Bonnets to Beverly Hills.

Few fictional teens have had more of an impact on modern style than Cher Horowitz of 1995's cult classic 'Clueless'. The title alone encapsulates Cher's naivety, and this personality seeps ingeniusly into her wardrobe. It would, however, be an absolute disservice to Cher not to mention and analyse equally her literary basis-Emma Woodhouse, from the eponymously titled Austen novel. A Similarly stubborn young girl, she initially views herself as a flawless matchmaker and a thriving socialite. Her costumes, curated by Alexandra Byrne in the 2020 period adaptation, reflect her character almost as beautifully as Mona May's costumes of Cher do in Clueless.

Cher as a character

   Cher Horowitz is shown from the get-go to be an out-of-touch valley girl. Her plot to set up Miss Geist and Mr Hall, and subsequently her makeover of Miss Geist, presents this attitude in the beginning of the chick-flick. Heckerling, the film's director, didn't write her to be a necessarily likeable character; she is, after all, a teenager. Nonetheless, we can't seem to hate her in the same sense we can resent characters like Regina George, or Heather Chandler, largely thanks to Alicia Silverstone's irresistibly captivating portrayal.

Style analysis of Clueless

   Cher's style throughout the movie showcases her perceived self image of perfection and the evident aesthetic she wishes to maintain. Her iconic yellow Dolce and Gabbana suit was picked by May to have a memorable effect, and clearly it has. From Iggy Azalea's tribute to it in the music video of her song 'Fancy', to  halloween costumes everywhere, it is irrefutably iconic. In almost every scene at school throughout the film, she continues to dress to the nines: A-line and pleated skirts making appearances left and right. This is, however, contrasted in her wardrobe choices at home when she is hanging out with Josh- in these scenes, she almost exclusively adorns black and white, and more slouchy clothes. Her indelible green empire waist dress, which she wears to the mall with Christian, could also be an ode to Emma's regency attire.

Emma as a character

   In the 2020 adaptation of Emma, Woodhouse's shallowness is even more so emphasised than in the book and in Clueless. Her relationship with Knightley is much more so at the forefront of the story than Cher with Josh. Just like Heckerling, Austen did not strive to create a 'good' character, her memoir itself reading she 'did not reckon on her being a general favourite'. Emma's matchmaking of Miss Taylor and Mr Weston parallels Cher's pairing of her teachers, and their characters are possibly most alike in the sense of their flaws. 

Style analysis of Emma

   The film Emma is renowned for its historical accuracy, with Emma's dressing in pastel colours exaggerating her childish immaturity and misunderstanding of society, despite how she presents herself. De Wilde wanted the film to make these pastels central in the look, drawing on Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. Emma's wealth and opulence are also apparent, Byrne making her appearance clearly 'indulgent' with her perfectly crafted dresses suggesting her class, since in the Regency Era women often sewed their own clothes. She layers her dresses in a way in which a common woman would not; in the same way Cher dresses in designer clothing while criticising her peers' 1990s grunge style. 

Overview

   From petticoats to prada, Cher and Emma's apparel never wavers in quality and can be seen as reflective of one another in the way in which their costumes speak to their shared personality. May and Byrne's visionary minds help demonstrate the societies of their respective adaptations, no matter how faithful one of them is to the original novel's time setting. 

   Thank you for taking your time to read this week’s issue of LVIII. If you want to join the conversation about Clueless (1995) and how it compares to Emma (2020), DM me on my instagram page @/lviii.uk, or tag our twitter in your tweets sharing your thoughts!