She’s your lobster of looks.
Fashion fiends and “Friends” fans are busy clawing for cool, kooky clothes inspired by quirky 1990s icon, “Phoebe Buffay.”
From her bohemian shabby chicness to her colorful and carefree whimsy, the fictional “Smelly Cat” songstress, essayed by actress Lisa Kudrow, is style’s hottest archetype this chilly season.
“In a world full of Rachels…I’ll always be a Phoebe Buffay,” vowed Kelsey Kinch, a Southern California content creator, and a viral visionfavoring the fashionable eccentricity of Kudrow’s character over the saucy, sophisticated swag effused by co-star Jennifer Aniston as “Rachel Green.”
It’s an aesthetic swing away from sexy to splashy, lead by Gen Zers.
As tastemakers in their 20s continue resurrecting early aughts wardrobe trends — adopting flair from late ‘90s and 2000s sitcoms such as “Gilmore Girls,” “The Nanny” and “Friends,” of course — youngsters of the movement are moving towards the cozy, multi-chromatic gear from the era, forgoing the more skimpy, tight-fitting outfits of the time.
In fact, researchers for Edited, a retail analysis group, recently revealed that a surprising number of Zoomers prefer sporting fun, baggy garb over clinging togs, like leggings, on a regular basis.
Much like Phoebe Buffay, a number of other unlikely pre-millennium VIPs are springing up as Gen Z’s glamorous guiding lights this fall.
Although “Clueless” stars Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash have long been credited for carrying fashion to new heights of hot with their respective roles as “Cher Horowitz” and “Dionne Davenport” in the cult classic, Brittany Murphy as the tomboyishly cute “Tai Frasier” is now being hailed a voguish heavyweight.
Refusing to fully ditch her own sense of style just to fit in with popular girls, Tai often stole the spotlight in casual clobber, such as short-cut overalls, cropped sweaters and slouchy shirts rather than body-contouring regalia à la Cher and Dionne.
In the three decades since the 1995 blockbuster debuted, the pioneer’s punky pizzazz is finally picking up steam with anti-glam girls worldwide.
Danielle Fishel’s portrayal of the unapologetically avant-garde “Topanga Lawrence” in ‘90s TV series, “Boy Meets World,” is also shining as a posh paragon for free-spirited women of today.
The show staple’s famously offbeat, oversized threads have recently been revived by casual clotheshorses who prioritize comfort over conformity.
And for the fellas“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Alfonso Ribeiro’s legendary looks as the nerdy, albeit debonair “Carlton Banks” is rising as all the rage.
Despite serving as the poster-boy of all things uncool in the ‘90s — second to “Steve Urkel” of “Family Matters” fame — Carlton’s preppy apparel is now buzzing as must-have glad rags among Gen Z guys and gals.
Still, most “Friends” fanatics would argue that fashion doesn’t get more playful and loosey-goosey than the ever-effervescent, immaculately irrepressible “Phebes.”
Whether rocking boho haute couture, an outlandish pair of denim overalls, a maxi dress or skirt, a fringe vest or corset top — with hair oft-coiffed in a wacky updo or a — Ms. Buffay always slayed, per her modern-day admirers.
“She’s serving all the good looks,” raved Juliaan international influencer, posing in several signature Phoebe ensembles, including an ankle-length jean skirt paired with a white top layered under a denim blouse tied beneath her bust.
Haley Robinson, a model based in Seattle, Washington, too, modeled attire inspired by the goofball role model, wowing in a beige fur-lined jacket and coffee-colored checkered skirt, in a separate social media snippet.
Leia Ku, a clotheshorse from London, followed funky suit, dressing up in a lime green frock inked with a feathery and floral design, a white turtle neck, sheer stockings, cowboy boots and a Y2K-esque purse.
“God forbid a girl wake up and want to be Phoebe,” Ku captioned her TikTok clipwhich garnered an outpouring of adoration from Buffay buffs, commenting praises like, “[Phoebe would] love this ‘fit,” and “You are [dressed] more Phoebe than Phoebe.”
