12 years after the emotional ending to the decade long reign of ‘Friends’, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey are finally getting reunited in an two hour special on NBC on the 21st of Feburary. Impact Style is posing the question: What exactly would the friends dress like now and how can we look like our favourite character?
Rachel
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As Rachel herself worked in fashion, her style was always cutting edge and her outfits experimental and daring. Her haircut, ‘The Rachel’, even sparked a worldwide frenzy. She rocked mini skirts and denim shirts with small heeled ankle boots, a look still very relevant today, and she occasionally added a preppy side to her style – that checked skirt and white roll-neck jumper combination is so on point. Her workwear was similarly classic, as she rocked co-ords which are worn today to look professional during the day or on a night out. Later in the show when Rachel began to work for Ralph Lauren, her style took an edgier turn and she began wearing leather jackets and skirts. Many of her outfit choices mean she would still be fashionable in 2016. As Rachel changed throughout the show, her style would have evolved further to be something quite different today, but still fashionable. It’s easy to imagine Rachel in cigarette trousers or culottes every day, like these from Missguided, combined with a pair of heels. Her timeless workwear would not have changed much, as she could easily wear suits and co-ords to the office, but she could also experiment with a boho look, wearing wide-sleeve tops like this one from Asos, or a Summery floppy hat from Topshop.
Monica
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Monica began the show with a slightly masculine edge to her wardrobe, wearing braces with tailored trousers or heeled brogues, but still kept it elegant. She progressed to typical 90’s fashion, often looking casual in jeans and cropped tees, a classic look still easily worn today; or she wore patterned skirts with cami tops, or slip dresses, creating a feminine look. Later in the show her outfits sometimes reflected the sensible side to her personality, wearing plain long-sleeve tops or shirts with leggings, but she often switched it up with stunning outfits – how stunngin was that red dress she wore for her engagement drinks? As a mum, her style would probably be comfortable while still keeping up her fashionable edge. As an everyday look, she would probably continue wearing oversized shirts, which are cute and flattering. She might choose skinny jeans over the classic 90’s ‘mom’ jeans, and combine them with knee high boots, like these, which are on trend and easy to wear everyday. As Monica always knew how to dress up, she would definitely engage with the current fashion and probably go for lace-up tops, such as this one from Topshop, and midi skirts, like this one from Missguided.
Phoebe
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Phoebe’s alternative 90’s style was never short of quirky. Bright colours, waistcoats and clashing prints were all staples of her early wardrobe – some more questionable choices than others. Throw in a few pairs of dungarees, an abundance of velvet and a variety of plaited and intricate hairstyles and Phoebe’s 90’s look is complete. And who can forget her orange fur coat? Towards the end of the show, Phoebe’s style evolved slightly, and she experimented with patterned gypsy tops and flowing maxi skirts, a more boho look. She still continued with her chunky statement jewellery until the end of the show to perfect her highly individual style. Although some of Phoebe’s style choices are best left in the 90’s, her quirkiness and expression through style would continue today. Phoebe would love the recent 70’s revival in the fashion – it’s easy to imagine her in flared jeans, like these from Miss Selfridge, or bell-sleeve tops! Her style would probably have a strong boho vibe to it, and she would continue to wear maxi dresses, similar to this one from Free People, but she’d still maintain her characteristic quirkiness through shopping in vintage stores.
Ross
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Ross’ style was often casual and sometimes preppy. He started the show with a nerdy edge to his style, wearing classic 90’s straight cut jeans with tucked-in shirts, open at the top, or blazers over t-shirts. He became more preppy as time went on, combining knitted long-sleeve jumpers or plain shirts with the same jeans. However he showed a more adventurous side to himself later in the show, with leather jackets and turtle neck jumpers, two 90’s styles he could easily be wearing today. He also wore a variety of suits to work as a professor, some with suede elbow patches to match, but he definitely had his fair share of fashion disasters. Let’s remind hs of the pink woman’s top that ended up matching his date’s or the leather trousers diaster. Ross would have developed his style further in 2016, and it’s possible he could have stuck with the edgy vibe he had. He could be combining jeans with a leather jacket, as he has done before, like this one. Alternatively he could mix it up with his previously preppy style, and go for more jumpers like this one from Ralph Lauren.
Chandler
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Chandler made a number of interesting outfit choices throughout the show, but still remained largely consistent. His style is both casual and preppy, as we’ve seen him wear a range of jumpers, baggy shirts over t-shirts, and short sleeve shirts tucked into what seem to be suit trousers. He went through a phase of bowling shirts – oversized shirts with open collars, often with a vertical colour-block design. But the defining quality of Chandler’s wardrobe was his love for sweater vests. A bold fashion statement in itself, he still managed to pull off a number of knitted vests and sleeveless cardigans. Chandler’s style was only slightly altered over the course of the show, so it is likely he would not have changed much between then and now. Although we did witness the gradual yet tragic phasing-out of his endearing sweater vests, he saw the error of his ways and left his white suit and roaring pink t-shirt in the 80s. Now Chandler would probably be wearing more of what he was comfortable in, with a 2016 edge to it. He would go for thick knitted jumpers, such as this one from Tommy Hilfiger, and maybe even bring back his love of cardigans, like this one, all paired with jeans.
Joey
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Whether Joey has settled down or remained single, it’s safe to assume that he will never dress too sensibly. As he was typically thought of as the most suave of the three guys, his style during the show was always trendy and mostly casual. He often wore plain white t-shirts, or shirts with perfectly rolled sleeves, all tucked into jeans. These outfits were either combined with a black leather jacket, leading him to have a slight resemblance to a Grease T-Bird, or the occasional wool coat, bringing a more sophisticated air. It’s hard to imagine that Joey’s style would be boring in 2016. He would probably have maintained his slightly edgy look, regularly wearing leather jackets teamed with dark jeans, like this pair from Diesel. He would definitely stick with wearing his signature shirts, the sleeves expertly rolled, teamed with a thick-knit jumpers and a pair of Chelsea boots, like these from Hugo Boss or depending on his salary these from Asos.
Don’t forget the watch the special this Sunday!
Lucy Miles
Images: NBC’s ‘Friends’
