MovieChat Forums > Lizzie McGuire (2001) Discussion > Why did they dress the kids so hideously...

Why did they dress the kids so hideously?

posted 15 years ago by la_cinematheque
83 replies | jump to latest

I was sixteen when this show first aired, so I was out of the target demographic, but I still watched it regularly with my younger sister and enjoyed it a lot. One thing that always stuck out for me was that the way Lizzie and Miranda dressed was so gaudy and tacky, even for seventh graders. And the supposedly popular Kate was no better. My sister, who was actually in middle school at the time, used to comment on how the episodes with clothes as the subject didn't make any sense because everything everyone wore looked awful and would get you teased in real life.

I still watch Disney pretty often and one thing that strikes me about all the current shows is how fashionable the casts are. Wizards of Waverly Place, Sonny With A Chance, and Jonas all have characters that dress in ways I can see real tweens admiring and wanting to emulate.

I know it's a shallow topic, but for a show that dedicated an entire episode to the perfect pair of jeans, it did seem a little ironic how truly awful and uncool the clothes on Lizzie McGuire were. Anyone agree?

[–] rosy_mullen 13 years ago

This show aired until I was 12 and I NEVER watched it at the time because I wasn't one of those kids that watched much TV, I used to be outside alot. Well I knew my best friend watched it and it was her favourite show and I used to wonder why she dressed so strangely and why she used to crimp just this one piece of hair. Well I was sick once when I was around 10 or something and my Mom got me a tape of Lizzie to watch while I was sick.

It all suddenly made sense, THIS was why my best friend dressed so strangely. She was one of those people that wanted so bad to be popular and she thought Lizzie was cool so dressed like her. I have no idea to this day where she found the clothes. I only watched about 3 episodes and gave up because I was such a tomboy and hated all the 'I'm in love with...' talk. I only liked it when I was 16 and babysitting regularly and the kids used to watch Disney, it's not actually a bad show.

My thinking is that Disney wanted BRIGHT colours to catch the kids attentions.

[–] rosy_mullen 13 years ago

Oh and also what used to confuse me was the fact that Lizzie used to walk around with a handbag...at school.

[–] ElaineofAstolat 13 years ago

What was confusing about a purse? Practically every girl I know started carrying one sometime around 4th grade and we still do. It's hardly unusual.

[–] come-josephine 13 years ago

Honestly, although the styling in Lizzie McGuire was often loud, heavily textured, and even obnoxious, I think it was only an aggrandizement of what my peers were wearing at the time. I was thirteen during the sweet spot of LM's popularity, and I remember my friends and I swooning over all the clashing colors and butterfly hairclips and leopard wedges (although my swooning was secret, since I still felt a commitment to tomboyishness). Had we the allowance to afford it, I'm sure that my friends and I would have dressed ourselves just as wonderfully garish as Lizzie and Miranda. Thinking back, we probably looked worse; Mom-bought JC Pennys + DIY 2001-era Disney Channel = one hell of a ragamuffin.

[–] blaque108 13 years ago

I wasn't really into this show I was 18 when this show first aired. I think i started to watch the show in about late of 2002 and I was like this show is ok, but I didn't really take notice on how they dress. They weren't dressing overly sexy that is a good thing not like the teens on today shows on Disney.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] mr_bickle_the_pickle 12 years ago

Speaking of clothes....I always remember when Kate told Lizzie off for being an outfit repeater. I was like "Everyone is an outfit repeater!!"

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[–] Memorex101 12 years ago

^ True.

That was in the graduation scene of the movie.

I thought it was funny because Kate accused Lizzie of being an “outfit repeater” while
they were all dressed in identical graduation gowns. Talk about outfit repeaters.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] cat_bee 12 years ago

Exactly! It was the fashion during that time! It's funny to think all the styles in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and 00's were considered good fashion because we look back now and think it looks hilarious. You also have to consider the material's used for the clothing, the accessories, the music, the movies; pop culture impacts so much more than you think. I think I was 12 when this show was on and I remember everyday during gym my girlfriends and I would splash all this glitter lotion on our skin so we could shine. Oh and danced to Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. Yeah, I'm reminiscing now....

[–] miaangel345 12 years ago

The second season had much better fashion sense than the first season tho!

I really liked Miranda's style the most and Kate's!

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[–] quillpen5 12 years ago

I agree with the OP. It was definitely NOT the fashion back then. I was 15 when the show aired, and I thought the clothes were horrible at the time. Nobody I knew dressed like that at all.

For a much better style idol, try Ren from Even Stevens. Same time period, but she knew how to dress right.

[–] xeromem-brown 12 years ago

What is and isn't fashionable is not just related to a time period but also age groups and if you don't believe that take a look at the clothing sections in the stores. So not only is time period relevant to this thread but also the age group as well. So what was fashionable then to the 12-14 age group would be different than 15-18 age group during the same time period. Also there are other factors in the equation but age group is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, factors in this equation. While Disney may have exaggerated a bit on the styles they weren't very far off the mark.

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