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That's What Friends Are For
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I don’t care if it’s a re-running sitcom that plays off of common stereotypes or if its humour caters to a mainstream crowd, I love the show Friends. I can’t count the number of times when my own friends and I have found ourselves in a complicated situation and have turned to an episode of Friends to see how they handled the situation as well as to see the possible complications and outcomes of the issue, all with a few hearty laughs and Chandler moments thrown in for good measure.
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Beyond all of this though, no one can deny that Friends was, by far, one of the most fashionable shows to ever air. I say this because although many current shows (The Hills, Gossip Girl, etc.) send their actors traipsing onto the set in expensive clothing, high heels and handbags, the characters of Friends were always much more down to earth, wearing items that ordinary (but stylish) people would actually have in their closets, rather than only parent-mooching, pink-wearing, bleach-blonde glamazons. The leading ladies of this series literally stole the show and their characters will be forever engrained in our heads.
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The irony here is that Rachel starts out as a parent-mooching glamazon who is just starting to find her way and we love her right from the get-go. In a way she represents many young women, because although she may be slightly naive and clueless when she starts out, her drive, motivation and her always on-point fashion sense are enviable.
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Around season 3, her hair was one of the most envied characteristics about her, so much so that it was actually widely known as the Rachel Cut, sort of a cross between a shag and a bob.
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Rachel’s clothes are always perfectly form fitting and accentuate her toned silhouette. Her wardrobe was always immaculate and so coveted that during one episode in season 5 when she wore a yellow satin embroidered dress on a date (designed exclusively by the show’s wardrobe exec), the producers received over one thousand letters asking specifically about that dress.
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Her style just kept getting hotter every season, which was appropriate considering that her career in the fashion industry was getting more and more prestigious over the years. Perfectly tailored pants, gorgeous crisp shirts, perfectly cropped jackets; Rachel always looked nothing short of perfect.
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Monica grew up from a frumpy overweight adolescent living in Rachel’s shadow into a beautiful svelte young woman and her style followed suit. At work as a professional chef, Monica’s wardrobe was limited to starched white culinary garb, so her everyday clothes were more suited to comfort than style. However, her clothes remained up-to-date.
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Most women relate to Monica’s clothing style best, because her ensembles put practicality first. Cotton tees, comfortable jeans, rarely any jewellery and low-heeled shoes or flats dominated this woman’s closet.
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Despite her practical nature, Monica always kept a few pretty items for special occasions. It was always a treat to see her all dolled up, because we didn’t often see her in girly dresses or skirts unless an occasion specifically called for such attire.
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Her hair was styled very simply, either cropped short as she has it in the first few seasons, tied back in a simple ponytail in the middle seasons or left loose and tousled in the last few seasons. Monica was nothing short of a cute girl-next-door that worked hard to make her house a home.
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Ever met a quirky young woman whose life experiences never cease to amaze you? I call it the Phoebe effect.
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She’s lived on the street, she’s travelled the world, she serenades her friends with humorously dark songs on her guitar, speaks several languages and still believes in Santa Clause. She’s worldly, brave and outgoing, yet somehow still naive and easily distracted. The whole mixture is nothing short of endearing.
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Her many eccentricities are reflected in every single outfit she wears and you can’t help but smile at the way her girlish charm and simple mind make you fall in love with her character every time she walks on set.
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Though her wardrobe wasn’t exactly the envy of most viewers, she somehow managed to pull off even the most whimsical styles because she wore every outfit confidently. This is often what being fashionable is about.
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Even if you’re wearing too many shiny barrettes in your hair, too many rings on your fingers and something about the way your shirt fits is just a little off, if you’ve got the confidence to back it up, you can make it look like your avant-garde attire was meant to look that way.
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It's Nice to Have Friends
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The characters of the show Friends were specifically chosen to represent common personality traits, such that every person can identify at least a little bit with each one of them on a personal level. I would argue that in addition to this, the characters’ clothing styles were chosen to reflect not only the character herself, but also different aspects of fashionability as an idea.
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Rachel’s style shows every woman’s eagerness to look en mode and ultra chic with her clothing choices, Monica keeps it comfortable and practical with cozy and sensible basics and Phoebe’s poise and confidence shows us that no matter what your style sense, the way in which you carry yourself will even transcend flawed fashion. Kudos to the wardrobe manager of the show, she can be my personal shopper any day.
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Whose style do you like the best?
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