Would I ever trust a person who does not like FRIENDS? Umm, no. The best comfort show of all time. The show that feels like a warm hug. The only show whose characters are so relatable and open that you can actually say that you know them inside-out. I can drone on and on, but we have more pressing matters to discuss: the outfits.
So, as some of us may have noticed, each of the characters had a person style, that like their character development, became more pronounced as the series proceeded. Just a heads up, the following observations are purely personal and are meant to be seen as diving a little deeper into the world of FRIENDS that we love so much and won't be necessarily accurate or true.
I'll start with my spirit animal, the person with whom I share so many interests and traits that its almost creepy. And yes, as you are currently reading a fashion blog, you've guessed it right. I'm talking about Rachel Karen Greene. I refuse to believe that there is even a single girl out there who hasn't fallen in love with at least one of Rachel's outfits or hairstyles, unless you are like me and want to attain her entire wardrobe. We all loved Rachel in
her waitress era, the miniskirts, crop tops and the French twist in her hair is the kind of casual chic that I aspire to achieve. In my eyes, I see that as a reflection on the type of person she was at the time. The symbolism is of course just an interpretation of mine, but I think that her outfits signify a girl that has been sheltered all her life and hasn't yet faced the harsh realities of the world. Her staple pieces of clothing and general sense of style broadened when she got her first job at Bloomingdale's, the pantsuits and dresses giving off the vibes of a girl boss who navigated through a world she knew nothing about, that too in heels.
Next up: Monica- the hostess, the casual chef, the mother without a child. Now we all know how Monica was treated by her parents, always being considered inferior to her brother and her parents'
total lack of confidence in her couldn't have felt great either. In the early seasons Monica was being washed out by colors that didn't look good on her so as to keep Rachel as the main focus of the show. In the early episodes one may notice that Monica was rarely seen wearing a dress, it was almost always pants, I think this comes from her need of putting on a front of being strong and self-sufficient after having a less than easy childhood with her parents, constantly choosing Ross over her. As Monica's character developed, she grew into her element surrounded by friends who would do anything for her. Monica just got prettier as the show went on and she got more comfortable with who she was, and you cannot change my mind.
Phoebe Buffay, the carefree beauty that spread joy and love wherever she went with a badass streak in her that kept everyone on their toes. Phoebe struggled the most and had the roughest life out of all six friends, and after going through so much rare is a person who still
chooses to trust and love. She learnt things that many of us don't realize till it's too late. She learnt not to just live but thrive. All that reflects in her way of dressing, the wild hair often woven with flowers, the flowy skirts, the colorful dresses, the chunky jewelry all show just one thing: a free, wild and untamable spirit.
Mr. Ross "WE WERE ON A BREAK" Geller is up next. The stubborn paleontologist maintained the style of an academic from beginning to end. The dignity of his profession was visible through the mostly beige or black trousers, sweaters, blazers and shirts that he usually wore. The one time he decided to try something new ended up with him standing in a girl's washroom with a white paste on his legs and a pair of leather pants that refused to go up. Needless to say, it's the best for him if he sticks to his usual array of sweaters and trousers and his favorite "salmon" colored shirt.
Sweater vests, or Chandler Bing as some call him just loved his baggy shirts and beige trousers. I somehow always correlated sweater vests with media and communications professions and interestingly enough, he found his passion in advertising. Anyhow, Chandler was always shown as an insecure person and in a way, it was visible in his dressing style and how he carried himself in general.
Last but definitely not the least, Joey Tribbiani. The guy who had millions of girls and some guys swooning over him, had a charm about him that a few could pull off. The minute the first episode starts, and we see him in the black leather jacket almost every one of us were drawn to him and his boyish charm. Joey's clothes were meant to portray him as a person and as a struggling actor, casual clothes, nothing too sophisticated, just jeans t-shirts, the occasional sweatshirt and sweaters. All of this also played a role in him being a character who had a way with the ladies.
That's it, that's all of six of them. This post is not something that I would usually write but I enjoyed it immensely. And again, all these are my personal interpretations and observations and were shared for the sole purpose of entertainment.
This is actually very insightful and accurate. The outfits in Friends undoubtedly had a great impact on people then and they still seem to have our generation in a chokehold. Great job, Preen! I can confidently say that you can also be a TV critic!