A fashion lesson from the "ugliest" girl in the room
How this TV show has impacted the way I understand style, taste and personal growth.
It’s a truth universally acknowledged… that a woman in possession of an existential crisis must be in want of a comfort TV show from the 2000s, and, if the show is any good, it must be fun, endearing, cozy, and, of course – fashionable.
As it happens, it was during that search that I fell head-over-heels into the world of unforgettable, loving, and often-frustrating fictional heroine, Betty Suarez.
Short, mid-size, a minority, a woman of color, optimistic, naive, and integral, Betty is everything deemed unfashionable and unglamorous by a cut-throat fictional fashion world which, unfortunately, mirrors the real-life fashion world too well.
Her puffy hair and thick bangs, braces, glasses, clothing size, and ‘mexicanness’ are often the butt of the joke, her mere existence in a fashion context the comedic relief of the show. She sticks out amongst her peers not only in terms of physical appearance, but morally as well.
She shows up in outfits considered by the fashion-conscious to be frumpy, mismatched, too bright, too colorful, too much, and her co-workers run a secret blog where they post them as amusement for each other. Even the most camp-loving amongst us would have a hard time finding charm in some (if not all) of her ‘fits (and listen, I love camp, I love quirk, and I love Betty… but some of those outfits made me want to pry my eyes out and chew them in my mouth).
However, I think Betty is the biggest fashion lesson in the show.
For all of its “quirks” (for lack of a better word), Betty’s fashion just makes sense. The more you watch her navigate the world, the more you get her, and the more you get her fashion choices. I might not want to wear many of those things if they were the last garment on earth – but I get why she wears them.
Her mismatched prints mimic the chaos of her life as she maneuvers a merciless fashion job while trying to keep her integrity. The bright colors reflect her optimism. The patterns are often as muddled as her feelings. Her affinity towards a butterfly belt or animal accessory mirrors the naivety of her nature.
Betty’s wardrobe is distinctly…Betty. Ugly*, as some may call it, but authentic, and if there’s something that makes Betty stand out is her authenticity.
She’s not worried about meanness from her peers, either because she doesn’t have that kind of malice, or she’s used to being teased and she decides to keep going regardless. She’s proud of her heritage and genuinely believes the Guadalajara poncho she shows up with to her first day of work is the best fashion statement in her wardrobe. I can’t help but feel inspired by that: loving something so much and so openly to wear it without worrying if someone else might share that same love with me.
How often do we decide how much we like something based on how much other people like it? Not my girl, Betty!
In many scenes throughout the show, we see Betty excited to wear her garments, although she sometimes agonizes about fitting in (like in S1E3 when her older sister Hilda gives her that temporary Queens makeover, which I loved, by the way). Makeover or no makeover, we can count on Betty to show up with her best foot forward.
But perhaps what I love the most about Betty’s fashion is that her style and taste develop alongside her personal and professional growth. She sees herself as her main point of comparison: she changes her hair for the sake of trying something new, breaking out of her shell, and growing – and not because people make fun of her bangs or call her a dork because of them. She goes on a big trip around the world, and her fashion evolves because she feels inspired by what she has experienced. She doesn’t just wear new garments for the sake of wearing them, she wears them because they reflect the changes in her mindset. Her outfits never feel like they’re too much for her, but rather a perfect dose of Betty – and I can’t even begin to imagine how much attention to detail it took for the costume department to get this nuance so well (Pat Field, you will always be famous!)
Taste
One big theme in the show is that of taste: who has it, who doesn’t, who dictates it. In fashion, the privilege of deciding what’s ‘tasteful’ lies with the 1% – the editors. You would think it lies with the stylists, or the designers, or the photographers – but really, it’s the validation of a magazine or publication with enough social currency that makes the public feel like they have permission to love something, even if it was already good without that validation (Influencers, I think, work as a new type of editors, whether we like it or not).
As I was pondering about this, fatefully, I came across a scene with a quote that left me pausing the show and staring at the wall to process.
“Taste is having the courage of your own convictions.”
This quote lead me to consider the possibility that taste is simply being brave enough to be authentic.
But if Betty Suarez is the most authentic person in the show, wouldn’t it follow that she also would be the one with the most taste? How come this isn’t true, in the show, or for the viewers?
Then, I came across this wonderful article on Substack, also serendipitously. It argues that taste is also acquired through exposure. The more exposed we are to something: books, films, fashion, food, etc. the more points of reference and comparison we have, and the more we can understand quality on a scale.
That’s not to say that we can’t like and enjoy things that aren’t “high quality” (I happen to think that mcdonald’s fries are some of the best fries in the world, for example), but as we learn about something, we also understand the skill, craft and nuance behind what makes an experience or item truly great.
Betty Suarez already has one part of the equation – she’s as genuine as it gets. Yet it’s only when she puts in the work of learning about fashion, observing the work of designers, stylists, photographers and editors, that she actually develops taste – gradually and naturally – as a result of her exposure and deeper understanding.
It’s safe to say, then, that taste is both about authenticity and effort – It’s about both inward and outward exploration. In other words: “what am I drawn to?” and “what else is out there?”
I often find inspiration in fictional heroines. Sometimes our own experiences make more sense when we see them reflected on the screen. Watching Ugly Betty has served as a contemplation of my own personal relationship with style, taste and authenticity – as well as with my feelings of how others perceive me, and how I perceive myself.
In general, though, when it comes to fashion (and life!) I believe we can gain a lot from being more like Betty: perseverant, free-thinking, and head-strong, but must importantly, being willing to put in the work, and allowing ourselves the time and necessary processes for style, taste and personality to develop.
May your inner Betty always find you.
xx,
Sofia