The Devil Wears Prada: A Million Dollar Wardrobe
- Amelie
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
With the The Devil Wears Prada sequel now in the works, our Beauty and Style writer, Amelie, takes a look back at why the original remains a timeless classic, and shares her favourite fashion moments from the film.
From introducing us to iconic characters such as Miranda Priestly, giving us infamous lines like “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.” to changing the way contemporary fashion is viewed, The Devil Wears Prada is a timeless film that still heavily influences fashion culture as of today.
In the words of Yves Saint Laurent, “Fashions fade, style is eternal.” Fashion is ephemeral with its constant fluctuation of trends and fads, while true style is developed by an individual’s unique sense of presenting themselves. The three main female characters of the film, Miranda Priestly, Andrea (Andy) Sachs and Emily Charlton, all have their own different personal sense of style, which is a reflection of their varying mentalities, personalities and psyches. The film uses their wardrobes as visual aid to explore each woman’s development, power dynamics and relationship with the fashion industry.
Emily Charlton
Emily, Miranda’s snarky senior assistant, who manages to reveal so little about herself yet never stands as a completely one dimensional character, is the epitome of eating, sleeping, and breathing fashion. Her outfits blend together brands such as Vivienne Westwood and Valentino, creating a wardrobe that’s, in the words of this movie’s costume designer Patricia Field, “so on edge, she’s almost falling off”, suggesting a taste for funkier clothing. Her colour palette is a mix of darker colours, such as blacks and browns, and combines both hard and soft textures.
Assistant costume designer Tracy Cox stated in a Variety interview that her first look was one of his favourites, combining both elegance and edge with its metallic embellishments and accessories that glitter beneath the office’s lights, leaving us with a rather intimidating first impression. The outfit was made up of three pieces; consisting of a bolero with wide shoulders, a tank top, and a matching skirt. In the scene where she’s frantically running through the corridors upon hearing of Miranda’s impending arrival, we immediately see how ‘extra’ her outfit is in comparison with other employees, suggesting her desire for attention as well as a strong sense of confidence. She instantly comes across as an ambitious young woman attempting to emulate authority before she’s gained it.
Emily’s style also somewhat takes inspiration from Miranda’s. While the latter’s outfits are more carefully styled, Emily adds her own flair with her much more experimental accessory and makeup choices.
Andy Sachs
In the opening montage, Andy Sachs is introduced to us as a less fashionable, more frumpily-dressed character in comparison to all the other women in this film. However, after her iconic makeover, she completely sticks by chic pieces from Chanel. Miu Miu, and Calvin Klein — when before this, she would appear as though she merely threw on the first mismatched sweater she could find.
This suggests that Andy always had a sense of style, but just had no idea how to properly execute it. One of her more notable looks (and my personal favourite) is the green coat with a leopard print sleeves and collar. Though only seen for a few seconds, everything about that look suggests mystery and charm while still being professional, reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn’s wardrobe.
Of course, the stunning John Galliano gown she wears at the Runway Gala was a showstopper as well. The dress is reminiscent of the gown Miranda wears, but designed in a more youthful manner — an elegant black piece with lace cap sleeves and bias draped waist.
When Andy goes to Paris, her growth in confidence is reflected in her more daring, mature outfits, combining lower necklines and tighter silhouettes. The last dress she wears, a beautiful dark green piece, has the exact same neckline as Miranda’s dress, which is a subtle nod as to how Andy is slowly following the silhouette of Miranda.
Miranda Priestly
The devil herself, Miranda Priestly, stuns in bold jackets and dramatic fur coats, which she pairs with sleek skirts and pants, deliveringput together, clean cut looks. Miranda’s expensive taste reflects the self assuredness in which she carries herself, combining brands such as Fendi and Prada. Her style is unapologetic, never bowing to any of the ‘current’ fashion trends, mirroring her own unshakeable nature.
The first dress she wears, a deep purple number, is a deliberate way for the audience to recognise Miranda’s dominance within the film’s professional hierarchy as well as the fashion world; she is the queen, as purple symbolises royalty. At the Runway Gala, the Valentino gown she wears is simple in its design, but the daring neckline adds a charming layer of sexual appeal, which is ever present in most of Miranda’s outfits.
While Andy’s outfit in the final scene of the movie is more reflective of her old style, Miranda’s style remains unchanged, reinforcing her permanence of character. Showing the audience how despite her caring more for Andy than she let on, at the core, she’s still very much the same person.
Unlike other movies about the fashion industry released in the same decade, a large part of what makes this film so classic and timeless is that many of the pieces remain so current. You’re still not able to take your eyes off them or shake the desire of owning them.
The Devil Wears Prada seamlessly blends together style and entertainment — because in reality, no junior assistant is showing up to work decked out in a new Chanel piece everyday — allowing viewers to appreciate the fashion choices that were made without losing that sense of ‘movie magic’. It’s simply the best of both worlds.
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