#buffy the vampire slayer costumes

[spuffybot]

Hey hi! I saw your post about Buffy being your favorite show and what do you mean "you know what’s happening with certain characters based on the colors they are wearing"? That's SO cool and something I've never noticed despite being such a tv nerd, do you have examples?

Ohhhh my gosh I love this question!!! There are a few characters who come to mind (Buffy & Willow) but I’m gonna talk about Spike because I love to talk about Spike.

So Spike is a character who very much has a uniform and this uniform is linked to his identity. It’s important to note that this is an identity he crafted. Because as we know Spike started out as William, a man who was sensitive and kind and who was unappreciated by his peers. When he became a vampire he wanted to shed that weakness and he uses his hair, accent, and clothing to reinforce the idea that he is a strong, tough, and evil being.

Spikes official uniform is perfectly slicked back bleach blonde hair, a red shirt, dirty black jeans, combat boots and his signature leather duster. This is Spikes armor. It’s how he embodies Spike and leaves William behind. The red shirt is also quite critically linked to his “evil era” as I’ll call it.

Throughout the show there are key moments where Spike deviates from this uniform and it’s always linked to a crises of identity.

The first moment I want to talk about is Spike in the Hawaiian shirt. He’s just been chipped, he’s relying on the Scoobies for survival, the core tenants of his identity (predator, killer, lover of Drusilla, leader of a vampire gang) have all been stripped from him against his will. He looks ridiculous wearing Xanders clothes because we know it’s ridiculous (at this point) for him to just be one of the Scoobies.

This is not unlike Tabula Rasa (which has a deliciously layered theme of loss of identity both literal with memory loss and metaphoric with each of the characters personal lives) where we see Spike once again out of uniform completely and lacking his identity. Now like I said on the surface he has truly lost his identity he has no memory of who he is. But it’s no surprise that he draws the (incorrect) conclusion that he’s a vampire with a soul on a mission of redemption because for the past few months he’s been playacting that role. After Buffy died Spikes entire identity was usurped by the need to live up to her memory. He babysits Dawn. He patrols with the Scoobies. He lives a mundane and neutered life because he thinks it’s what she would have wanted. Except now she’s back. And she’s opening up to him in ways she never has before. And she’s kissed him. And this is simultaneously the most incredible and terrifying thing to ever happen to Spike because it’s all he wants but he knows deep down, it’s not who he is. He has no soul. He has no remorse. He is not good.

Now let’s talk about some less overt examples. Because the wardrobe team does an incredible job of making subtle shifts to Spikes uniform that communicate his emotional arc.

In Crush, we see Spike swap the red shirt for a light blue shirt (blue is going to be a theme!) and lighter pants. By doing this he communicates to Buffy that he’s different than before. He’s lighter and softer. A man she could be interested in. But of course, just like the uniform of Spike is a performance, this too is a performance and one Buffy sees through quickly.

Blue comes back again in Smashed, an episode where once again Spike’s identity comes into play. He has been play acting at being a Scooby but we know that’s not who he really is. Now, suddenly he finds that he can hurt Buffy without activating his chip. All of a sudden he gets a glimpse of his old self and it infuses him with confidence and purpose. The blue shirt in this episode is deep and rich, verging on purple. By wearing this shirt it shows us how deeply conflicted Spike is. The war between his selfish love for Buffy and his feelings of being trapped and controlled by his chip (and his feelings for her) is coming to a head. And of course, by showing his teeth he gives Buffy the push she needs to sleep with him.

Ok so now we get to talk about my FAVORITE season when it comes to Spikes loss of identity and the use of his uniform to depict that: season 7.

When we first see Spike in season 7 something very important is happening: his hair is completely disheveled and curly, with his natural brown roots showing. This is the closest we have ever seen Spikes hair resemble Williams hair and this is important because as we know, Spike now has a soul and so he is closer now to William than he has been in over 100 years.

When Spike finally leaves the basement he is in a bright blue shirt and lacking his signature leather duster. The duster becomes a key plot point in season 7 with the introduction of Robin Wood (considering it was his mother’s jacket and Spike killed her.) Now, Wood is a controversial character but I personally think having Spike have to reckon with the consequences of his past all tied up in the metaphor of identity that is his leather jacket is chefs kiss.

