Seven most iconic fashion moments in Clueless
'Do you prefer ‘fashion victim’ or ‘ensemble-y challenged?'
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Your support makes all the difference.Hold onto your plaid, a remake of the cult hit film Clueless is in the works.
The Nineties classic might be loved for its acerbic characters and coming-of-age kitsch, but it’s lionized for its fashion, having firmly cemented itself as one of the most influential pieces of cinema in the sartorial sphere.
In honour of the impending rewrite, we’ve put together some of the film’s most iconic fashion moments, from the time Cher introduced the world to co-ords to when Amber thought she was a stewardess.
1. Boy meets girl (in red dress)
If red be the colour of love, wear it on a date.
There was nothing serendipitous about Cher’s decision to wear a scarlet slip dress for her first romantic encounter with Christian: it was pure strategy.
The teen might not have been successful in her wooing pursuits (she soon learned that her beloved was not interested in women) but there was little to be sad about, at least from a fashion perspective.
Sumptuous velvet and festive feels combine to make this Alaïa number as cheerful as a Christmas cracker – and you can’t get more jolly than that.
2. The Mad Hatter who went down the wrong rabbit hole
Is Dionne just another angst-ridden high school student in the midst of a crisis?
Or did she really wake up thinking she was on her way to have tea with the March Hare?
If this outfit is anything to go by, the latter seems more likely. The clashing colours and textures may look odd at first, but somewhere, amid the absurdity of it all, flamboyant fluff meets fictional fabulosity, and everything else falls into place.
3. ‘I went to Paris once’
Anytime you see a beret outside a smokey film noir, you have every right to raise your eyebrows.
While most people in this look would comes across as a wannabe Francophile, desperately seeking croissants and the Côte d’Azur, Cher manages to wear the flat-crowned hat with childlike aplomb.
4. Always match your facial expression to your T-shirt
The “I wear checked shirts over T-shirts” look is traditionally reserved for stoners and skater boys, making Tai’s choice to sport this aesthetic all the more thrilling.
Sadly, this is a subversive style she is stripped of once Cher and co apply their makeover magic.
But we’ll always look back on this particular outfit with a smile, particularly because Tai’s startled expression mimics that of the troll doll on her top with uncanny precision.
5. “Your nearest exit might be behind you”
Amber is having an identity crisis.
The flame-haired heroine makes some unusual wardrobe choices in the film, but this one really takes the biscuit – and tells the biscuit to take its seat for landing.
Pairing her air hostess hat-and-blazer combo with an anchor necklace, Amber makes you sympathise with her busy after-school schedule: at 5pm she’ll steward a sea voyage before disembarking at 11pm to work the red eye shift at Virgin Atlantic.
6. You can never have enough plaid
It’s the co-ord that would make Cher Horowitz a household name among fashion fans for years to come.
Humble in hue and less so in hemline: this plaid suit is renowned for bringing a splash of sunshine to the sartorial canon.
Paired with thigh-high socks and a mustard cardigan, Cher’s idiosyncratic school-time style puts the rest of us, who attended lessons in starched shirts and ill-fitting corduroy, to shame.
7. “Who said workout clothes were for exercise?”
Cher’s chevron bodysuit will go down in history as one of the most memorable exercise outfits of all time.
Would you even be able to find such an ensemble today?
Could you wear it to go swimming?
Is Cher about to pop a squat or burst into an Andy Pandy impression?
These are the kinds of questions that have beguiled Clueless fans for 23 years.
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