it a youthfulness that ties into Barbie's innocence and naivete while the feathery pink heels add a fashion forward Edge we've come to expect from the doll Greta Gerwig cited The Works of Jacques de me as a major inspiration for the film with The Umbrellas of cherborg the young girls of rochefort and Donkey skin guiding her use of color Demi was known for his frequent collaborations with Catherine Deneuve whose personal style seemed to heavily influence this outfit with Barbie's hair being done up in a way that is similar to how danu wore hers in the 1960s this look vaguely reminds me of 1965's slumber party Barbie which was actually quite the controversial release as the toy came with a set of books that gave advice on how to lose weight and a scale that was permanently set to 110 pounds Barbie then has a magical Quick Change doing a twirl and putting on a pink gingham dress with matching accessories that is laid out for her in a manner similar to the doll's packaging in the wardrobe you also see an array of Chanel purses shoes and accessories the first of the fashion House's numerous appearances in the film with Duran stating quote if Margot wears anything that we didn't make it's pretty much all Chanel they're very interested in supporting Cinema and in helping us find looks that will work in the story they sent us anything and everything that we wanted Margot Robbie has been a Chanel Ambassador since 2018. often wearing their designs on the red carpet although admittedly a lot of these looks have been major Duds at least in my opinion thankfully the designs that appeared in the film are far from disappointing likely because Duran was able to pull directly from the Brand's archives many of the pieces were from the 1990s with Duran saying quote Greta really liked things when they Charmed with the date of the Barbies that she used to play with in these sequences we see stereotypical Barbie sport three different Chanel suits two are from the Chanel spring 1995 ready to wear show designed by Carl Lagerfeld and the other is from Chanel pre-fall 2020 by Virginia viard she's also sporting a good deal of Chanel costume jewelry which is present throughout the film with Duran saying quote one of the things about Barbie is that she's always accessorized and Chanel makes fantastic accessories Duran had worked with Chanel before for 2012's Anna Karenina which starred a different brand ambassador Keira Knightley and had her absolutely decked out in Chanel pearls Margot Robbie has said that the Wardrobe of the 1995 film clueless which was costumed by Mona May served as a major inspiration for the Barbie movie which I think is most apparent with these suit sets although they read as more sophisticated than the preppy looks in Clueless which makes sense considering Barbie is often interpreted as a grown-up the pink gang and sundress is reminiscent of the one worn by 1965's dancing doll Barbie just without the floral bib but Barbie has also worn the color pattern combo on multiple other occasions over the years most of the costumes in the film reference the doll's looks from the 1960s 70s and 80s and even when Barbie is wearing a completely new creation they include popular Trends from those eras this dress is reminiscent of styles from the late 1950s and early 1960s with the classic pattern and retro silhouette instantly transporting the viewer to the past which ties into the idea that Barbie represents a slighted dated view of femininity something the brand and the character is criticized for you represent everything wrong with her culture sexualized capitalism unrealistic physical ideas she also wears a matching hair bow a recurring accessory which alludes to the childish nature of Barbie land and its inhabitants as well as mirroring how Barbie is always perfect this outfit is also an homage to the blue Gangnam dress worn by Judy Garland in 1939's Wizard of Oz with the movie also making an appearance on the Marquee at the Barbie land theater besides the set design of Wizard of Oz being a major inspiration for the film Barbie's story arc is essentially a reversal of Dorothy's starting off in a magical land but finding herself in the real world where she must begin a journey of self-discovery besides being one of the most memorable outfits in the film The Pink check print wound up making appearances off screen as well being one of several costumes that were recreated for actual Barbie dolls when she goes to the beach to hang out with the other Barbies and Ken's there's a seamless transition from her Gangnam dress to a matching playsuit I also love how the plasticky jewelry looks like something you could actually find in a Barbie toy box although you'd inevitably wind up losing them when they were designing Barbie land director Greta Gerwig production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer took inspiration from mid-century Palm Springs old Hollywood musicals and the French Riviera for the pink plastic Paradise to tie into this summery color palette Duran established