Elle Woods’ Growth Through Fashion

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPRM chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Legally Blonde, a cult classic chick flick based on the book by Amanda Brown, centers around sorority president Elle Woods. She is a hyperfeminine character who fits into the stereotypical box of “dumb” blonde from the beginning of the film. This is reflected in her lifestyle, looks, and flamboyant pink-centered fashion choices. However, the director brilliantly shows Elle’s growth through her fashion choices, debunking the idea that women need to fit into a black-centered, masculine role to be taken seriously in the professional world.

Elle Woods in California

At the beginning of the movie, her initial pink look highlights her feminine qualities.
She embodies the epitome of a rich sorority president in California.
She fits in with her environment, showcasing her comfort within her role.
Her fashion choices center on her relationship with her boyfriend, Warner, as she thinks he plans to propose.

Elle Woods Goes to Harvard

Elle Woods finally gets to Harvard after realizing she wants to get Warner back.
Her bright pink fashion choice and lap dog (Bruiser) contrast the black and dark tones of the Ivy League School.
Her looks and lack of preparation make her a target for “dumb blonde” or “blowup Barbie” jokes.
It’s clear that Elle Woods is out of her element; however, she’s optimistic about it.
She doesn’t try to change who she is until she gets to class.
She faces rejection from her classmates, her professors, and Warner himself.
After finding out Warner has a fiancé, she takes an entirely different approach as she feels she’s reached the expectations he had for a “serious” wife.

Elle Woods Tries to Win Back Warner

Her looks get oversexualized as she tries to win her ex-boyfriend back.
She keeps putting herself into positions where she can get his attention.
She does not take her studies seriously, as her main goal is to get Warner back.
This highlights the objectifying dynamic in their relationship.
The bunny costume symbolizes the extreme measures Elle is willing to take, including facing humiliation to win him back.
The other female characters mock Elle, calling her names such as “blown up Barbie”
This showcases society’s rejection of the hyperfeminine stereotype.
It also represents the start of her growth as she realizes she will never be “good enough for him.”

Elle Woods’ Comeback

This kickstarts Elle’s journey to succeed at Harvard Law, as she tries to fit in and pass her classes.
From here on out, her outfits are no longer bright pink.
The outfits start falling into autumn colors with the adoption of purple.
They also slowly incorporate f black.
This showcases how Elle finally tries to blend into the role of a law student.
Since her main goal is to reach her academic potential, her outfits shift into comfortable winter looks; however, she still keeps some feminine aspects, such as accessorizing with a flowery hat.
This showcases a transition period where she discovers who she is outside of her pre-assigned role.

Elle Woods as a Law Intern

As she succeeds in her classes, Elle Woods applies for an internship and is accepted.
She faces true academic validation as she realizes she is intellectually capable of more than she thought.
Because of this, her outfits lack pink and a variety of colors overall.
This showcases her acceptance of the role of a lawyer, which she now dresses for.
This is the antithesis of who she was at the beginning of the film.
It signals a suppression of her true self, yet she succeeds because of her connection to the victim in the case.
When her professor hits on her, she realizes she got the interview only because he objectified her, which pulls her back to her original role as a “pretty face.”
This event, reinforced by a female professional, leads her to realize she can combine these two roles.

Elle Woods Solves The Case

This outfit fits into the climax of the movie and ties Elle’s character development together.
This represents the acceptance of both her feminine and intelligent sides.
She wears a professional, tasteful, and all-pink dress.
In this outfit, she solves the case by catching a lie due to a beauty mistake in one of the testimonies.
In the end, she graduates at the top of her class. Finally, her growth has transcended beyond her initial ambitions, which were centered around a wealthy marriage.
The song used at the beginning, “Perfect Day,” plays into the perfect circular plot in which Elle Woods gets everything she desires through the healthy expression of her femininity.

A character like Elle Woods became a landmark in debunking the idea that women can be either beautiful or smart, as well as the negative connotation of a hyperfeminine character.