This week’s inspiration is honestly my everyday fashion inspiration! That’s right, this week we’re going to be taking a look at the star of the hit tv series Friends, Rachel Green, played by the iconic Jennifer Aniston. As I mentioned in one of my mini assignments, Rachel’s character is what helped me discover my love and interest in fashion. Until I watched Friends, I didn’t really have an idea of what I wanted to pursue career wise, and I felt that my only real passion and interest was related to sports. I had always liked shopping and clothes, but never really saw the full potential of this interest until I was a bit older and was inspired by Rachel. I started watching Friends during the pandemic when the world was essentially on lockdown and all we could really do was try and keep ourselves busy at home. I fell in love with the show and as I mentioned, it really sparked my interest in fashion. With so much time on my hands, I began to sort of reinvent myself and overtime I have both intentionally and unintentionally developed the style that I have now which is very much inspired by Rachel  Green. 

One of the ways I relate to Rachel the most is through her development of style. I have always had a somewhat good sense of style, but I have definitely gone through many changes and preferences to develop the more creative and fashionable eye that I have today. In Friends, we see similar developments and changes in Rachel’s style as she goes through different jobs and experiences before landing a permanent job in the fashion industry, where her sense of style became more prevalent and a center point of her character. This occurs in the later seasons of Friends, and is where I am mainly going to focus on as I found that these were the times that Rachel was in her fashion icon prime! 

Overall, Rachel wore so many well put together outfits through the entirety of the show, and she embodies the 90’s style and aesthetic alongside demonstrating timeless fashion. To start, we’ll explore Rachel’s more professional sense of style that we see develop as she begins working for the big name fashion companies like Ralph Lauren. What I have incorporated most from this era of style is the use of blazers, skirts, and turtle neck tank tops sweaters. Each of these pieces have become a focal point of my closet, and I try to incorporate them into as many looks as I can. Before seeing Rachel’s sense of style, I barely wore skirts and didn’t really like to do so, and I had never thought about wearing a blazer. It’s funny how a bit of influence and inspiration can suddenly spark your new interest and desire to try something new. I’m glad that I did step out of my comfort zone and begin experimenting with these different clothing pieces, because it really sparked my passion for developing my personal style and taught me the power in dressing up. Here are some outfits I have worn that were inspired by Rachel Green’s more professional and sophisticated attire….

When Rachel is not at work, even her off-duty sense of style is ultra-fashionable. We typically will see Rachel still looking very stylish, but in a more comfortable and casual manner. Whether this is through a plain graphic tee and jean combo with some sort of uniqueness to it through the use of accessories or color, to pairing sweaters with skirts to dress down a usually more professional and put together clothing piece. Rachel’s style bridges the gap between comfort and chic fashion, which I think helps make her sense of style so noticeable and influential. Here are some more dressed down Rachel Green inspired looks I have put together…

The last thing I will note about Rachel’s overall appearance, is that her hair is a major contributor to her overall look! And I’m not just talking about “The Rachel” haircut that dominated most of the 90’s trends. The layered haircut that Rachel has during the later years of Friends with face framers was very ahead of it’s time, and is now the go-to haircut style for many people today, including myself. I know that I was definitely inspired by this layered C-shape haircut Rachel wore, because it really added to her overall style and appearance, and made her look more put together at all times!

Overall, Rachel Green’s sense of style has definitely influenced me, and I have integrated many elements of her style into my own. This week, I challenge you to embrace your inner Rachel Green and look to incorporate more timeless fashion pieces into your everyday look, while still adding a chic and unique touch to it. This could be anything that you typically wouldn’t wear, or that in your head you believe you wouldn’t wear normally or at all. For me this was skirts. I didn’t realize how much skirts could add to an outfit and in general how much I actually liked wearing them! I had always thought that that they were maybe uncomfortable or just out of my style range, but once I incorporated one in an outfit after years of not doing so, I learned that it was actually the complete opposite! See where having an open mind can take you!? I hope you enjoyed this weeks Weekly Inspiration, and have fun channeling this iconic Friends character this week!