Ah, the stereotypical Mean Girl cliché. It follows the same cliche- the girl that is nicer than the rest but is still part of the crew (she is typically the protagonist), and the Queen Bee herself (she is typical the villain of the high school saga). Whether it’s 50 years ago or 5 years ago this formula has unfortunately not changed. While the Queen Bee and the nice one always take center stage, what about the other ones? The screen makes them into ornaments to the protagonist (the nice one) and the antagonist (the Queen Bee) but they are so much more than that. Here’s some odes to the underrate fashionable Mean Girls that deserve more than a few outfit changes and lines on the screen.
- Pink Ladies – Martina Helena Maraschino (Marty): Grease 1978
Yes Marty- your glasses make you look smarter! However, she was always smart- you need to be smart to pick a stand out accessory like those glasses! When I was younger, Marty was always my favorite of the Pink Ladies- she had the coolest accessories and made me wish I had glasses. As a kid, I begged to have glasses like Marty, as an adult blessed with 20/20 version I’ve settled for the sunglasses version.
2. The Heathers- Heather McNamara: Heathers (1989):
If you want to see 1980’s fashion- watch Heathers. Heather McNamara is the underrated Heather. With her signature color being yellow she is the only Heather that looks the LEAST dated. Also, the eighties fashion is coming back- which Heather would you pick? I would much rather be in McNamara’s cute dress and crop blazer than the baggy blazers and brooches that should best stay in 1989.
She was the only one that had a passion outside of being a Heather- she was a cheerleader. Her hobby separate from the other Heathers made her stand out and she deserved more time than what she got.
3. The IT California Girls Who Killed the Teen Dream- Marcie Fox “Foxy” Jawbreaker (1999):
Marcie Fox would have been a major social media influencer in the 2010’s. Sadly her high school heyday was in the 90’s so we must settle for her coordinated outfits that fit in with the “Foxy” brand along with her nameplate namesake. She would have had more followers than all the “I Killed the Teen Dream” girls combined! She knew her brand, she promoted her brand, and she saw her competition before anyone else did- who was the one who spotted who former geek to chic Violet was becoming???? She would have totally cancelled Violet in 2020.
4. The Barbie Girls of CHI-town’s “Court”: Kirsten Never Been Kissed (1999):
Jessica Alba is a side character???? We must be in the 1990’s. Her character would have definitely warranted a last name in 2020. Also anyone that dresses as “Disco Barbie” is a budding fashionista as she knew trends ALWAYS come back. She should have been the Queen of the underage drinking watering hole the “Court.” Sadly, we just get a chance to hear her one liners and see all her amazing outfits.
5. The Plastics: Karen Smith Mean Girls (2004):
She is by far the most underappreciated of the Plastics. She is there to offer to help any of her friends that need her (who is the one to suggest Taco Bell when Regina was crying) and always said what was on her mind no matter what other people thought in a way that was not mean-spirited. While the other Plastics were chasing boys and popularity she was starting her career as a weather girl in high school! She took her talents and created a job for herself- which of the other Plastics did that?
She never took fashion advice from her peers ( she did not need to fight about hoop earrings unlike her counterparts) and always stood out. She fashion-educated her peers in a way that was encouraging not hurtful- who was the one who told Cady on Wednesdays they wear pink???
Even Regina George says people forget about Karen because she is such a slut. This is typical- someone sees someone else with potential and they use the tried and true slut-shame method to try to bring her down!
In the wise words of Ms. Norbury, ” Ok, so we’re all here ’cause of this book, right? Well, I don’t know who wrote this book, but you all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it ok for guys to call you sluts and whores. Who here has ever been called a slut?”
Guess who raised her hand proudly? Karen. She is not ashamed of who she is and does not acre what others say about her. YOU GO GLEN COCO!
Fashion HerStory 