Hanna Marin Style Analysis: The Use of Clothing as a Coping Mechanism

hannah marin is one of the main characters of the show pretty little liars which aired in 2010 based off the novels by sarah shepard she is a compassionate and strong-willed girl she often spends time with her friends shopping and keeping up the latest fashion trends despite her idealized perfect image hannah has often experimented with her looks and hasn't always been the way that she comes off as she is initially friends of the other main characters but after their friend allison's disappearance she separates from the girls and becomes friends with another unpopular girl by the name of mona together they undergo transformation and hannah takes alison's place as the ich girl style wise she is considered to be a fashionista meaning a person who expends a lot of energy into setting trends or eagerly following ones through their clothing or accessories hannah's looks are a bit dated now but the overall essence and presence of her looks work very well on her her style is highly eclectic meaning she pulls different elements of styles derives ideas from a diverse range of aesthetics and then curates it into her own she has a typical teenage flirty and feminine look then adds a bit of trendy edge which expresses more personality in terms of the four temperament ensemble hannah has a sanguine personality temperament meaning in nature she's appealing talkative emotional enthusiastic and very sincere while this temperament excels in communication-oriented tasks they do not thrive in other areas but they are very outgoing enthusiastic warm compassionate and can relate to other people's feelings on the downside they are very rude and can come off very uncaring this outgoing and proud demeanor is executed through her approach to clothing it's an honor just to be nominated or it's about time where's my throne meaning hannah will dress up no matter where she is or what she is doing her wardrobe is her creative outlet and she doesn't mind standing out she actually embraces the attention because she's always put together polished and poised earlier on though hannah struggled a lot of insecurities and often hid behind her clothing her first outfit is simple t-shirt and hoodie combo while the other girls are already in their established aesthetics hannah isn't in her element at all her insecurities were heightened leading her to lack confidence feel like she doesn't have a voice and possessed very low self-worth she struggled with body image and engaged in many unhealthy behaviors to the point where she developed bulimia during this period in her life she was always seen in oversized or baggy clothing using clothing as a tool for comfort and security which continues to be a very common action and actually develops into a coping mechanism hannah decides to form a new identity falling into the makeover archetype which in media is a major source of character development that commonly results in a change of appearance which is connected to identity views and behaviors a physical transformation will change the way the character is perceived in the eyes of others since hannah is highly interested in fashion it's quite normal for her to experiment with her look she often adapts to trends and tries out new looks but her more drastic styleshifts and makeovers are usually aligned with her mental well-being hannah's first makeover initially lacks a change in mentality as she is very insecure and unsure of herself within her new looks mentally here she is in the same state but has decided to take on a new identity which evolves her views and behaviors as the people around her treat her differently here she takes on the trope of the it girl which can be defined as an attractive young woman generally of high social status who just has that it's quality but then her personality and her appearance she'll often possess a type of magnetism that people are often captivated by hannah is the girl she was the one that wasn't the it girl but now since alice is missing she's the one that kind of took over the crowd like the pretty committee she's very beautiful silks you know diamonds uh gold she's got all the upscale really high-end she stops to name his shops at barney she's up to a boutique her environment is very encouraging of this because of social pressures her best friend participating in the same types of behaviors and her mother trying to be supportive even stating that she would buy her anything she needed to be popular while her mother is referring to clothing as a surface level object for status hannah's views of clothing are much deeper than this because clothing acts as protection for hannah according to the journal of experimental social psychology the term is described as the systematic influence that clothes have on the wear psychological processes and evolves the co-occurrence of two independent factors the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the physical experience of wearing them that's much like the quote by legendary fashion photographer bill cunningham fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life so this equal image that hannah constantly strives for is psychologically associated with the social structure she is fully immersed in that reinforces that this image is a physical and symbolic meaning of confidence hannah developed a new attitude and self-confidence because of her physical transformation but this external demeanor is more of a facade because she's only showcasing aspects of her personality that she deems acceptable to share evident as she is distressed about coming off as nerdy puts a lot of effort into maintaining her image and keeping up with wealthier friends she began to develop a rebellious nature and be very impulsive channeling all her energy into her image jenna begins to act out in ways so that she can develop a sense of control in her life for example she got in the habit of shoplifting not only to keep up with appearances but also for amusement and a sense of control since hannah is so image oriented she'll often turn to clothing to cope when in distress which establishes a new sense of control in her life and gives a different channel of control through energy financial and image driven expenditures though retail therapy is often joked about it's actually a very real experience according to financial psychologists there is a psychological connection between your emotions and how you spend money which explains how retail therapy can have such a