Spending as much time at home as this year has largely mandated, has meant a reversion to past comforts, namely in the form of my viewing choices. Having embraced the Disney+ phenomena of early lockdown, I decided to immerse myself further in nostalgia and revisit a particular favourite of my teenage-hood, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.
Expounding upon the fashions of Buffy is hardly groundbreaking (myself having already written about it some years previous). However, in this instance it is the secondary characters that piqued my interest.
They offer another branch of 90s fashion not typified by Buffy’s usual aesthetic. Buffy is the slayer, the saviour, sugar and spice with a stake as accessory. These, are the bad girls; villainous and their wears representative of that alternative perspective. Their looks are exciting and unexpected, with their sexiness reinforcing both their unattainability and their super human other worldliness (could you high kick in leather?)
Faith
Faith cavorted on to our screens, with stories of wrestling in the nude and a lust for the kill. The antithesis of Buffy, riling against the cutesy twin-sets and ditsy floral midis, favouring forwardness over modesty. Faith’s rough edges as exposed as the barbed wire tattoo etched on to her skin. Her clothing a play between sexy and tough through a choice of perennially tight fitting leather trousers and muscle tanks.
Faith’s introductory outfit (multi-coloured leather trousers and vest with matching detachable sleeves a la Calvin Klein) epitomises what was to become her choice aesthetic throughout the series.
Even her rare, more reserved looks, were done so with sheer layers, more than just alluding to her super-human physique beneath. She works out in denim cut offs, patrols in boots not unlike those worn by every influencer the world over and dramatically vacated the show in an orange and white tie-dye top, reminiscent of the psychedelic swirls that have made up much of 2020 thus far. Faith: troubled, trailblazer, trendsetter.
Harmony
Harmony began as Cordelia’s clone/frenemy with her wears mimicking this dense characterisation. She did not begin as a whole, rather she was a representation of high school ‘mean girl’ and ironically only became substantiated as a complete character once she had died. And so she rose in a waft of bubblegum and puff of sparkle to become Buffy’s farcical nemesis.
Despite her rather morbid pastime, Harmony’s outfits disrupt the villain archetype. She eschews dark colours that would allude too closely to her true nature. Adopting instead a sunshine aesthetic (golden hair, luminous skin); an ironic and unexpected connotation considering the fatal consequences daylight has to a vampire’s physiology.
Harmony is a seductress, the allure of danger played out in her contradictions: protruding teeth peeking out amongst her feather boa, bold colours set against her chalky parlour, slinky fabrics illuminated by the moonlight. Barbie personified, frequenting graveyards and thus creating quite the incongruous visual. Her red lips the rare signifier of her innate danger, perfectly coordinating the imminent spill of blood.
Glory
And lastly, the demi-god, Glory. A raging maniac clothed in the fashionings of a teenager. Glory’s looks have the dual purpose of differentiating her from the human she cohabits and cultivating a look of stereotypical beauty, because a leggy blonde couldn’t possibly be evil, right? Glory’s ready for dinner at 6pm and end of the world at 9pm.
Dressed as the poster girl for 90s fashion, Glory’s clothes are a facade used to establish an image of hyper-femininity and thus unthreatening, helplessness - an appearance at complete odds with her sociopathy. Yet despite her undeniable evil, her clothing is unquestionably good.
The shift dresses, slip dresses and midi dresses, enviable in their chic timelessness. As much as you’re frightened of her, you also want to be her (or at least dress like her). Leaving your brain as scrambled as if she’d drained your mental energy (her favoured party trick). This havoc wreaked all while dressed in varying shades of vivid crimson, pillar box, ruby and scarlet red. A colour provoking passionate emotions that have the propensity for destruction - the very definition of Glory.
Though fashion doesn’t negate their murderous, megalomaniac tendencies, their wears are too good to be eclipsed by them being bad. Though these girls have dubious motives for many of their actions, their refusal to abide by any rules translates to their bold clothing choices; risk-filled characters adopting risqué wears (ever back flipped in an unsupportive camisole bra-less? - risky).
Their aesthetic in the midst of the worlds end (though usually brought about by themselves) is eerily inspirational in amidst the current climate, when getting dressed (let alone dressing up) seems like a great feat. So may we all live in Faith and Harmony and experience Glory. And more importantly, may we all adopt their fashion prowess (minus the rotten to the core evil).
(Photos via: bustle.com, screen rant.com, buffyverse.com and @buffythestyleslayer)
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