Yes, Tina Fey made another “Mean Girls”. Some would say that she made the same exact “Mean Girls” just with music. The new film is an adaptation of the fairly successful Broadway musical production of the same title. The movie was entertaining, I’ll give it that, but it lacked much of the punch and pacing that the original expertly crafted. The songs are fun and catchy even, and the lighting and production design are beautiful and engaging. Renné Rap is the standout star in all aspects. But amongst all else, it lacks in wardrobe. Only one thing is certain. The three women at the top of the high school food chain would never, ever, be caught dead in pleather.
The costumes were lackluster — a fast fashion screenager’s pipe dream. Nothing vintage or second-hand, which at least Janis would have been into. (I just know she has Depop and she doesn’t overcharge.) Instead, she was made to look like a Zumiez mannequin. The Plastics lost their best-dressed status. They look like everyone else, just pinker. There was no Heaven by Marc Jacobs, pink Adidas Gazelles, or ready-to-wear. No Gretchen in the Miu Miu cut-off skirt, which was a missed opportunity. (She is the blueprint.) Just your average, middle-of-the-rack mall utopia. Cady, however, was surprisingly perfect! Her pre-Regina costuming looks natural and her post looks like that of a copycat trying to be something else.
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with dressing like these characters, although it isn’t my personal style. But a generation that contains such creativity when it comes to self-expression was dwindled down to that? Thankfully, the designers have the fashion trend cycle to use as their scapegoat.
Unlike the “reboot”, “Mean Girls” circa 2004 is a period piece, and this isn’t up for discussion. It encapsulates the wardrobe, zeitgeist, and controversies of the early 2000s. It’s newer, filed down, double tries to do the same with Gen Z speech patterns and Shein/H&M labels, but unlike the original, the culture surrounding the 2020s is nothing set in stone. How can we encapsulate a period in time that is still currently ongoing?
There’s a period, close to twenty years when old trends become “cringe” and society deems them unappealing. Y2k is back today, but 5 years ago you would have looked crazy in double denim. Twenty or so years after the trend dies is when we learn to appreciate and deem it, if appropriate, its deserved longevity. So, a problem arises when you try to make a film about the right now.
Two films that did it right, (both starring Rachel Sennot unsurprisingly) are “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Bottoms”. Different in concept and execution, both equally capture the remarks and style of the current years and this generation. Nothing was recognizable, and that is “Mean Girls” biggest downfall. I became removed from the movie when I noticed Regina in Revolve. There is no timelessness because we’re living it. It ends up becoming a mockery.
So what should the plastics have been wearing? What current trends do we believe to stand the test of time? Some hope it to be bows. (It won’t be.) Or the Blokequette jersey core. (I personally hope it is.) But in twenty years, who knows, “Mean Girls” (the musical) might have stood the test of time. It just might become a period piece, but only time will tell.
Words and Graphic by Evan Skovronsky