Speaking of the leather jacket, in episode 15, Get It Done we see Spike put the jacket back on for the first time since Seeing Red. This is a moment of reclamation of identity. Souled Spike is listless and guilt ridden. And as the potentials point out, even a demon can kick his ass. When he puts that jacket back on he takes back a piece of who he is and starts on the journey of self discovery that we will see him continue in Angel season 5. Because ultimately it’s not Spike or William but the fusion of the two that make Spike who he is. AND TO BRING IT BACK FULL CIRCLE while Spike reclaims the jacket, he does not bring back the red shirt.

One other interesting thing about season 7 is that Spike is no longer as wiry and muscular as he was in season 6. Now, James Marsters has said that this was deliberate on his part because he was tired of being naked on the show and figured if he stopped working out (he has also said that he created his season 6 body deliberately upon being told he would be naked all the time) then they would stop making him take his shirt off. And while this is obviously not a deliberate choice on the part of the show, I do think it’s interesting that Spike becomes less angular and sharp after he gets his soul. He releases some of the hardness that defined him emotionally and physically. Which ties in nicely to this overarching theme of identity crises. It also hints at a certain level of toxicity on set if one of your lead actors feels the need to take drastic measures to protect themselves but that’s a whole different essay.

I hope this answers the question and I would loooove to hear what other people think about this. I know I didn’t touch on every Spike moment but I wanted to highlight ones I feel are critical parts of his narrative.

[buffysummers]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Alphabet ↳ N ✫ Nineties

[bunnythevampireslayer]

drusilla outfits bc she's an icon

[koriand3r]

Willow | Spike - Clothing

“Why are you still in costume?” “Okay, still having to explain wherein this is just my outfit.”

[reusedtvseriescostumes]

This Black lace top is worn on Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in Friends: The One Where Rachel Tells Ross (2001) and worn later on Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Dead Things (2002)

[theoverlookedoneedits1997]

Out of Mind, Out of Sight Fashion Part Two

Buffy’s ‘look out’ outfit: 9/10

Amazing. I love this mauve colour of the top and the brown leather is very cute. I wish it was a little less wrinkled looking. Her make up is stellar as well.

Angel’s ’overrated pleasure’ outfit: 7/10

I definetly perfer the button down to the tank top. The collar is a bit over the top though.

Xander’s ‘have a nice summer’ outfit: 6/10

It's not terrible but I also wouldn't really call it an outfit. It just feels like he threw on clothes, which works for his character.

Willow’s ’have a great summer’ outfit: 7/10

I think this is cute. I don't like the solid tights. But I like the dress and the zip-up is and pigtails are so adorable. I like the jewelry too.

Buffy’s ‘thundering looney’ outfit: 9/10

I didn't always like this outfit, mainly because of the scarf. But it's grown on me and I now think it is kinda cute for the look. I top is super cute (how is she not getting dress-coded?) and the pants work well. And the sunglasses are nice.

Cordelia’s ‘me me me’ outfit: 8/10

The dress is very sweet and the headband brings it all together. I think it's interesting because this outfit gives off sweet and innocent vibes with the all-over yellow and the Shirley Temple curls. Meanwhile, she is being targeted because she's mean and a bully and when the scoobies learn that Cordelia is being targeted, none of them question why because they all agree that she's hateable. So what does her outfit mean? Does it show that Cordelia is fake and pretends to be nice and charming when it suits her (like when she wants to be spring fling queen) or does it reveal a side of her that she keeps hidden, a side that's more vulnerable and caring (like when she shows empathy for Marci's loneliness)? I think it could be both. I think that the person she pretends to be might be closer to the person she is deep down, or at least, the person she could be.

Angel’s ’same old thing’ outfit: 5/10

-_-

[alexprime]

Finally made my bustle cage (lobster tail) for my Victorian Loki cosplay! It ended up being a bit bigger than I thought, so I may have to make my costume more 1880s rather than 1870s! I used the 'Truly Victorian 163' pattern, which was super easy to make! Although, I somehow sewed the wrong edges of the back to each other and had to seam rip out five rows of bias tape and all the hems to redo it. I only cried a little! 🙃

[marilyn-not-monroe]

BtVS Costuming: Plaid Shirts

There is so very much to be discussed about the costuming in Buffy, but I’m intrigued by the times Buffy dresses down in plaid shirts, once in 2x09 (What’s My Line Part 1), and 5x09 (Listening to Fear). Her mood is so often reflected in how she dresses, so I’d like to dig into her emotional state at the time.

