(Not just) A Style Icon: Rachel Green

Living in New York City, working for fashion houses, and hanging out at coffee shops, Rachel Green was living the dream. Well my dream, anyways. I could totally relate when she told her father, "It's like all my life everyone's told me, "You're a shoe! You're a shoe! You're a shoe!" Well, what if I don't want to be a shoe? What if I wanna be a purse or a hat?" Throughout the show we get to see Rachel grow from a spoiled princess learning to live on her own, to a single mother moving to Paris to start her dream job with Gucci. I'm just going to pretend she never got off the plane, because let's be honest, she really shouldn't have. Like the hundreds of girls who took clipped pictures to their hairdressers in order to imitate "the Rachel" haircut, this week I decided to imitate some of Rachel's best outfits.

Outfit #1

This was the outfit I was simultaneously excited and scared to wear. The top was from a Tilly's sale and I've only worn it around three times with my trusty 501's, and the dress was an actual evening gown I found at Plato's Closet for ten dollars. I bought it figuring I could wear it for formal, but since I'm most likely sitting this one out, with a heavy heart I reduced it to "last minute costume" status and banished it to the back of my closet. Seeing it hanging on the back of my door, I kept getting this mental image of tripping over the hem, falling into a puddle, ripping the dress in half, and being laughed at by the entire school. Despite my worst fears, it ended up being my favorite outfit. It was warm and the velvet felt like a blanket, plus it was super long so no one could tell that I wasn't crossing my legs in class. I felt more confident about my outfit than I had in a long time, and I got tons of compliments.

Outfit #2

When I say Rachel didn't come here to play, I actually mean she had no intention of playing football that day. It's comfortable and I could definitely see playing football in this, but after turning my room upside down trying to find coordinating pieces, the last thing I wanted to do is run around and get tackled. Luckily, all I had to do was take pictures; it was awkward, everyone stared, I felt stupid, etc, but still preferable to playing football. Even though it was a little high maintenance, I loved how even when playing football with friends, she wants to feel put-together.

Outfit #3

When I came out of my room that morning, my dad actually started laughing at me. After five minutes of my mom coaxing me to come out, along with my dad yelling "I'm sorry!" from the kitchen, I was finally ready to start the day. Isn't family great? Anyways, like the first outfit, I was a little hesitant to wear this one because of the odd combination. I mean, overalls and a blazer? My dad laughing at me really didn't help, but once I got to school, everything was normal and I just had a nice day, feeling cozy in my overalls and over-sized jacket. The overalls were great because I could again sit comfortably, and I could pretend I was wearing my imaginary boyfriend's jacket.

Outfit #4

The most surprising thing about this project was that I had everything I needed in my closet and I didn't realize it. The chambray shirt came from my 7th grade school shopping along with a bowler hat that I remember buying because they were "hipster". Once I was a little older and I found out that "hipsters don't call themselves hipsters", I got embarrassed and threw it in the back of my closet. Looking back, I'm not really sure I even knew what a hipster was. Other than the chambray shirt, I wear most of the other pieces regularly, so this outfit wasn't really that far-fetched. I was originally just going to wear a white tank top, but then I remembered these lacy vintage tops my grandma gave me, and it gave that extra detail that Rachel would approve of.

Outfit #5

"The One With The East German Laundry Detergent" is one of my favorite episodes. I could picture myself struggling to do laundry and being pushed around because I don't know what I'm doing. Plus this episode was the only one in the entire series that I actually liked Ross. The way he defended her and showed her the ropes was adorable, but then he ruined it by being human garbage for the rest of the show. I had been looking for a way to wear these vintage army pants from In Your Wildest Dreams, the top was a D.I.Y. project from two years ago, and it went with "Old Yeller"! "Old Yeller" is my ICONIC yellow grandpa sweater (yes I did name it, and no I'm not at all ashamed).

Outfit #6

There's no way I could dress like Rachel for a week and not wear the opening credits outfit. I actually wear this outfit a lot and I hadn't realized why it looked so familiar until I was putting it together. Personally I think short sleeved turtlenecks should make a comeback. I was watching "Friends" over the break and I couldn't help but notice Rachel has a monopoly on them, wearing them throughout all ten seasons, so looks like I'm in good company. Like I said before, I wear this outfit a lot because it's fun and retro, but also comfortable, warm, and perfect for dancing in fountains with your friends.

By the end of the week I had six new outfits, and a completely new appreciation for Rachel. The more I think about it, the more I feel I have in common with her. We're both kind of spoiled, but want to make our own lives, away from our parents. Like Rachel, I can occasionally be shallow and inconsiderate, but the Monica's and Phoebe's in my life know it's just because secretly I'm scared that I'm not smart enough or I won't be ready for the future. Despite her insecurities, she wasn't afraid to take a leap of faith and start living the way she wanted, not the way her parents planned. I look forward to doing the same.

Thanks for reading!