a role for all the costumes in Barbie land quote I made a controlled group of color combinations that we had to stick to while we were designing the prints and printing for the clothes so there was lots of variations but it didn't Clash these two gingham looks were actually Duran's favorites in the film stating that they quote Best encapsulated the idea that Barbie's clothes for a perfect day all come in a pack together and are interchangeable at the disco dance the Barbies ditched The Pastels and switched to metallics in order to contrast the pink of the dream house all of the Barbies dress for the proper occasion making them appear as though they came from the same product line with Duran saying quote Barbie is always about the ideal so through the costumes we give each character a look that reflects the ultimate Barbie look for where she is in the story at the moment and of course in Barbie land there's more than one Barbie so if they're all going to the same event they're not in a uniform but they all match each other the Barbies in the background reference various Mattel designs but stereotypical Barbie's outfit seems to be an updated take on 1980s Golden Dream Barbie this adds some Glitz and glamor to the character's wardrobe making for a nice change of pace from her previously sweet outfits and this playfulness makes her a fun juxtaposition to Barbie's State of Mind with a character having the beginnings of an existential crisis when Barbie awakens the following morning with bed head and bad breath she's wearing another pink pajama set which seems to be Loosely inspired by 1959's sweet dream Barbie as her imperfect day continues she switches into a blue and white mini dress which was used in promotional materials for the film compared to which she wore the previous day this comes across as more juvenile with its short skirt and heart bodice you'll also notice that her hair is shorter than it was previously which ties into how the character is starting to feel more human at least in the sense that she's no longer perfect when she heads to the beach the nautical Inspirations are more on the nose with the two-piece playsuit featuring a sailor collar rope Stripes anchor earrings and Helm belt buckle similar to The Gingham dress this also takes inspiration from the 1950s as nautical designs were incredibly popular at that point in time Gerwig mentioned that the film was influenced by Gene Kelly and with the actor starring in half a dozen films where he had to Don a sailor's uniform I wonder if that had some influence on this outfit it could also be referencing 1990s Yacht Club Barbie which had a somewhat similar look but with a skirt instead of shorts unlike the previous day which saw the Barbies lounging around on the beach they're now running around and playing volleyball and this sense of athleticism is reflected in their clothing which has a sportier edge stereotypical Barbie wears a pair of wedge sneakers which is a much more casual shoe than she'd been shown wearing but it reminded me a little too much of the Isabelle Morant sneakers that reigned over the early 20 tons in another Ode To The Wizard of Oz she goes to see weird Barbie in the hopes of fixing her malfunction only to be told that she must go to the human world to do so this Ensemble is a pretty sharp shift from the 1950s Silhouettes that have dominated her wardrobe thus far being set firmly in the mod style of the mid-1960s this was a purposeful choice on Jacqueline Duran's part as she wanted Barbie's wardrobe to move closer to the modern era as she became more human and imperfect you'll also notice that this is the first time when Barbie's wardrobe is dominated by a non-pastel color which is a reflection of the negative outlook she has on her circumstances I originally thought that this was another Catherine Deneuve reference with the dress being reminiscent of the one designed by Isa Laurent for 1967's beldu Jour but then I realized it's a near exact copy of Dion's red dress in Clueless socks and all when Barbie heads out to the real world she's back in her signature pink symbolic of how she's regained her confidence and is looking forward to the adventure that awaits her which is largely because of the support that she receives from the other Barbies as she has the entire movie She's coordinated from head to toe with the Ensemble perfectly matching her convertible and the pink brick road whenever they enter or leave Barbie land the characters flip through different outfits that match their new location in the boat they Don pink sailor caps and striped tops which reminds me of what Gene Kelly wore in his musical number in 1945's anchors away this is unfollowed by a space sequence that pays homage to 1965's astronaut Barbie who came out more than a decade before NASA actually started employing female astronauts as they bike ride through a field of tulips they wear outfits that are vaguely reminiscent of lederhosen which is Then followed by a reference to 1981's Country Camper the final segment has