You’ve Got the Cinema: Fashion Trends in TV and Film
By Maleah Puente
I think many of us can say cinema has changed our perspectives, our inspirations, and our lives in some way. The biggest way cinema has affected my life is through its fashion. At a young age, I was very influenced by characters I saw on the screen and especially by their fashion. I wanted to dress just as elegantly as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, just as bold as Sharpay Evans in High School Musical, and these were just some of my early influences. This past year I have really dove into the world of film and renewed my love for the beautiful spectrum of fashion in film.
Today I’ll talk about how fashion in television and film influences cultural trends historically and to this day.
Starting with some of my favorite 90’s to early 2000’s television shows, Friends and Gilmore Girls are still influencing the fashion world today. Both shows were extremely successful during their time and continue to grow their fanbase with each new generation.
Gilmore Girls’ Rory and Lorelai have an overall preppy and business casual style that fans love to mimic. The biggest influence the show has on fashion culture is fans being obsessed with its cozy fall aesthetic. Although the show ran its course for many years, allowing the characters to live through all the season, the fans have most associated it with Autumn. Every fall since I watched the show, I notice the media partaking in all the fall fashion trends the characters have to offer, like Rory’s signature oversized white knit sweater worn in the pilot episode.
While each character in Friends has their own style, Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica are often praised for their unique aesthetics, my personal favorite being Phoebe’s. Once again, each new generation that has come to love the show, has tried to emulate each of the girls’ styles depending on whose they resonate with most. Monica with her somewhat boyish aesthetic, often wearing mom jeans, flannels, and sneakers; Phoebe with her colorful hippie-boho aesthetic; and Rachel with her professional and classic 90’s style, all three girls had extremely influencing fashion trends to give the world.
For me personally, the most iconic old time Hollywood actresses are Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. One of my favorite films being Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I grew up in awe of the way Holly Golightly carried herself and her elegant style. One specific piece that this film influenced is the iconic black cocktail gown. This “little black dress” will always be a timeless staple.
How has fashion influenced film in modern day? Although dressing up to go see a movie has been an adored tradition for quite some time, (for example, little boys and girls dressing up as their favorite superhero for a Marvel film) I think Barbie was the first film in a while to influence a cultural fashion movement.
If you didn’t wear pink to see the Barbie movie, you were probably one of very few in your theatre. Wearing pink to see Barbie was definitely a result of the anticipation leading up to this film. The whole world was so eager to see a movie about a doll we all grew up with. We wanted to feel like a little kid again and that’s exactly what the film and the entire experience provided us. It reawakened “girlhood”.
Priscilla was the next film that I noticed a lot of movie goers dressing up for. Priscilla has such an iconic vintage aesthetic that is so adored. I’d say Lana Del Rey is somewhat to thank for reviving Priscilla’s style in her own. It was pretty easy for the internet to fall in love with Priscilla’s style because it has hints of the “coquette” aesthetic with a 70’s flare.
What both of these modern films have in common is that they are not modern at all. These are two films that hold a deeply rooted history. Barbie and Priscilla Presley both grew to fame in the 60’s and have been loved ever since.
