Fashion Film: Ghost World
A few weeks ago, Jael Paris and I watched Ghost World. We knew it had inspired the Luella SS08 Collection, but I don't think we expected it to be as good of a fashion film as it was.
The clothing in Ghost World really added to the story and growth of the character. The outfits weren't strange for the sake of strange. The character of Enid (Thora Birch) wore clothing that really expressed where she was at that moment, and since the film is about growing up, it offers a lot variety in the clothing.
She wore bold print vintage dresses toward the beginning in clear contrast to her classmates' typical high school garb.
I love this waitress ensemble with the leopard print skirt and feather headband. The character has a lot of fun putting together her outfits. She not afraid to play with costume-like pieces in her outfits.
Her rebellious, and somewhat iconic, outfit got poor reviews from her friends, and she quickly changed it. But she clearly needed to try it and had the guts to do it.
Enid also wasn't trying to achieve the perfect look for her figure. She looked awesome, but her skirts were too short for her body type according to most conventional fashion sources. Like Jael talked about earlier, Enid throws off the conventions of an hourglass figure in this boxy green coat and red mini. She didn't try to look taller or slimmer.
At one point Enid tries to sell some of her clothes in a yard sale to make money. She refuses to sell to most people and adds this sparkle tank to her outfit during her yard sale. Her clothes are an important part of her.
Enid also goes for an almost monochromatic look with printed tights (hard to do). She doesn't play by traditional fashion rules at all and adds a heavy pair of boots.
In the end, Enid moves on in an outfit that is sensible without straying from her signature style.
Do you have clothing that represents a moment or turning point in your life? Did you have a signature rebellion look? How has your style grown with you?
Comments
1. The film is not about fashion at all. It's about existential angst. To write your smelly little fashion blog about it sullies the greatness of the film.
2. Her skirts were not too short for her. And who're you to have precidence over that anyway? She was chosen for the film because she is an amazing actress, not because she wanted to wear quirky clothes for the fuck of it.
Furthermore, we said her skirts were too short for fashion's conventional concept of body types. We happen to like that she gives the finger to that as fashion's idea of body types is unrealistic.
Finally, take a deep breath and read for content if you're going to start throwing insults.
This film is like fashion the way American Psycho was... it plays an important part in the ambiance of the film.
(Also, not to nitpick, but it's 'precedence', no 'i'.)
The fact that she dressed with so much colour and character in the movie, feels rather comic book-y, even though it isn't how she dressed in the comic books. It feels like the spirit of the original medium has been captured and honoured, and I really like that.
also, some of the previous commenters need to unclench a bit.
I know this thread is old now, but GW remains an important film IMHO, and so I felt it worth my time to chime in. Can't see why ppl got so upset about your article. I loved it. Just wish more in depth. I could not take my eyes off the characters in this movie - and not just due to the perfect casting, but the wardrobe. Thank you for writing about it! Cheers -