In the iconic 2006 movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” Andy Sachs (Anne Hathway) gets a job as an assistant at Runway, a magazine that is obviously based on American Vogue. Meryl Streep plays an iconic character in this role who is dominating the fashion world as editor-in-chief, just like Anna Wintour in real life. After Andy makes fun of the process of picking out the right clothing, Meryl Streep delivers an iconic speech to Anne Hathway’s character about the fashion world.
The Speech
“This… ‘stuff’? Oh, okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You… go to your closet, and you select… I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean.”
– Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada
Even though Andy believes that fashion is somewhat beneath her, Meryl Streep shuts her down real quickly. She explains that the biggest fashion designers in the world have a monopoly over fast fashion. The clothes from thrift stores that we love so much were, through a long lineage, originally based on something by a designer.
Analysis
Clothes are a staple in our everyday lives. It’s impossible to go outside without picking out an outfit for yourself first. When we see these outfits on the street, we don’t think much of it. But if you look a little bit closer, you’ll begin to realize that the outfits you pick out for yourself say everything about you and the journey you are on.
Don’t you remember being a little kid and your mother took you shopping to pick out things you like? It felt like such a prize to be able to do that. Maybe you shopped at PINK or Justice or Dick’s Sporting Goods for these clothes. Either way, you must have been excited to show off your new look at school the next day.
Don’t you remember standing in front of the mirror, just to make sure the new clothes looked good on you? Even though your style has changed since you were eleven, the clothes that you picked out still send a message to the world about who you are.
Real Life Runway
There is no escaping fashion. If you choose to not care what you wear, you are still making a choice. You are sending a message regardless. So why not take the opportunity to take control of the narrative?
If people are going to judge what you wear, maybe you should wear something that represents who you are. There’s no better way to make people see who you are than by presenting yourself in the most confident way possible.
We work so hard that fashion can fall by the wayside. But feeling comfortable in your own skin, a wish that fashion can easily grant is priceless. So go ahead and pick out that dress or pair of jeans you have your eye on. VALLEY thinks you deserve to feel seen.
What is your fashion identity? Let us know on Instagram @VALLEYmag!
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