Totally Clueless! - A Fashion Analysis

Tartan, argyle, Mary Janes and dresses that look like underwear. Let's talk about Clueless.

The 1995 chick flick, Austen adaptation 'Clueless' has been a huge part in the development of my personal fashion taste since my early teen days, as I'm sure it is for a lot of people. I distinctly remember the first time I watched Clueless, it was on tv, and the moment Cher rocked up in her Dolce and Gabbana yellow tartan suit I was completely and utterly obsessed!

Since my first watch of Clueless I have returned, again and again, studying the clothing, the way the girls in the film style and accessorise their outfits, their hair, makeup, bedroom decor, everything. I knew from that moment exactly how I wanted to dress and that I needed a yellow tartan suit immediately. I think I was 16 or 17 when I finally got my yellow tartan suit and it is still a staple piece in my wardrobe.

The costumes were designed by Mona May, who is known for her super feminine and bold choices. Taking inspiration from the 20s, 60s, 70s and the current fashion of the 90s, May curated outfits that complimented each character. She collected clothing from vintage shops, high fashion archival wear from the runway and designed and customised some clothing herself. The designer Anna Sui is seen on Cher numerous times throughout the film, and the iconic Calvin Klein dress was actually by Anna Sui, but since she wasn't as well known back then they chose Clavin Klein for brand recognition.  

       

The amount of costumes designed for Clueless is outrageous, Cher herself had over 60 costume changes throughout the film. May even had seasonal wardrobes with changes in colour to express the passing of time. The attention to detail in Clueless is unmatched, especially when it comes to the costumes.

The main four girls, Cher, Dionne, Tai and Amber, are the most recognisable for their costumes so in this post, I want to focus on their wardrobes, the similarities, where they differ, and how the clothing itself tells the story.

Starting with our main character, Cher Horowitz, the it girl of the school! Cher is clearly the most popular girl at school, she even says so herself, and you can tell by her confidence and how she looks so effortless in everything she wears. She leans towards a preppy school girl look, and something Mona May wanted to do was incorporate school uniforms into the costumes, because the film is mainly set at school, without them all wearing the same uniform every day. Cher is mostly seen in tartan mini skirts and blazers, she is occasionally in a shift dress over a wide-collared shirt, or in an argyle vest or skirt paired with a white shirt, and she always has a cute pair of mary janes on and some knee-high 1920s stockings. In scenes set at her home, she prefers a more laid back look, less showy-offy in a way, in jeans and trousers, with less colour and pattern, but still expensive-looking, chic and authentically Cher. Colour coordination is clearly her main priority when it comes to fashion, and she always looks well put together because of it. She never looks sloppy or lazy but she also never looks over the top. I think that is what makes Cher so iconic and "popular", she looks incredible in everything she wears.

        

  

     

   

For Cher's formal wear or party wear, she keeps it simple and classy with mini, bodycon dresses in beautiful fabrics. You can tell from the cut, tailoring and materials that these dresses are expensive, Cher didn't even need to tell me she's wearing an Alaia. I mean, he's like a totally important designer! Something I find interesting about these dresses, in comparison to her youthful and girly school wear and everyday wear, is how ageing they are. The dresses make her look more mature, and maybe this is because she is trying to show her new friend Tai that she is older and wiser (though we all know she's only a month older and really she's completely clueless). When the girls are at the party in Sun Valley, Cher looks slightly out of place in her mini red Alaia dress and feather-trimmed peplum jacket. Dionne and Tai are in more casual party attire, maybe in something they wouldn't mind having a drink spilt on, whereas Cher is in luxury high fashion wear. This may be an expression of how Cher wants to stand out wherever she is because no one is going to forget the girl wearing formal wear to a rowdy, teen party, but it also reveals Cher's naivety and arrogance, and how she doesn't really care what anyone else is doing; as long as she looks better!

   

    

A nod to Jane Austen's original story is seen in Cher's wardrobe when she wears cap-sleeved, empire line dresses. Empire line dresses were in fashion during the Regency period in England, which is when the story Emma was set. I feel this subtle detail accentuates how timeless Cher's wardrobe is. 

   

Cher is a trendsetter and style icon, which is where Amber Mariens comes into play. Her character is there as a kind of antagonist and frienemy to Cher, but mostly she plays a role in enhancing Cher's popularity and it girl quality by copying her outfits and trying to be her. Although Amber's style is deliberately supposed to look tacky and cheaper compared to Cher's, I actually really love her clothes! Her wardrobe isn't entirely a carbon copy of Cher's, you still get a sense of individuality and this is shown through her sailor-inspired outfits, animal print and army print. Amber is much bolder and over the top with her fashion sense and styling. She is always sporting a very over-styled hairdo, with her extremely bouncy fringe, beehives with flipped ends, gravity-defying bunches and even curled extensions. Her hair expresses how much effort she puts into her appearance, and although Cher probably puts the same amount of effort in she always looks much more effortless with her professionally blown-out hair. The most obvious similarities to Cher's wardrobe is the matching jacket and skirt combos, feather trimming, the red empire-line dress that is exactly the same as Cher's and the overall styling of her outfits. I think Cher's annoyance is completely justified. When comparing the ways Amber and Cher style these pieces you can see how Amber goes one step too far which ultimately makes her look tacky and overdone. Although I personally think she looks fabulous I can tell what Mona May's intentions were with her costumes. 

