The early 2000s show “Gilmore Girls” uses costuming to bring life and realism to the characters.
Ambiance plays a huge role in a movie or TV show’s success. Various components such as set, lighting, music, color schemes, and costumes bring together ambiance in shows and movies. It can be very noticeable when these pieces are not cohesive. One of the best examples of ambiance in film is Gilmore Girls, where a mood is cleverly crafted through the use of cozy lighting, set pieces, and deeply thought-out and symbolic costumes.
The Gilmore Girls, Lorelai, Rory, and Emily, each make unique and telling costume choices. These choices, expressed through colors and styles, are a visual narrative of their character development and foreshadowing. For instance, in the first episode, Rory’s red shirt foreshadows love because of the mental tie between red and love.
“The characters are constantly going through (stuff) in the show, which is sometimes shown beforehand or when they’re going through flashbacks, especially Lorelai,” said Carlmont sophomore Lea Moskovits.
Rory’s costumes change as the show progresses, in the first two seasons, she is often seen in neutrals, muted tones, denim, her Chilton uniform, and red. Here her style is a blend of her mother’s and grandmother’s clothing styles. While it still carries a young look and is not nearly as formal or rigid as Emily’s, it has a serious aspect. Rory also wears white throughout the beginning of the series, often used to symbolize purity. Purity is known for being one of Rory’s qualities through nicknames used by other characters. Much of Rory’s story focuses on her romantic life, for which red is often a symbol. Red is also highlighted when Lorelai comments about “bad girls” wearing red. As Rory makes choices that branch off from her typical perfectionist innocent character, we see her wearing red more and more.
“I think the juxtaposition between Rory and the style of whoever she is dating is fascinating,” said Carlmont sophomore Sammy Dodd.
Emily’s wardrobe is very formal, even in her at-home wear. We see her wearing a lot of sets in deep colors. Emily experienced massive character development when she was willing to wear sneakers to walk around the town. Over time, her personal style became more relaxed as she became more comfortable with the other characters. Her clothing is often more old-fashioned, which makes sense in light of her high-class character. She puts a lot of emphasis on public appearance, which is clearly demonstrated in her clothing.
Lorelai is often put in fun colors or patterns, which are appropriate for her character and the time. Lorelai never got a chance to be a fun-loving teen with complete control over her wardrobe under her mother and father’s roof, so her style as an adult reflects her inner child and sense of rebellion. In her work outfits, fun pops of color or pattern can still be spotted, even while maintaining a more professional look, demonstrating her ambition and need to be taken seriously as her own person. Lorelai’s styling stays relatively consistent in the first few seasons, even as her life changes. This shows her confidence and her relentless persistence for greater success.
Gilmore Girls does an excellent job of utilizing costumes as a tool for creating depth within the characters and conveying important themes.
“Clothing is so important in our everyday life and culture, and it is great to see television and stage reflecting accurate styles for characters,” said Sheila Christ, a former fashion designer.
