Girlfriends was an iconic sitcom from the early 2000s that showed four friends exploring their mid-20s and early 30s while exemplifying the beauty and hardships of friendships, navigating career advancement, and exploring their love lives. Girlfriends is a phenomenon for several reasons: it was relatable, funny, layered with different emotions, and with an honorable mention that every episode was an effortless fashion moment. These effortless moments took an extra effort. These effortless moments took an extra effort. In the early 2000s, many black production sitcoms did not have the same flexible budget for wardrobe. Therefore, cast members such as Tracee Ellis Ross, who played Joan, primarily brought in her wardrobe from her closet to ensure that her character appeared impactfully for the first season. No friend was left behind in the fashion department on this either, and much clothing within this show was re-worn to give a realistic approach to re-wearing clothing and mixing and matching with what you have. Each character had their own unique personal style that anyone could gravitate to and be inspired by. Pivotal moments of seeing these girlfriends break barriers within how their character shows up and represent versatility in style as a feminine woman are remarkable. If you are on your journey of elevating your wardrobe to that screams grown woman and chic, you will want to stay tuned on how these ladies have done it.
Joan Clayton
Joan’s style is chic, classy, feminine, comfortable, and with touches of pop of color. She represents the idea that you can still be covered and still exude sexiness. This tasteful manner with clothing most likely stems from Joan’s professional background as an attorney, showing up professionally and obtaining her image. Also, she has a nurturing spirit and later strives to be a wife and have children. A good way that Joan has been able to exude sexiness in her wardrobe without being too revealing is by having a good sense of her body frame and using silhouettes to enhance how her outfits lay on her body. We see this in the infamous moment when Joan popped out in her green dress to show her ex-boyfriend what he was missing.
Joan’s versatile wardrobe balances casual, outerwear, and formal business clothing. So, as her color palette. She does not just stick with one color theme. It is all over the place in a good way. From neutrals to solid colors, bright colors to pastels, Joan was unafraid to implement pops of color in her outfits. We can also see her wearing designer pieces such as Louboutin heels, a Burkin bag, a Louis Vuitton duffle travel bag, and accessories that helped elevate her clothing and bring out her natural hairstyles.
Maya Wilkes
Maya’s style was a reflection of her spunky, around-the-way girl personality. She was able to live within her means and still show up looking fabulous, whether it was going out with her friends or going into the office. Her style was full of prints, denim, simple solid pieces with pops of accessories that brought everything together, and dainty pieces that showed enough but not too much. Her color palette was diverse, typically featuring more neutral and earth-tone colors, with occasional pops of color. Out of all the colors she wore on the show, red was her color. Maya’s style was a testament to her confidence and humility. She liked what she liked and always showed humbleness and confidence in what she wore. We see moments like this when she holds an intimate wedding with her friends and family in her home. Maya’s mother designed her dress and the bridesmaids, and although it was basic to others, she still managed to find beauty within the simplicity and handmade crafting of her mother’s sewing.
Lynn Searcy
Lynn’s grunge style was such a pivotal moment in representing alternative style in the black community. Yes, grunge has been around for decades; however, it was refreshing and rebellious to see the representation of this style in black women. Grunge or gothic wear can often appear weird to those who do not understand or appreciate this style.; therefore, Lynn’s style has brought a sense of being seen in this space. Another notable aspect of Lynn’s style is that it showed many women that they can still show up as a free spirit and earthy while displaying sexy elegance and layered pieces. Grunge is not limited to summer and spring or just casual wear. It also does not have to include only black and dull tone colors either. Lynn often incorporated pinks, monochromatic oranges, lavender, and bright plaids. She could combine this style in lovely silhouettes to go out but struggled to integrate her grunge style in corporate spaces, making her feel like she lost a piece of herself when she was in corporate spaces.
Toni Childs
If you ever need a guide to wearing monochromatic colors, Toni Childs is your guide. Toni makes monochromatic colors look luxurious. All you need is some high-quality basics with a few prints and colors that suit you well, and you can pair these pieces head to toe. Shopping for a monochromatic wardrobe is also an excellent strategy for building a long-lasting wardrobe over time. Besides Toni’s infamous monochromatic looks, her style screams bougie, sex appeal, dainty at times, and professional. Toni is the prime example of how you look and want to feel, and she, this small-town girl, is striving to obtain the lifestyle of a wealthy woman. Therefore, she takes no days off in her wardrobe. Toni is intentional in every piece she buys because she ensures she is put together, from going to bed to showing up in the world. She has a diverse color palette, from different shades of pink, red, and blue to neutrals and neons. While focusing on one’s physical appearance can be positive, it’s important to recognize that this focus may sometimes arise from trying to overcome harsh criticisms about one’s looks. This struggle is evident in Toni’s visible battle with low self-esteem. So remember, it is okay to heal your inner child by evolving outwardly, but ensure that you are doing it for yourself and not others so you can grow inwardly.
Main Takeaways
Representation in television shows and films matters because it subconsciously shapes many subgenre cultures, such as fashion. Girlfriends have been off-air for over two decades, and the sitcom continues to be a fashion reference for many people today. This sitcom displayed different feminine variations of being confident in all stages of one’s womanhood and inviting variations of unique styling. References like Girlfriends can act as a digital blueprint today to show many people that there is no right way to be fashionable, which often creates a recurring ecosystem of everyone looking the same. Honing in on your personality, your life experiences- good or bad, and the things that speak to you will set one’s style apart in the long run. This show also reinforces today’s views of not being ashamed to wear the same outfit. It takes years to build one’s ideal wardrobe; therefore, many people should be comfortable with going through many cycles within their wardrobe and building piece by piece over time to build a wardrobe that creatively defines your inner you.