the characters riding on a snowmobile in matching Chanel ski suits with Ken's actually being a one of one as Chanel doesn't make Menswear when Barbie and Ken finally arrive at Venice Beach their outfits take notes from 1994's hot skating Barbie with Duran taking it in a more 1980s sportswear direction making it our most contemporary fashion reference so far this is the most saturated outfit we've seen Barbie wear which allows her to stand out against the muted tones of the real world while also highlighting how she doesn't belong with Duran saying of the outlandish look quote if you're gonna put a costume on somebody and they're gonna really stand out in Venice what is that going to be you have to go quite far out because Venice has so many characters and no one really raises an eyebrow to get people's attention they had to be over the top so that's why we pushed it this far I also think that the 80s inspiration on these outfits is meant to symbolize the character's role reversal and with Ken now having more power than Barbie her wardrobe is influenced by his instead of the other way around the Barbies and Kens are incredibly innocent having the same level of knowledge a child would and as such shame is something they're totally unfamiliar with but after being objectified and assaulted Barbie feels embarrassed for the first time and rushes to change her clothing this is a pivotal moment for the character as for once she isn't using fashion to express herself that instead as an attempt to fit in a rather human response they proceed to steal two western outfits in a failed attempt to be more Incognito which they wear for the remainder of their time in the real world while Ken's Ensemble was easy for Duran to come up with taking inspiration from 1980s Western Khan and his Love of All Things traditionally masculine Barbie's outfit was a touch more difficult with Duran saying quote now that it's done it feels entirely obvious but it took a moment to work out when they arrived in America what would they wear how would Barbie choose what to wear when she wants to fit in and be liked hence the stereotypical Cowboy look while the saturated shade alludes to Barbie's distinctive color scheme it's also a reflection of contemporary fashion trends prior to the release of Barbie store shelves were already getting inundated with hot pink thanks to the trickle-down popularity of Valentino pink which had taken over the fall 2022 Runway other brands like Versace and Balenciaga helped popularize the color in the high fashion space and soon enough fast fashion retailers began cashing in on the craze as well by reading this outfit in trends of the 2020s it relates to Barbie's growing attachment to the real world and her more human emotions by this point you've probably noticed how gorgeous Barbie's hair looks in the film something which was perfected by hair and makeup artist Ivana premorick initially she wanted to replicate the shiny fake hair that the dolls had by mixing synthetic fibers with real hair but she wound up disliking the artificial quality quote it made me realize that to make a doll you have to think of what that doll represented in a child's mind and when I remember how I imagined her when I was a little girl they had the best clothes and they were So Glamorous they didn't have plastic hair in my mind they had the nicest hair you can possibly have the entire production wound up using hundreds of wigs for all the characters with Margot Robbie having 18 just for herself in addition to 30 different hair pieces which they used to change her hairstyle for every look when Barbie finally makes it back to Barbie land with Sasha and Gloria she returns to her 1950s retro Silhouettes which symbolizes her belief that things will soon be returning to normal however she's in for a rude awakening when she discovers that the Kens have taken over and Brainwashed the rest of the Barbies into subservient bimbos following an unsuccessful attempt to get things back to the way they were Barbie has a meltdown essentially becoming catatonic during this emotional breakdown she discards her hat and jacket resulting in an incomplete look with this failure to be properly accessorized mirroring how she feels like a failure herself it's super subtle but there are actually two different versions of this Ensemble one with a brighter color and another that was more faded with the latter being used when Barbie Falls further into her depressive state Barbie's hair is similarly symbolic losing its extreme volume and length and appearing overall more realistic and therefore human before I get in the Box could I just run to the restroom and make sure my hair is perfect I also find it interesting that the dress somewhat parallels what Ken was wearing at the beginning of the film as if showing how Barbie is now in Ken's position desperately trying to have him listen to her and struggling with her sense of self when Ken throws out Barbie's clothes bringing her to tears we see a handful of real-life Barbie outfits