Sierra Dague: Supplemental Post #1


Reading Dyer’s commentary on fashion in film and celebrity fashion reminded me a lot of discourse surrounding the styles seen in the new Mean Girls movie. In brief, many fans seemed upset that the outfits seen in Mean Girls (specifically Regina George’s outfits) were the epitome of fast fashion. The original Regina was supposed to be a trendsetter; wearing stylish pieces that others hadn’t thought to pair together before. Or, clothes that other people wouldn’t be able to pull off (such as shirts with the nipples cut out of them). Yet, this Regina was wearing outfits that we as an audience have seen countless times– clothes that while cute, have already been commandeered and mass produced by Shein. Rather than influencing fashion, this Regina was influenced by fashion. 

This reminds me of the discussion regarding how the film industry coordinated with the fashion/store industry; The films were driven by advertisement pressure and coordinated with stores and designers regarding what pieces should be produced and how to market them based on the movie. This Mean Girls movie seems to have stepped away from that. Rather than developing new fashion tastes to influence the next trend, they used current fashion tastes to develop Regina’s style. Yet, with how ‘fast’ fast fashion has become, she appeared almost out of date by the movie’s release. 

In connecting this with conspicuous consumption, one could argue that the old Regina displayed her wealth through the cost of her outfits; other characters could not replicate her taste exactly due to lack of funding. Yet, this new Regina displayed her wealth through her ability to replicate fast fashion trends. She had the funds to constantly buy new clothes, toss old ones, and stay ‘current’ in her outfits. It bears resemblance to ‘old money’ versus ‘new money’ arguments.

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