Get in loser, we're cutting to the montage

By Molly Richards (she/her)

As an early ‘00s baby, I grew up on ‘90s-style teen flicks. From Clueless, to Mean Girls to The Princess Diaries. The fashion makeover montage, despite its often-problematic nature, will be forever iconic. Sure, the message of beauty above all and its representation of identity isn’t exactly ideal by today’s standards. The montage was largely the best scene, if not the most satisfying. I have always been excited to watch characters try on hundreds of some of the most outrageous 2000s outfits and still envy their wardrobe. This week I’ve had a stroll down memory lane and landed on a couple of the most iconic fashion montages from my childhood. It’s no surprise to me that I still see these onscreen fashionistas influencing fashion today.

I can only assume that now because us ‘00s babies have gotten our mitts onto some adult money that our Bratz and Barbie roots have burst into fruition. Make no mistake. I am obsessed.

Hannah Montana’s wardrobe had me mad at my parents for not moulding me into a child pop superstar at 10 years old. Her wardrobe in this show has burnt itself into my brain. I long for the day I have a wall that rotates into a secret wardrobe the size of my flat’s entire first floor.

As If! I couldn’t forget Cher Horowitz’s wardrobe in Clueless Now that was something else. If you know or know anyone that could install that into my flat that would be awesome. Motorized clothes racks? So, fetch. That’s just the wardrobe; the outfits will be forever immortalized. Seriously, you can buy that matching yellow check skirt-top combo today and still be at the top of style.

Moving on, let’s talk The Devil Wears Prada. There is something about the bitchy stereotypical fashion magazine that just tickles my brain. In the film there was upwards of 40 different outfits onscreen and if that isn’t impressive enough, the budget for wardrobe stood at one million dollars. There is no denying that Andy’s character changed drastically after she put on those Chanel boots and honestly, I can’t blame her.

Speaking of Anne Hathaway, I present what I believe to be one of the most iconic montage scenes to have graced my screen. Replicated still if you scroll through TikTok. It must be the one from The Princess Diaries. It’s no secret that Anne Hathaway is a beautiful woman. So, convincing us that she wasn’t in the film seems a bit ridiculous now, however that makeover sequence was so fun. Not to mention the major turning point of the story. To simply take this and this and give you a princess is movie magic at its finest.

That’s what I have noticed in these films. The makeover and fashion show happens right before shit hits the fan for most characters. Or it signifies the rise and inevitable fall of their character— and boy do glittery boots make a great accessory to character development.

Speaking of shit hitting the metaphorical fan or (in this next film) hitting a very literal bus. We have Mean Girls. If you haven’t seen this cinematic masterpiece yet, what the Hell have you been doing? I’ve literally mentioned it in at least two other silly little features this year alone. Seriously, do you even go here? Cady Heron enters the film as a “homeschooled jungle freak” with little to no social skills, her finger wasn’t on the pulse of fashion to be sure. Things change on a Wednesday because we must wear pink. Throw in some miniskirts and apply some sticky lip-gloss in a bedazzled hand mirror, et voilà, you’ve got a mean girl. Sure, Cady’s character development wasn’t for the best (what can you expect from a satire so aptly titled?), but there’s no dispute that the fashion was iconic.

Again, not every transformation is for the best and this next one is no exception. They really did Allison dirty with that look in The Breakfast Club. Honestly, this must be one of the worst fashion transformations I’ve witnessed on screen. Allison in my opinion was perfectly strange and individual before she swapped out the shag haircut for that horrific headband. I really don’t know what they were thinking.

Finally, an honourable mention to every film that has included that one stair scene. You know the one I’m talking about. It’s where the main character™ gets dolled up and descends elegantly downstairs, often whilst the love interest stands stunned. You’ve seen it from Rose in Titanic, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Hermione in Harry Potter, and Loki in Avengers to name a few. That grand entrance is something out of a fairy tale. I’m still waiting for my moment... To be truthful it nearly happened one time. However, I stumbled on my skirt and nearly tumbled down the stairs. Not ideal and certainly not elegant.