reimagining the MEAN GIRLS costumes
On January 12, 2024, Mean Girls (Musical Ver.) was released in theaters. I emphasize “musical” because apparently, even though there were dance numbers featured in the trailer, people were unaware this movie was based off the 2018 Broadway production of Mean Girls, not a remake of the 2004 film, Mean Girls. Yes, there is a distinct difference. The main one: singing. It has come to my attention that the general public does not like musicals. Post COVID, musicals such as Dear Evan Hansen, In The Heights and West Side Story have bombed at the box office. Perhaps people didn’t feel like bopping along to jaunty tunes whilst the world felt as if it was ending. Who knows? Because of these flop films, studios have become hesitant to market movie musicals as, well, musicals.
Now me on the other hand, I LOVE a musical. If I could sing, it would be over for y’all. I would be on Broadway. I would be on your radio. I would be the lead vocalist in the next Disney animated film. But alas, those around me would probably pay me to never sing. So I can only appreciate musicals as a form of entertainment. I saw Mean Girls on Broadway back in 2018 while I was in New York City for my senior pictures (was it extra? yes. but was it iconic? also yes). I loved it. I had those 20 songs on repeat for the next several months. To say I was excited for the movie, would be an understatement. Plus Reneé Rapp, who was the first “Regina George” replacement on Broadway and is also my best friend (in my head) because we’re both from Charlotte, would be reprising her role as Regina in the movie. It seemed as if they had a hit on their hands.
Sadly, I was a bit let down by the movie. While I did laugh a few times and left the theater entertained, there were two issues that I could not overlook: the music and the costumes. Now as I mentioned in the paragraph above, I know those 20 songs like the back of my hand. So imagine my surprise when half of them were cut, and the remaining 10 were watered down versions. It felt as if the movie didn’t know what it wanted to be. It didn’t want to commit to being a musical extravaganza so it wouldn’t lose the audience, but then the songs that were kept in felt almost out of place. That aside, there were some standouts amongst the cast. Reneé Rapp, Avantika Vandanapu and Bebe Wood killed it as The Plastics, and Aul’li Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey were the perfect duo for Janis and Damien.
Now, the costumes. Back in 2023, when stills were released for the upcoming film, people were not happy with the looks, specifically for The Plastics. Critics on Tik Tok and Twitter slammed the outfits for looking cheap and trying to appeal to “Gen Z” audiences. So it wasn’t shocking that people were not happy with the finished product once the film was actually released. While there were some homages to the original, overall the costumes chosen for the main cast were underwhelming. Costume designer, Tom Broecker, responded to the critics saying “his goal was to reference — but not redo — the wardrobes from the original movie.” Since the release of the film, users on Tik Tok started to reimagine the costumes for Mean Girls. So I thought it would be nice if I joined in on the fun.
Regina George
Brands: Reformation, Staud, Agolde
People: @lilychee; Gigi Hadid
To my surprise, Regina was the hardest wardrobe to reimagine. In the original, Regina was the quintessential early 2000s “It” girl, but her outfits weren’t over the top. She wore a lot of mini skirts with either a basic long sleeve tee or graphic tee. Her main color was pink, even days other than Wednesday, and her signature look were her blonde locks.
For my 2024 Regina, we’re going to stick to the basics. The main brands I’m pulling from are Reformation and Abercrombie (a nod to the original). Regina’s style is not overly flashy. She doesn’t have to be, she’s the Queen Bee. Upon first glance, you may think she’s just in a simple tee and jeans, but the label is what’s important. Her look is similar to Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner’s off duty model style. She’ll wear elevated basics paired with neutral mini skirts or high quality jeans. Her status will show in her accessories with designer bags and jewelry.
Gretchen Weiners
Brands: J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, Miu Miu
People: @emmanuellek_; Daisy Edgar-Jones
Oh Gretchen Weiners, Regina’s most loyal servant. Gretchen is the type of person who uses her wardrobe to convey what she wants others to think of her. In the original, Gretchen’s style was a combination of her preppy aesthetic and what she thought Regina would want her to wear. This meant pairing a classic Burberry plaid skirt or argyle sweater with a graphic tee. Gretchen was also the most conservative out of The Plastics, I think as a way to depict her wealthy status.
For our Gretchen, she’s staying true to her core. She adheres to the Sofia Richie “Old Money” aesthetic resurgence. She would wear brands such as Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, and sprinkles of Miu Miu, as a way to flaunt her wealth. Similar to Regina, she wears mini skirts almost everyday, but instead pairs it with a button down or a half-buttoned cardigan. We’ll keep the Burberry elements to her wardrobe, because that exudes class.
Karen Smith
Brands: Kimchi Blue by Urban, Kate Spade, Sister Jane
People: @lilia; Sabrina Carpenter
Karen’s style is the one I would change the most. In the original, Karen was more known for her ditziness than her style. There was a lot of overlap with The Plastics style, since they are supposed to be a united front. Karen’s style was similar to Regina. She wore pink in almost every scene, but played more with patterns in her mini skirts and tops.
For the remake, Karen would definitely be the girliest Plastic. She would brands like Sister Jane, Kate Spade, and For Love & Lemons. Her style wouldn’t be TOO out there though, we can’t have her outshining Regina. Her color palette would consist of soft pink, baby blue, and the occasional red. Similar to the original, she would play around with prints, such as polka dots and florals.
Janis Ian
Brands: Vivienne Westwood, Vintage Stores, Heaven by Marc Jacobs
People: @shanelorange; Winona Ryder
The antithesis to The Plastics, Janis arguably had the most iconic looks from the original. She was the epitome of the early artsy, grunge aesthetic. In the original, she wore strictly black or muted tones. All of her clothes were twice her size, completely opposite to The Plastics. Her signature heavy, black eye makeup and funky updo were essential to her overall look.
In this version, Janis would totally be into the revival of the 2014 Indie Sleaze aesthetic. She will keep the artsy elements of her style, but would be less grunge. I think she would play around more with color, since she is an artist. In the original, there’s a throw away line that Janis makes a lot of clothes. Sticking to this minor plot point, I think a majority of wardrobe would be “thrift flips,” and she would draw inspiration from brands such as Vivienne Westwood and Heaven by Marc Jacobs.
*If you’re wondering why Cady was left out, it’s because her wardrobe in the film matches her personality: boring and unoriginal.*
What did you think of the latest Mean Girls movie?
With Luv,
KK