Amber has such a fun wardrobe, and she will always be an icon to me! "Do you prefer 'fashion victim' or 'ensemble-y challenged'?"

   

   

  

   

Dionne Davenport's style is bolder compared to Cher, although they both share a liking for the preppy look. We first see Dionne sporting a matching, but not clashing, tartan suit to Cher's yellow one. Hers is black and white, which was a deliberate choice from Mona May to show the nature of their friendship but not take the attention away from Cher. Dionne's clothes are tighter, shorter and more mature which symbolises how she is more experienced than Cher is. Dionne and Cher's clothing deliberately complement each other to express their close and equal friendship, but whilst dressing similarly they still show individuality through colour and accessories. Dionne is usually seen wearing an eye-catching hat which the character is most known for. She wears brighter, more luminous colours compared to Cher's pastel, subtler colour choices, this may be an expression of her confidence and authenticity. 

    

I love how Dionne adopts the preppy, school girl-esque look and makes it edgier and grungier which was in fashion at the time, stating her trendy nature. Dionne is seen in lots of straight a-line skirts and cropped tops, she wears classic cuts but adds her own edge with pattern and colour, making her more of a standout girl at school. One of my favourite outfits of Dionne's is when her and Cher are writing the fake love note from Mr Hall to Miss Geist. Dionne is in a fuzzy, orange and yellow striped, cropped top, a red spiral patterned soft top hat, a red tartan skater skirt and red stockings. I think this is the ultimate Dionne look because she has the tartan skirt which shows her liking to the preppy, school look, then you have the very bright colours and fluffy stripes, and then the cherry on top is her signature hat; you can't get more Dionne than this! 

   

Much like Amber, though maybe more stylishly, Dionne is seen in lots of animal print, mostly leopard. She isn't afraid to experiment with patterns and different styles, unlike Cher who sticks to what she is comfortable in. Although their outfits compliment each other, Dionne's are always brighter, bolder and sharper.

For the Val Party, Dionne is wearing a floral wrap top with a satin gathered a-line/skater style skirt with a petticoat underneath to give it the amount of volume it has. It isn't like anything Dionne has worn previously, but when you see what she wears to Miss Geist and Mr Hall's wedding it is clear that this style of skirt is something she saves for more formal or party settings. This outfit expresses her adventurous, brighter nature, especially when compared to Cher's Val Party outfit. 

  

In the Clueless TV spinoff Dionne continues to sport such a fun wardrobe, it's clear how much fun Mona May had with Dionne's character.

Now for our final girl, Tai Frasier, who falls victim to the classic girly makeover (though I can't pretend I don't prefer her outfits after the makeover!) Her character is the new girl at school, she is introduced in baggy jeans, trainers, an oversized t-shirt and a flannel shirt over the top... "She is so adorably clueless!" When Cher and Dionne get their hands on her they immediately judge her character and offer, or rather force a makeover. They wash out her red hair dye, crop her t-shirts and dive through Cher's revolving wardrobe, and when we first see her at school after the transformation, she is in a green tartan skirt, a green cardigan and brown tights, which is very Cher but still with a hint of Tai with the more oversized cardigan and larger plaid print. Tai is seen in more youthful clothing to start with, especially around Cher to show how Cher feels superior to her. As the film progresses and we discover more about Tai her outfits mature a little, she wears tighter fitting tops and skirts and shows more skin which, like Dionne, expresses how much more experienced she is than Cher. Tai mostly wears red, she's a little edgier than Cher, but still shares the feminine preference. 

    

    

    

As Tai gets increasingly more popular you can see a shift in her fashion. She unconsciously becomes a clone of Cher, wearing shirts and tartan sets, stockings and mary janes. This is the point where Cher is on the receiving end of herself, she's experiencing her attitude and judgements from Tai. Cher feels threatened and this is especially present when Cher comes home after failing her driving test. Tai is in a baby pink tartan suit with white stockings, and this is the moment she reveals her crush on Josh which is Cher's last straw. I love this outfit on Tai, but it is very clear how un-Tai it is.

   

By the end of the film, Tai leans back to her usual self, though she still sticks to the feminine look. She's more youthful and casual again, and you can tell she has realised that the person she had become wasn't really her. Tai's fashion has the most change expressing how her character explored different personas, she thought she had to fit in until she eventually found herself again.

     

Exploring all four of the main girl's costumes was so fun and was a great excuse to watch Clueless way too many times!! Overall, I think my favourite wardrobe is still Cher's but that is probably because she shaped my whole wardrobe. Writing this post made me realise I had only really focused on Cher's outfits when previously watching the film so it was interesting watching it again and studying the rest of the girl's costumes in detail, it felt like I was watching it from a whole other perspective and I was often focusing on the background trying to catch glimpses of outfits I'd never noticed before. This was really fun to write and I can definitely think of many more films with incredible wardrobes that I want to write about in the future...

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Love, Bella <3