Ugly Betty, The OG Core Queen
Ugly Betty was an anti-trend fashion icon, who's still influencing the ‘core trend sphere today
Ugly Betty was a fashion icon before her time. But thanks to the likes of ‘cluttercore’, anti-trends and personality-led aesthetics, this fashion TV maverick is finally getting her stars.
I have the Ugly Betty box set of DVDs stashed under my bed and even though before long I probably won't be able to use them, I refuse to get rid. I have no doubt that I’ll end up taking them to the grave or passing them down as heirlooms.
But I have my reasons for actively hoarding this satirical fashion-focused TV series, so read on if you will.
In a world of fashionistas drowning in conformity, there was one woman way ahead of her time who dared to stand out and defy norms. Her fashion sense was nothing short of preeminent Gucci-esque geek chic, it was trendsetting before trends were even trending.
It was a blend of maximalism, with colourful printed tights and a ton of texture, with a dash of 2010s blogosphere aesthetics and kitschy runway looks thrown in for good measure.
The fashion icon in question? Well, that’d be none other than Betty Suarez, the fashion pioneer of mid-aughts network television who is an OG core queen.
Betty Suarez, a 22-year-old Mexican American woman from Queens, New York, took us on a four-season journey into the cutting world of fashion, with dreams of becoming a magazine editor. From 2006 to 2010 Ugly Betty was an addictive blend of high-stakes drama, using fashion as a vibrant storyteller.
This comedy-drama started an era of current core trends that wouldn't have been possible without gold ol’ Betty.
From the moment Betty stepped into the fluorescent, orange offices of the Mode, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Her unconventional style defied the white-centric, sizeist environment, and it was a breath of fresh air. Suarez became the antithesis of popular styles, even as she battled to break out of the limiting boxes the fashion overlords placed her in.
I’ve worked in fashion for over a decade now, and Suarez’s unconventional, off-kilter style spoke to me even though I couldn’t explain exactly why at the time.
Thanks to the brains of costume designer Patricia Field, who has worked on Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada, and some of the most fashion-forward media of the past decade, the anti-trend approach seen in Ugly Betty allowed those who existed outside of mainstream trends to see how things could be done differently.
Fast forward to today, and the TikTok sphere is flooded with core trends and aesthetics that are emulating Betty's fashion choices. It's a welcome break from the cringey, rigid fashion codes that have dominated recent times.
In Betty's world, more was always better. And this conscious effort to showcase her inner identity via outward style codes is now ushering in an era of personality-led outfits that act as an extension of who we want to be.
Betty never fitted in with the Botoxed assistants and sleek editors at Mode and thank heavens for that. She was the original ‘cluttercore’ tastemaker, with her exuberant looks and anti-minimalist approach to getting dressed celebrating fashion chaos in all its glory.
With the likes of Bella Hadid, Iris Law, FKA twigs and Emma Chamberlain rising up the fashion ranks, a new era of it girls is cultivating and building on Ugly Betty’s amalgamation of ‘core’ aesthetics, giving people cause for fashion experimentation.
It's a rich sartorial landscape where we are plugging into somewhat tribal, subcultural-style communities that have seen characters such as @subwaysessions shift perceptions of clothing.
Miu Miu’s SS24 show saw models stride down the runway with overflowing handbags and haphazard looks, which feels very Ugly Betty coded. And Jane Birkin was the pioneer of overfilled, personalised handbags Betty would be proud of.
Queen Betty was doing what TikTok now deems cool en-masse long before OTT styles went viral on For You pages, and she’d make many a ‘Frazzled English Woman’ proud.
Betty was the reigning it girl of times past and is still influencing fashion today. For Millennials such as myself, seeing the return of Tumblr aesthetics and bold sweater vests and skirts layered over jeans feels like a dose of sped-up Betty nostalgia gone right.
Let’s get one thing clear, Ugly Betty was never ugly. At the time her fashion choices may have not been the trend du jour, but if the show were to be re-released for a 2024 crowd we may be a little more welcoming of her outfit choices.
Betty was a fashion pioneer who was ahead of the game, challenging preconceived fashion guidelines through authenticity and flair. The rest of the world is just catching up.
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