every outfit from party girl

*most of the outfits from party girl

lately i feel as though my life is bookended by the phrases, “oh i wanted to see that” or “i wanted to go there” dusted with a light hearted “ah yes that is on my list!” promising movies, new restaurants, buzzy books, limited pop-ups, obscure vintage stores and must-go travel destinations pile up in my brain until it feels like i need to vomit them out and do nothing about it.

i am eerily aware that i am the only one pressing down upon myself with made up pressure to do these activities that were put there to begin with with the sole goal to derive joy, but ultimately make me feel like i am constantly failing myself.

(i’m working through this in therapy. clearly.)  

as an antidote to this rubber band snapped pressure has been just abandoning all the made up lists and having the self respect to know that i eventually will get to do everything i want to. in my own time and in my own happiness. 

any who…… that brings me to saturday night when i purposely stayed in as an attempt to get a solid 10 hours of sleep. i decided to finally watch the film party girl (1995) starring parker posey. whenever i tell strangers that my favorite movie is clueless (i have received some puzzled glares when i have revealed this in the past and stand by it! emma is my favorite jane austen novel and i have an affinity for matching mini skirt sets. sue me!) they tell me “i must watch parker posey’s party girl”, i smile and nod and say “ah yes it is on my list!” 

i located it on amazon prime with surprising ease and turned it on while i started knitting (i try to knit while i watch tv / movies as to avoid the infantilizing draw of my phone beside me). i knew i would love the fashion as i have had a few of the looks in my saved folder for years but what i surprisingly appreciated most was the depiction of party relationships in new york. this is one of the most special kinds of friendships that exist most abundantly and historically in such a small radius. i was thrilled with the representation of a widely held but rarely depicted supportive nature of this group of people who never fail to be at a friend’s dj set, birthday party or club opening. that chosen connection where someone sees you so consistently but on the constraints of the sun being down and your personality heightened to a more fabulous version of yourself.

another new york specific relationship brought to light in the film is an utterly charming falafel cart romance that begun with a simple phrase, “i’ll have a falafel with hot sauce, side of baba ganoush and a seltzer, please” one of the most treasured side effects from a. being a new york city resident b. being a creature of routine is building connections with my in-between people. those people i see multiple times a week either at my laundromat, morning subway commute or coffee shop. they know me intimately in an habitual way while congruently know very little about my friends or how my voice changes when under pressure or that i like making peppermint tea before bed. 

the movie is not perfect in totality, parker posey’s character (mary) exudes the false importance that comes with being 23 when everything feels bouncy and nothing can stick to you in way that tips over into unbearable territory that cher from clueless remains narrowly on other side of. there is also an extremely problematic party where the theme is essentially cultural appropriation……… and lastly there are the questionable 2nd wave feminism beliefs that limit mary from being treated with respect at her job at the new york public library based on her eponymous “party girl” behavior.

but what IS perfect is the costume design. michael clancy, who recently passed away on 2022, did a phenomenal job at realistically depicting someone itching to add fun, spontaneity, glamour and creativity into their life so desperately it seeps out of them in the result of a closet full of brightly colored tights, sequins and leopard jackets. i always enjoy when a character’s costume design intentionally exposes the viewer to an additional layer of their psyche, after all that is what fashion is.. a way to wordlessly supplement one’s inner essence and derivative desires.

below are my favorite outfits (ranked!) from the film 

1. it probably surprises no one that i adore any outfit that incorporates a satin opera glove. they are the most decedent, impractical, chic party accessory one could have. the icy blue glove pared with a sequin cap sleeve dress, long jewel tone pendant necklaces and later shown with a red pea coat + a green lollipop is nothing short of a delicious outfit formula. in the era of “quiet luxury” and wardrobes in shades of gray, the commitment to color play is a much needed reprieve for my eyes

   

   

2. the only other setting besides a party i yearn for creative outfit in is a casual, banal environment. here we see mary in a what initially appears to be a blue shrug overtop a black tank top that is cute as is but when she turns you see that it is actually a blue crewneck sweatshirt worn backwards. it’s messy, genius, creative and perfect. wear your clothes!

   

   

3. probably the most well-known (daaaaaaare i say iconic) outfit is the one mary wears after being bailed out of jail for throwing an illegal party in her apartment. the leopard coat, tiny glasses, red gloves, mini skirt, tights combination polished off with blue stilettoes are a fashion oracle all the downtown girls today strive to immolate (including myself).

   

   4. i almost bumped this one up the ranking because i feel very connected to this look most likely because it feels most akin to something i would wear myself given the satin material of the blouse and the perfectly tied giant bow.. i actually have a blouse hanging in my closet that is near identical to this. what i really appreciate about this outfit is that it is most likely intentional that she is not in a mini skirt which is predominantly present throughout the film (that would be too expected). instead this is one of the only instances where you see her wear a pair of trousers most likely to signal her desire to be perceived as serious, smart and worthy amongst her colleagues at the library. one can easily judge this thought process, “girls can wear mini skirts and be smart!”; however, isn’t this what we all do during our first internships/jobs? at least for me, i only recently parted with my tailored j.crew blazers and blouses made of rayon that i wore during the summer of 2019.

   

   

4. upon first glance i figured this outfit was a red long sleeve corset top paired with a rainbow striped sequin mini skirt (great outfit) but then i realized they are sequin SHORTS (even better outfit). you know that scene in a legally blonde 2 where jennifer coolidge says an outfit “makes me want a hot dog real bad” this makes me want to go out and dance in sequin shorts real bad.

   

5. it’s funny because these glasses are supposed to signal mary’s transformation into a frumpy professional librarian. while all i see is a miu miu it-girl. blame it on muiccia!

6. this is actually the same outfit as the one prior, however the genius of this film is consistently the power of styling / accessorizing. instantly mary goes from librarian to girl-next-door with styled hair, a matching little green suit and black stilettos. we are as versatile as our outfits and we can be anyone!!!!!!!!!!

7. i think i like this look because it is during a particularly chaotic time in the film, mary is still fighting the notion that she should have any job let alone a job at a library and this rebellion is reflected most aptly reflected in her outfit featuring gaudy gold hoops, wild blue striped tights and multiple long sleeve tops layered on top of one another. i always appreciate the rejection of an institution through one’s fashion choices, one of the only rules i repeatedly broke in my life was my middle school’s dress code banishing me from wearing a pink sequin mini skirt… i smuggled it through the front door of my house underneath a pair of gray sweatpants.

   

   

   HONORABLE MENTION: mary’s godmother, judy, wearing this alphabet letter printed blouse (in multiple scenes.. because she would wear this all the time). i love an occupationally themed outfit more than most things in life.

i’m happy i eventually got around to watching party girl. like i will do with most things. at my own pace. <3

XOXOXO