Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Continuing to Make a Fashion Statement 20 Years On
Image Source, 20th Century Fox, Canva
When scrolling through TikTok or taking a trip to Urban Outfitters, you’ll immediately become aware that the 90s are making a well-deserved fashion comeback. Considering that it’s not uncommon for classic teen favourites such as 10 Things I Hate About You or Clueless to impact modern fashion, this isn’t much of a surprise. Largely known for its iconic fashion, late 90s show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has had a recent resurgence in popularity and, with this, it’s also had a huge influence on modern fashion. As cherry print tees and oversized jackets return to wardrobes, it’s clear that with Buffy’s combination of leather and florals, and Willow’s comfy, childlike style, the show led the way for a whole bunch of iconic outfits that are still inspiring wardrobes today.
Following fashion conscious Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as she balances traditional teen life with slaying vampires, the show perfectly reflects the life of a teenager during the 90s (minus slaying vampires). Because of this, the show carried a very specific look that defined 90s fashion and brought about nostalgia for many. The show’s costume designer, Cynthia Bergstrom, always provided carefully constructed outfits that were soaked in eccentricity and made even the worst demons fashion-conscious. This can be seen with vampire, Druisilla’s wardrobe, which mainly consists of feminine gothic dresses reflecting her character’s history. The influence of the show has since cropped up across many areas of fashion, especially with the trend of lingerie as daywear that was not only common in the show, but was a 90s staple. Bergstrom once said in an interview that, “I wanted things to be either cutting edge of trends- starting the trend- or on-trend and mostly I just wanted things we hadn’t seen before.” Drawing inspiration from European and Avant Garde fashion, Bergstrom’s experimentation is what allowed the show to influence fashion for over two decades, making Buffy a long-lasting fashion icon.
Although the show first aired in 1997, it has continued to influence fashion largely due to social media and, as it’s become popular again, many Instagram accounts are now paying tribute to the show’s style. These accounts offer detailed analysis of the main characters iconic looks and allow modern fashion lovers to look back on past trends as much as they look forward. Trends largely worn by Buffy herself, from straight-leg jeans to oversized jackets, have taken over these accounts, and many high street stores are hopping onto the trend. From this, the large rise in the show’s fashion, particularly styles iconic to the 90s, is also believed to follow the popularity surrounding thrift shopping, where lots of items from the 90s and 2000s are heavily available.
As an iconic protagonist, Buffy went against the classic teen show and horror tropes of the time, which was reflected in her fashion. For many young women, seeing a female lead who was strong and independent whilst also having a love for fashion, was major and fed into the show’s popularity. Buffy’s wardrobe played a part in changing the representation of fashion in mainstream media, showing viewers that fashion doesn’t just have to be functional, you can slay your demons whilst also caring about how you look. When it came to her evenings of slaying vampires, she was often seen wearing a lot of leather, tight trousers and, of course, her classic cross pendant. Her fashion combined the masculine aspects of her job as a vampire slayer with the more classic, feminine trends of the era. When it came to everyday wear, she was often seen in more colourful, feminine outfits that consisted of peasant tops, floaty midi dresses and sparkly camis. But even then, these outfits were combined with an oversized jacket or leather to catch the essence of her style. One of my favourite outfits of Buffy’s largely reflects this, with her classic long blue jacket and stretchy lilac trousers that show the power of her job whilst also using colours common to her everyday and stylish wardrobe. A personal favourite Buffy look of mine is the season 1 finale outfit where she wears a gorgeous white evening gown that is equally dramatic and fashionable. Of course this episode was as eventful as a finale could be and the outfit ended up being accessorised with her classic crossbow.
But Buffy wasn’t the show’s only fashion icon, with her friends also making big style statements. Personal style was often used as a way to represent each character’s role in the show, with Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) showing her role as popular mean girl with her preppy and fashionable wardrobe. With her signature mini dresses, collared shirts and jumpers, Cordelia proved she was at the top of the social ladder, and her style influence remains clear with tennis skirts becoming extremely trendy last summer. Cordelia’s image plays a huge part in how she dresses, which becomes particularly clear in ‘The Wish’ where she comes to school in a sexy brown monochromatic outfit to regain her popularity after being cheated on. Following this, Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) also made a more subtle statement with a fashion style that is not only reflective of men’s fashion in the 90s but is incredibly popular now. Xander was always seen sporting an array of baggy colourful over shirts paired with simple t-shirts and although his style very rarely changed, it became iconic to the character and the 90s as a decade.
Over the seven series of the show, we often saw the characters styles change and evolve due to personal development and crucial growth. This is especially seen with Willow Rosenberg’s (Alyson Hannigan) wardrobe, where she transforms from a shy nerdy girl to a powerful witch. When we first meet Willow, she’s frequently seen wearing baggy, comfortable clothes that range from ugly sweaters to kaleidoscopic pieces with a childlike vibe to them. Although this side of her style is often deemed ugly, her iconic fluffy pink jumper worn in ‘dopplegangland’ became iconic, with its daisy collar and random patches covering the piece. Her fashion at this time reflects her character’s shyness but, as she grows throughout the show, and finds her voice and power, her fashion becomes a lot more confident, form-fitting and dark. Whilst her new style is definitely more reflective of trends at the time, her clothes always reflect her personality with use of her favourite colour red and witchy patterns.
With the influence of social media, second-hand shopping and Gen Z’s obsession with watching old shows and movies, it’s not surprising that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is still remembered for its fashion. For many during the 90s, the fashion in the show was very influential and helped them find their identity, which still seems to be the case. For me, the show’s fashion has helped me when I’ve felt lost with my personal style by allowing me to not only appreciate 90s fashion, but to give me a new outlook towards my pre-existing wardrobe. Considering the current popularity surrounding many of the trends created by the show, it is undeniable that Buffy the Vampire Slayer still continues to have a huge influence on fashion in 2021.
by Tia Janowski (Staff Fashion & Beauty Writer)
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