Fashion in Forks: Twilight’s Sad Girl Autumn — Strike Magazines

What I find so interesting about the clothes in the movies is that they are approachable. Before the pop culture phenomena of Twilight, vampires were often thought of in capes, corsets, and extravagant numbers that are visually appealing, but not necessarily relatable from an audience perspective. Bella Swan and Edward Cullen’s fashion is not the focus of the movie, as their emotions and plotlines are far more dramatic than anything they might be wearing. However, Bella Swan did become an “It girl” in a sense. Her style consists of slouching jeans and T-shirts with buttoned flannels and has the perfect combination of edgy and relaxed. Her outfits mirror the dreariness of Forks, the small sunless town the story takes place in. She is not the typical damsel-in-distress wearing tight corsets and gowns, she is a relatable forlorn teenage girl with an (enviable) knack for seducing vampires. Her layers are practical in the sense that Forks is always cold and rainy, but also, they allow Bella the opportunity to be fidgety and restless with her clothes. Like so many teenagers, Bella Swan has the urge to constantly hide, improving her relatability to the audience.

Though Edward Cullen’s style is definitely more sophisticated than the average high school boy, his style doesn’t scream the dramatic archetype of the sexy vampire. Again, the focus is more on Edward’s feelings and backstory, not his fashion. Despite the film’s intentional lack of focus on fashion, Twihards (superfans) are convinced that the iconic characters are actually fashion icons.