I started watching the TV programme ‘Girls’ late last year after hearing so many rave reviews. When you’re a constant Twitter-scroller it’s hard to escape whatever the latest ‘cult’ TV programme is and I find myself watching more TV than I ever used to just to find out ‘what the fuss is all about’. My curiosity about ‘Girls’ (sounds like a confession, I’m talking TV!) quickly resulted in me hitting the Series Record button and spending some time catching up on all the episodes I’d missed. I can’t say it’s ‘comfortable’ viewing – it’s one of those things I enjoy without being able to pinpoint exactly why. Like The Valleys, it makes me wince and groan but I still found myself oddly looking forward to the next episode (I speak in the past tense as I haven’t had a chance to watch any of the second season yet!). I guess it’s significant that I’ve compared it to a reality TV show, because arguably its intention is to represent the reality of being ’20-something’ – encapsulating the malaise and dissatisfaction of post-education real life.
For those of you who haven’t seen it, it centres around four girls – Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna – who live in New York and are bumbling along trying to figure out ‘life’ whilst making repeated mistakes and bad decisions. Lena Dunham, who created Girls, along with being its writer, director and one of the main stars of the show (Hannah) has made efforts to make all aspects of the show as ‘real’ as possible, from regularly flaunting her very normal naked body (her unashamedly wobbly tum and bum appear a lot!), to the awkward, uncomfortable sex scenes, to the clothes that they wear.
I can’t say I really noticed their wardrobe choices greatly in the episodes I initially watched (which I guess is the intention), but a lot of discussion has gone on about how ‘real’ their fashion choices are, along with how they illustrate the identity of each character. There’s been comparisons to it being the antithesis of Sex And The City, where the SATC girls were decked in designer gear unnattainable to most of their viewers, the Girls cast are more likely seen in ‘thrift-store chic’ or high street clothes. Where the SATC girls were polished and preened, Hannah often looks dishevelled. Hannah is often seen in mismatched or ill-fitting clothes – apparently she tries the clothes on wearing Spanx but then wears them on screen without, so her clothes sometimes look uncomfortable or too tight. My favourite Hannah faux-pas was when she wore a tomato printed cardigan on her first day of working at a law firm.
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| credit: flavorwire.com |
Marnie often gets it wrong but for a different reason – often looking overdressed or overdone. One of the most referenced examples of this is when she wears a cocktail dress to a ‘loft party’. (Somehow it’s more acceptable that Jessa is wearing a structured set of feathers).
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| credit: style.mtv.com |
Jessa’s style is probably my favourite on Girls. Even though I really can’t rock the ‘bohemian’ look myself, one thing that I do aspire to is her ability to look consistently awesome in a hat.
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| credit: joannagoddard.blogspot.co.uk |
Shoshanna’s style is probably the most different to mine – very preppy and ‘flirty’, blending Zara with Juice Couture. She has a very ‘girlish’ style although this is said to be changing as her character develops.
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| credit: hbo.com |
If you’re a fan of Girls, or you haven’t seen it and want to find out more, you can do so on the official site.
Do you watch Girls? How do you feel about their ‘reality’ wardrobes?
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