Kayla Marie found the diaphanous gown with soft pink flowers and ruffled shoulders on a rack at a thrift shop. “Place me on,” the dress seemed to say to the 27-year-old video editor. The dress could be paired with brown ankle socks and a shoulder bag. Jenna Rink was the magical teen transformed into Jenna Garner’s adult character in 2004’s romantic comedy. Thirteen Going on to 30Marie had an idea.
“I knew it would make me feel like I was living in a rom-com,” says Marie, who regularly posts videos of her outfits on TikTok. Marie is just one example of the growing trend for rom-com core fashion, in which outfits are chosen to give everyday moments the feel and look like they were scenes from a film. Marie wears outfits inspired from characters in films, in one video that she filmed in her pink bedroom. Clueless And Sally and Harry: When Harry met Sally.
During the heyday of rom-coms in the 1990s and early 2000s, Marie wasn’t yet old enough to appreciate them, but now she considers herself a die-hard fan of the genre. She feels as if she’s the central character of her story when she wears flowery clothes inspired by famous characters.
TikTok’s #romcomcore search has surpassed 68 million. This new fashion trend is expected to be the most popular in 2023. Many people want to romanceize their lives after years of dressing up for video calls. Rom-com core does not just allow you to slip into cardigans and wear slip dresses. Psychology experts say the aesthetics can have a positive impact on mental health.
“We’ve known for a long time that what you wear has an effect on how other people perceive you,” says Adam Galinsky, a social psychologist and vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Columbia Business School. “What you wear also affects how you see yourself.”
It’s a psychological phenomenon called enclothed cognition, which Galinsky helped to coin in a 2012 Study. This is how clothing can impact perception and affect our sense of self. Throwback fashion, such as crop tops or cargo pants, can be used to channel the main character’s energy.
What can the rom-com core do for you?
The rom-coms of 30 years ago were characterized by strong and female characters. Kat Stratford, Julia Stiles 10 Things That I Hate About Yourself reads Sylvia Plath and eviscerates male suitors but can’t suppress a smile when the high school bad boy serenades her from the bleachers. Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), in green satin blazer. Legally Blonde responds to her ex-boyfriend’s question about how she got into Harvard Law School by deadpanning, “What? Like it’s hard?”
Kat Stratford portrays a completely different type of heroine in the book “10 Things I Hate About You”.
“These leading ladies weren’t afraid to be bold and go after what they wanted, which many of us admire,” says Caroline Vazzana, a fashion stylist and editor who sees the recent resurgence of ’90s and ’00s fashion intersecting with the rise of rom-com core.
Hikari Fleurr29-year-old beauty and lifestyle influencer from New York noticed an increase of audience engagement every time she uploaded videos inspired nostalgic rom-com fashion. The self-proclaimed “girly girl” followed the lead, posting videos of herself donning dupe ensembles from The Mean Girls And Clueless.
“Sometimes, I put on these outfits and think about the movies, and I just get so hyped,” Fleurr says. Reaction to her looks — whether online or IRL — is almost always positive, so she usually experiences a self-esteem boost. “I feel like I’m that cool girl,” she says, “that I always wanted to be.”
Galinsky notes that a warm glow of confidence from rocking threads inspired by rom-coms from the ’90s and ’00s can be attributed to enclothed cognition because how people treat you can change the way you see yourself and, in turn, “it becomes self-reinforcing,” the psychologist explains.
Clothed cognition can also be tied to authentic feelings. The rom-com core is all about you being the leader in your own life. You are the person you wear, so you can dress up and act like it. Deep down, Fleurr has always known she’s a cool girl even when she couldn’t express herself growing up in a strict household. She can now slip on a tank and t-shirt. Plays a balloon guitar to channel Lindsay Lohan’s character in Freaky FridayFleurr connects with her authentic self.
What is the importance of the rom-com core?
Many rom-coms offer a safe haven because of their predictable stories. The endings are almost always happy and it’s fun. There are also strands that can be serious. In a defining scene in Thirteen Going on to 30, Garner’s character gives an endorsement of nostalgia while she’s dressed entirely in pastel pink. A crowd is moved to tears by the passionate plea.
“I think all of us want to feel something that we’ve forgotten or turned our backs on because maybe we didn’t realize how much we were leaving behind,” Garner’s character says. “We need to remember what used to be good.”
This speech speaks to the present in a way that is especially timely. Following years of political and social turmoil, humanity has looked backwards in search for safety. Dawnn Karen, who is a psychologist and studies the impact of fashion on everyday life, says that trends like rom-com core or clutter core have roots in nostalgia. “We’re lacking control, especially during the pandemic when there were so many restrictions,” Karen says. “Rom-com core gives people a sense of control.”
For many Rom-com Core enthusiasts, “Clueless” is an important touchstone.
Karen, who teaches at the Fashion Institute of Technology, feels like she’s stepped back in time to the ’90s and ’00s when she’s on campus. She says she’s seen students wearing tie-dye and lining their lips. “They’re bringing the past to the present,” Karen says.
It’s not cosplay. The point of rom-com core is to step into the power of the clothes and the associated identities of these iconic leading ladies — not to live in them. “Don’t get lost in the sauce,” Karen warns, “and trapped in a 1990s rom-com.” In other words, if you are not wearing any of your other clothes and are always channeling Cher from Clueless, it might be time to practice what Karen calls “fashion situational code switching,” which is a fancy way to say change your style.
How can you create a look that is rom-com central?
You can achieve the rom-com core look with feminine pink, satin slip dress, cardigans and tube tops. Marie advises that you look for clothes in this style that will make you feel at home. She often updates the era’s penchant for shorter-than-short crop tops with baby tees paired with high-waisted jeans.
It’s important to keep in mind that the rom-coms of the ’90s and ’00s were not perfect. Many of the romantic relationships depicted were toxic. It was not uncommon for the castings to lack diversity. The fashion style was not afraid to show skin. Revision, and not repetition, are the key principles of the rom-com core. “You’re celebrating that feeling of the ’90s and 2000s,” Marie notes, “but in a way that is comfortable and authentic to you.”
Lynda Lin Grisby, a Southern California-based journalist who contributed to NBC News. Parents, PopSugar, Scary mommy, SheKnowsAnd Pasadena Magazine.
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