In 2x09, when she wears that shirt, she’s been dealing with Career Day and not having the potential for a future that her peers do, and she’s found out that she’s being hunted by the Order of Taraka. She also had an interrupted date with Angel where she tried to go back to a different hobby, ice skating, and was attacked. She’s overwhelmed and terrified, and doesn’t even want to go home, because her mom isn’t there.

In 5x09, she’s about to take her mom home from the hospital for a few days. Again, she’s overwhelmed and terrified, and this time she’s worried about her mom’s lack of a future instead of her own. No one is helping her shoulder this responsibility, because Riley’s the worst out hunting the queller demon. Buffy even breaks down crying while doing chores.

So what does this say about Buffy's emotional state? I noticed on a rewatch that there’s a particular person wearing a shirt that looks very familiar in 2x01: Hank Summers.

It’s apparent that her shirt in 2x09 is too big on her, so it’s easy to assume that she’s wearing one of Hank’s old shirts, and may be doing the same in 5x09. Buffy is obviously missing her dad, and wants him to be there to help with things.

[girl4music]

It really is interesting to me that the most multi-dimensional characters in ‘BtVS’ to me are the ones that are most known for their performative behaviour as opposed always authentic: Willow. Spike. Buffy.

Or rather - it’s the characters that have an arc where the theme of identity is incredibly significant for them to the point where their usual attire and choice of dress every now and again away from their usual attire reveals something juicy about their characterization and therefore gives greater character representation.

I am not usually a person particularly interested in image or appearance on the outside unless it informs who the person is/isn’t on the inside and provides depth of character in such a way that feels divine.

The times when the external affects the internal. Even if not intentionally. Subconsciously and indirectly.

And I haven’t seen a show do this better than ‘BtVS’. I haven’t seen another TV show that knows how to fuse the use and purpose of the narrative, the theme and the characterization as well as this show can. And as pointed out below by @spuffybot’s meta, that may be because it wasn’t intentional at all. It was either fate’s intervention or just a happy accident. And sometimes some of the best TV art/entertainment comes from the fact that nobody ever actually intended anything… rather everybody just interprets differently and adds on to what was already there. Making it insightful.

This is why shows like ‘BtVS’ are timeless shows.

Because technically… the show is still being created. I’ve said this before in a Xena post but no one goes to see the Mona Lisa to learn what da Vinci intended.

They might think that’s what they’re doing but they’re not. What they’re actually doing is still painting it.

We can give the creators of any TV art/entertainment that provided the scope and space for the audience to be able to do this all the credit if we want. But I think we should start considering and acknowledging that we have a lot more to do with why and how a TV show thematically resonates with us than them at some point. Because WE are actually the reason why all this stuff matters so much to us. We put it there ourselves. It has nothing to do with the original creators really…

All they did was allowed their creation to breathe so that it could have a life of its own. But we’re the ones actually keeping it alive by throwing our two cents in. I absolutely understand appreciating and praising the original creators for all of this stuff we come up with in regards to our favourite art/entertainment but the fact of the matter is they never intended any of it. We should be appreciating and praising and crediting ourselves on our creative abilities of using the high skills and qualities of attention to detail and passion.

Whether it’s writing meta, making videos, graphics designing or any kind of artistic or creative contribution we assign to our favourite TV shows/movies or books or video games or comic illustrations.

It’s really all us. Especially with a TV show like ‘BtVS’.

And we’re teaching each other so much every time. I don’t know about you guys but I think it’s fucking incredible the power a fandom can have in this way.

[wadewilsonhowlett]

Fear, Itself

[iateabunchofsmartiesandnowimdumb]

I love how in the early seasons of btvs willow is treated as though she has bad taste in clothes but now her wardrobe is like a pinterest girlie's dream

[amourcafecreme]

Buffy basically dressing up as Drusilla tells so much about her being still a young girl who is experiencing feelings like love and jealousy for the first time, who is insecure and doesn’t know whom she is going to become.

*by now I also don’t find it upsetting anymore that the vampire diaries basically copied this - and so many other - ideas from btvs. I guess it is an Hommage ✨

[buffysummers]

Buffy Summers + animal print 🐅🦓🦒🐆

[bunnythevampireslayer]

THIS OUTFIT!!!!

[stellaluna33]

I wonder... is there a direct correlation between Rory's whimsical novelty-print pajama sets and Buffy Summers' whimsical novelty-print pajama sets? Because Rory (and ASP) is canonically a Buffy fan...

[reusedtvseriescostumes]

This White lace Top is worn on Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2001) and worn again on Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in Friends (2001)