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It’s hard to think of Romy and Michele without their reunion. Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino’s ditzy blonde characters throw all their energy into impressing the classmates who bullied them a decade earlier. And yet the film, which turns 20 this week, is about more than one-upmanship. Clothes play a key role in both the movie’s plot and its enduring appeal. A cult classic thanks to repeat showings on cable and endlessly quotable dialogue, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion pays tribute to a breed of consumer that rarely gets respect: fashion victims.
As the type of people who hit the gym in coordinating pastel minidresses and stacked heels, Romy and Michele’s commitment to style is a source of comedy throughout the film. Obsessive about the latest fashions, they’re likely to take even the most OTT glossy magazine spreads literally. The zany, colorful pieces that they make in their L.A. apartment reflect a kooky Valley lifestyle. Think: shiny red jackets with leopard-print bustiers; patchwork dresses; and metallic mules. Costume designer Mona May brought some of the vibrancy she’d utilized for Clueless two years earlier but tailored the look to characters without an unlimited budget.
Romy and Michele are seemingly happy with their quirky camaraderie until they realize their respective careers of car dealership cashier and unemployed sales assistant don’t exactly scream success. It’s at that point that the pair decides to reinvent themselves with a little help from an issue of Vogue. Flipping through an editorial featuring models dressed as executives, they get the bright idea to present themselves as Post-it inventors and adopt a stereotypical vision of affluence down to the updos and shoulder pad–heavy business suits. Their plan is quickly undermined when a deadpan Janeane Garofalo inadvertently exposes their scheme, but by then the damage is done. Broke, bickering, and mocked a second time by the same mean girls, they hit a low point.
With its kitschy visuals, exaggerated costumes, and heightened reality, the movie exists in its own surreal world, but the mistakes Romy and Michele make are universal; who hasn’t attempted to project status with a designer look, or placed undue importance on adhering to an image? Were the film set in modern times, Romy and Michele might be blowing paychecks on Jeremy Scott or attempting to recreate Vetements looks in their living room in order to impress the cool kids.
In an age of social media, that sartorial posturing is more present than ever, and certainly makes the movie’s drama feel very relevant for now. The pair may be ridiculed as a result of their commitment to dressing up, but ultimately it doesn’t put a damper on their love of fashion. Uniting first as Madonna-loving misfits, the duo use clothing to bind their friendship and also as a vehicle for their eventual triumph. Discarding the suits and changing into marabou-covered latex creations of their own design, they indulge in a little interpretive dance and manage to catch the eye of a Vogue editor.
The Hollywood ending comes complete with style lessons—pink and glitter-covered trumps pinstripes every time—but the most valuable takeaway may be that an over-the-top appreciation of fashion isn’t always a bad thing. By embracing the outlandishness of their personal taste and ignoring the naysayers, Romy and Michele are able to find themselves and attain their dreams. They get the last laugh by taking their crazy ensembles to the next level, ending the story as Rodeo Drive boutique owners with a store full of happy customers.
