What it takes to be a popular girl, according to fashion
Some popular girls are dumb and ditzy, reigning from a golden thrown because of their beauty or other favors that they can bestow upon their subjects. Others are conniving and manipulative, not caring whose head they step on to get to the top. No matter what category the popular girl falls under, odds are that she knows how to dress. In shows and movies, her fashion might be a bit more detailed and fanciful than what you see at the average high school.
In high schools, or at least the one I went to, the most popular girls didn’t focus on their fashion. It was Lululemon land, white converse shoes, and random cropped shirts they found at Goodwill. This is not the style that we will be focusing on, instead, we’ll be talking about the romanticized outfits of the Queen Bee. Along with all the staples that make the outfits a dream.
Items every popular girl has
Skirt suit sets (really just sets in general)
I’m pretty sure that any popular girl in the history of high school movies and tv shows, has worn some form of a set at least once. This is the most common look, and personally, I’d consider it a staple. From Maddy Perez’s more eclectic sets in Euphoria to the classic looks from Cher in Clueless (who can forget that plaid set?!) this was an easy way for the most popular girls to look pulled together and perfect.
2. Lip gloss
Coco Chanel might have said, “add more lipstick and attack,” but for the popular girls of high school, it's more along the lines of applying lipgloss before the next stint of public humiliation. More common in the 2000s and particularly in the case of Blair Waldorf, lipgloss is a shiny statement that the reigning queen of high school can’t seem to live without.
3. Something pink
Let’s face it, popular girls are often mean, and while it’s not always the case (Elle Woods would be an example of this) more times than not she’s grown in popularity because of the iron fist she holds over the student body. Perhaps the obscene amount of pink that is in most of the popular girl’s wardrobes is a demonization of the hue, but frankly, I think it represents that they know the power they hold as women.
4. A signature accessory
Even if it’s not explicitly stated that a character consistently wears this accessory as her signature, it can be noticed throughout the show or movie. In the case of Blair Waldorf, many fans were aware of her consistent love of headbands. Heather Chandler often times had a red bow in her hair. These little details always let people know not only who you are, but small facets of your personality. While Blair’s headbands represented the crown she wished she had, Heather’s held the significance of representing her power and ruthlessness.
5. High heels
Let’s face this fact, wearing high heels to high school is pure Hollywood (unless you want to get labeled as the weird fashion girl, which, hi). Yet, high heels are something that are fairly common when looking at what popular girls wear. Maybe the sound effect is a warning or an omen–something that highlights the significance and power they hold.
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