including 2008 celebrate disco 1990s ice capades 2002's pajama jam in Amsterdam and 1970s mood matchers admittedly Disney had a similar gag in Toy Story 3 but I never get tired of seeing the references after Gloria gives her big speech which is able to snap Barbie out of her depressive episode the girls hatch a plan to unbrainwash the rest of the Barbies and overthrow the kingdom with a spring back in her step Barbie goes back to dressing for the occasion with Duran saying quote the thing about a Barbie is that she's always perfectly dressed for whatever she's doing so I asked myself if Barbie's doing this kind of heist what would she wear she'd have to wear a boiler suit in her signature color of course first designed as a form of protective Workwear boiler suits became the standard garment in factories during the early 20th century during World War II women began working the arduous jobs that were once exclusive to men the boiler suit then became a symbol of women's empowerment being worn by the fictional feminist worker Rosie the Riveter whose message of we can do it is reminiscent of Barbie's tagline you can be anything as part of their plan Barbie has to manipulate Ken into believing that she has feelings for him and after receiving a pep talk from Gloria and a little makeover she heads to the Mojo Dojo Casa house in head to toe Chanel with Barbie feeling more like a human and less like adult at this point in the film this outfit is one of her most modern looking like something you could spot a girl wearing out on a date today and I love the little detail of the tie straps which is a nice call back to The Gingham dress giving Barbie a full circle moment the chunky necklace which hasn't left my mind since I first saw it is from Chanel spring 1995. just with an added Bobble to kick the kitchy toilet quality up even further this contemporary styling continues when she and the rest of the Barbies go to the beach with the Kens the eyelet lace top is sweet and feminine tying into Barbie's defined aesthetic and her public Persona while the denim shorts and cowboy boots are an obvious attempt to appeal to Ken's fascination with the West after reinstating Barbie land Barbie and Ken have a heart to heart with Barbie inspiring him to find his own identity that's unrelated to her this is the first time we see Barbie in yellow which is symbolic of her Fresh Start the dress has flowy sleeves and ruffle details which is quite a switch from the clean lines of traditional Barbie clothing this not only mirrors how the human body is softer than adults but also emphasizes that if she becomes human she'll have the flexibility to make her own choices to highlight how she's no longer that picture-perfect manufactured doll Barbie is styled rather simply with none of the chunky plastic necklaces or giant hair bows that we'd seen previously after becoming human Barbie goes to the gynecologist for the first time because up until this point she hasn't had a vagina a joke that a lot of people somehow didn't understand wearing a brown Blazer white top and blue jeans the outfit is contemporary and Casual she looks completely normal well as normal as someone with a face like Margot Robbie's can look she's also wearing a pair of pink Birkenstocks which is not only a callback to her red pill blue pill Choice from earlier but also highlights her growth where she had once feared the things that made her imperfect and therefore human she now Embraces them proven by the fact that she's literally showing off her flat feet instead of hiding them meanwhile the color is a reminder of where she came from suggesting to the audience that she's by no means rejecting her Barbie attributes in the wake of the Barbie movie's success Mattel has announced that several films inspired by their other toy lines are in development while I couldn't care less about Uno or the Magic 8 Ball the fact that we're going to be seeing the American girls and Polly Pocket up on the big screen is something eight-year-old me could have only dreamed about but with Barbie setting such a high bar at least in regard to its costuming they definitely have their work cut out for them and if Polly's clothes don't look like you can chew on them they've made a mistake what was your favorite outfit from the Barbie movie I hope you enjoyed this video don't forget to like And subscribe and I'll see you soon bye foreign

Channel: ModernGurlz

Views: 272,558

Keywords: style, modern gurlz, 90s fashion, fashion, movie review, movie commentary, moderngurlz, review, movies, Film analysis, movie analysis, analysis, video essay, trivia, movie reviews, tv theory, cinema, television, entertainment, deep meaning, tv answers, disney, disney live action, live action reboot, ranking, ranking movies, costume design, fashion analysis, style analysis, margot robbie, barbie movie, barbie 2023, greta gerwig, barbie movie outfits, barbie outfits, vintage barbie

Id: KXwmHq2HQaM

Length: 22min 52sec (1372 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 14 2023