positive uplifting effect that is very short-lived because this occurs most when one is vulnerable and has a lack of impulse control that often goes unchecked remember when my dad left i did not want to get out of bed but you forced me to go to every sale that summer at the mall yeah i'm a special opportunist friend look i have a french study group after school but i can cancel if you want to hit macy's i don't just want it i need it hannah is a very visual person so by having new pieces in her wardrobe she is developing a sense of control in her mind and her thought process is to reject certain images leads her to get into another bad habit of bullying others that act in ways or looks similar to how she used to hence ultimately becoming who she dreaded because she lashes out as a defense mechanism to combat her inner turmoil and regain a sense of superiority this stems from the constant rejection cast upon her from her friends family schoolmates and boys when she looked away she didn't like so she has a need to consistently create a state of perfection that she views as untouchable so that she can never be heard again but obviously this is a very flawed way of thinking and a very unhealthy approach to healing but once she reconnects with her old friends it begins to rekindle and embrace the old parts of herself that she left behind such as her kindness humor and wits she becomes more in touch with herself rather than constantly curating an image that she cannot naturally keep up with before the start of senior year she cuts her hair to a ball length wears fewer accessories and begins to wear flats this isn't her rejecting her glamorous look having a more relaxed and natural approach because she is going through a mental shift hannah continues to sport the it girl look that she loves so much but is beginning to develop her own sense of identity within it and is finally embraced by those who love her for who she is rather than what she has to offer as she is letting down her guard and regains other aspects of personality that she hid away in order to achieve social standing that she coveted so badly and shows that she's more capable than people give her credit for she still loves fashion and dressing up but this is just a part of her life now that she really enjoys rather than self-confinement she begins to look truly confident and content with her style rather than working very hard to establish this image that she deems as perfect she is much more expressive and becomes a person that people can go to joke around with depend on and actually form close bonds with her image now is very welcoming due to softer pieces and warmer ones the style transition is quite subtle happens over time and is very natural but hannah does undergo another forced transformation since this is how she learned to cope with her feelings on her own hannah cuts her hair short again adding in black highlights she begins wearing edgier clothing such as boots ripped jeans dark off the shoulder tops and darker makeup going from very feminine silhouettes to more grunge-esque ones she explores and experiments of this look which isn't exactly true to her this is apparent because she isn't even aware of what she wants herself you hate it no i don't hate it i actually really like it i'm just confused by the sudden impulse i wanted to be spontaneous hannah you're not spontaneous you make a pinterest board before you change your nail polish but all she knows is that she wants to have a chain and look different rejecting that it girl look that was once so connected to allison she still copes with pain visually by image shifts to instantly give her a sense of control by physically creating a new state of being and will shift into a more nonchalant attitude that hides away her true feelings so an aspect of this look is true the nature of rebellion aligns with hannah but she ultimately drifts back to her soft feminine look which seems to align with her more as she does have a heart of gold but is also very complex and dimensional the eclectic style encompasses all of this which allows her to express different sides of her while still having that base foundation of a very glamorous look that she's the most confident with as an adult hannah's style matures and becomes more simplistic classy and elegant her clothing no longer attracts as much attention she wears less saturated colors more subdued tones and very romantic pieces she still utilizes patterns but makes these the focal point of her outfit since her accessories are now toned down as well but still very style aware in nature rather than many statement pieces like in her youth she's turning more to staples and creates an elegant balance rather than a bold balance in her overall look her last outfit is a nod to her many styles as she's wearing a pair of leather leggings and a bold pattern floating top with her hair and loose curls and simplistic jewelry it's very open and carefree but still very trend conscious which aligns perfectly with hannah's personality showing that she has really come into herself and has found her place in the world formed a healthy relationship of clothing and still has a deep love for fashion hannah actually ends up being a stylist channeling all her knowledge that she has acquired through her multiple style shifts and to helping others with her image through growing and powering through her insecurities and grown into a truly strong person who her loved ones can't depend on because even though she still is this picture-perfect girl her quote-unquote imperfections allow hannah to show her heartfelt selfless side to others using her sharp wood to actually help people rather than tear them down and in a world full of distress create beauty and moments of joy for her loved ones i hope you enjoyed this video if you did please subscribe like turn on notifications and comment thank you so much for watching

Channel: Clever & Chic

Views: 63,622

Rating: 4.9525924 out of 5

Keywords: pretty little liars, pll, hanna marin, fashion, high fashion, makeovers, makeover, spencer hastings, aria montgomery, emily fields, hanna pll, hanna pretty little liars, style analysis, fashion psychology, psychology, fashion and identity, it girl trope, it girl, chanel, dior, hanna marin fashion, hanna pll fashion, hanna marin style, hanna marin pll style, pretty little liars fashion, pll fashion, pll style, fashionista, eclectic fashion

Id: djj1nVIVTnM

Length: 14min 7sec (847 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 17 2020