18 "Clueless" Costume Facts That'll Make You Appreciate Its Timeless Fashion

    Hold up...Cher's plaid ensemble almost wasn't yellow???

    Ehis Osifo
    by Ehis Osifo

    BuzzFeed Staff

    This week marks the 25th anniversary of Clueless hitting theaters and inspiring a generation.

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    For as long as I have lived — quite literally — Clueless has been a part of my life and has affected not only my personal style, but my taste in film!

    Anyone who knows me KNOWS how obsessed I am with Clueless, and recently, I had the honor and the privilege to interview Mona May, the costume designer of this illustrious piece of cinema.

    So, here's everything we learned from Miss Mona May:

    1. Mona has a fashion design background, rather than a costume background, which is why the "costumes" were so fashion-forward and inspired generations to come.

    2. Mona's MAIN inspirations were Dolce & Gabbana, Fiorucci, and, of course, Moschino.

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    Fun fact: A lot of Moschino pieces were used to dress Fran Fine in The Nanny, which is why there is some overlap in styles between Fran and the ladies of Bronson Alcott High.

    3. Remember Cher's iconic yellow plaid outfit? Well, it ALMOST wasn't yellow.

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    Mona said they tried on a red plaid suit and blue plaid suit, but Alicia really "popped" in the yellow, and that's how she became the one.

    4. Also, the yellow plaid suit was designed by Dolce & Gabbana.

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    Très chic!

    5. Dionne's floral crop top for the Christmas party was ALSO Dolce & Gabbana.

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    However, it was Mona who created the little ribbons that went into her braids, which IMO put the outfit on legend level.

    6. Cher and Dionne NEVER wore dark/muted colors — which was intentional. Everything on their bodies were made to pop.

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    Cher wore a lot of reds, burgundies, and blues while Dionne wore a lot of neons, vinyls, animal prints, and textured pieces.

    7. Cher had more than 60 costume changes and Dionne had more than 45.

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    And that's just THOSE TWO. Don't forget there was Tai, Amber, Elton, Josh, Murray, Travis, Christian, the teachers, the extras...so many outfits!

    8. Mona only had TWO MONTHS to assemble all the costumes for Clueless.

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    It's taken me TWO DECADES to build my personal wardrobe...I can't imagine doing all that work in only two MONTHS.

    9. The script was fully written before Mona began developing the costumes, which made her job way easier.

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    It helps when you have good source material!

    10. HOWEVER, a few additions were made by Mona, like the Fred Segal top, the Alaïa dress, and the Calvin Klein slip.

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    Mona had to get those pieces first — obvi — so, once she obtained those pieces, they were added into the script.

    11. Even though it was hard for her to choose — "[It's like] asking a mother who their favorite child is" — Mona's favorite characters to dress were Cher, Dionne, and Amber.

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    Mona loved Amber because dressing her was whimsical and "a little bit of a joke." Amber was in the "in-crowd," but her outfits always seemed to have a twinge of "fashion victim" to them.

    12. Mona took a few inspirations from Emma — the Austen novel Clueless is based on — when dressing Cher.

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    Some pieces in Cher's wardrobe had an empire waist (left) or a cap sleeve (right), which was a nod to the fashion/time period of Emma.

    13. Clueless took place BEFORE brands and designers gifted free merch in exchange for free promo, so a lot of the designer pieces were bought or made or thrifted.

    14. James Dean was the inspiration for Christian.

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    "What’s with you, kid? You think the death of Sammy Davis left an opening in the Rat Pack?"

    15. Dionne complemented Cher's outfits and Murray complemented Dionne's outfits.

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    They were all their own characters, but they existed in one symbiotic fashion bubble.

    16. The set was designed to ensure that the outfits POPPED on screen.

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    The backdrops were often muted, grey, and/or simplified, so that the fashion really had a chance to stand out.

    17. Overall, Mona's goal was to make the fashion in this film timeless and locationless.

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    Yes, it took place in the '90s in Los Angeles, but Mona's goal was for the fashion in the film to be able to be worn in any era, by any person, no matter where they live.

    18. When asked about her legacy, Mona revealed that she can "rest in peace" knowing that she's made her mark on the world.

    I feel incredible to have this kind of legacy and inspire others...to lift people up...in the world of creativity and film — it's an incredible feeling knowing that people are still talking about [my work]. My creativity was able to touch and inspire. I am able to rest in peace knowing that I left my mark on the zeitgeist.

    Yes, you did Mona. And for that, we thank you!

    Wow, IDK about y'all, but all this Clueless talk has me in the mood to rewatch my favorite film for the 100th time!

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    Also, what better way to commemorate the 25th anniversary?

    Be sure to check out Mona May's IG page to follow along on her fashion journey as well as fun BTS facts about the many other iconic films she's costume designed for.