If you have watched the hit show New Girl I am sure that you will have noticed the vibrant style choices made by the wardrobe department for its lead character, Jessica Day, played by Zoey Deschanel. However, the wardrobe department did not have their work cut out for them in the creative process. I have a sneaking suspicion that they simply robbed Zoey Deschanel’s closet. She is a woman who marches to the beat of her own drum when it comes to her wardrobe and unapologetic personality.
If you have ever seen paparazzi photos of Ms. Deschanel on the red carpet, or even in her everyday life, you will notice that her attire has a striking resemblance to that of her character Jessica day. This sweet and innocent dress sense emphasizes her feminine looks allowing her to express her unabashed femininity.
The wardrobe department on the show New Girl created a distinguishable style for their leading lady, giving her sweetheart necklines and A-Line mini dresses galore, which brings into focus the charming personality of the character. These adorable dresses show you the character’s personality before she ever speaks a single line. The old timey outfits display the quirkiness of Jessica Day. Both the actress and the character seem to derive confidence from their unique clothes as they allow them to find comfort in the world around them by being different and leaning into the feminine beauty of the A-line style mini dresses and adorable kitten heels.
Speaking of these heels, they are brilliant. They give Deschanel’s character a little lift in her daily life. Deschanel is a woman who is short in stature, so the heels bring her eye to eye with the majority of the other characters in the show. This lack of any major height difference eliminated any hint of an emotional power dynamic between the characters in this show, making the character of Jessica Day a dominant player in her own life and those of her three roommates.
The overall cutesy and retro style explored by this character is one that goes against fast fashion. She speaks about where she buys her statement pieces for her closet, like the prized bags that she buys in flea markets for a nickel. This show encourages a retro and sustainable style that can be easily achieved. The wardrobe department did justice to both the actress and the character in creating the closet of Jessica Day, making it one in which the actress can be comfortable portraying the adorkable, and old-fashioned character of Jessica Day.
