So by now, I'm sure you've watched the Gilmore Girls trailer multiple times and came to the same conclusion as me. Let's both say it on the count of three: 1... 2... 3... Why is Emily Gilmore wearing jeans in the Gilmore Girls trailer? I'm so used to seeing her in a tasteful St. John Knits outfit that I just about spit my wine back into my stunning crystal goblet and turned full-on Emily myself. Where do you think you're going dressed like that, young lady? I never declutter my house Marie Kondo-style in anything less formal than a floor-length ball gown, and you're really going to roll up in a Candie's t-shirt, sneakers, and — shudder — jeans? I appreciate that you at least went through the effort of adding your diamonds and pearls, but I thought I raised a Gilmore. Now come through to the formal dining room before someone sees us arguing in the hallway like peasants.
No, but truthfully, it was super jarring to see Emily so dressed down. In a previous episode where she wore sneakers, it was such an event that I thought Stars Hollow might literally burn to the ground, so the abrupt change is a heartbreaking indication of how devastated Emily is about the death of Richard. Not that that's a huge revelation, given the enormous portrait that's currently gracing her wall, but Emily has always had a tendency to go overboard with stuff like this — remember the panic room, and the building she bought at Yale and named after Rory? This is not a family that messes around; they come to play. But through every stress in the past, Emily has maintained her meticulous appearance, so putting her in jeans is a really smart way to drive home just how empty and lost she feels in the wake of Richard's passing.
Whether it's because she can't muster the energy to care about impressions, or because Richard was the person she dressed up for — I'm not crying, you're crying — it speaks to the emotional impact that this show still has, even nine years after it went off the air. As a fan, I know this character and I love her for all of her snark and coldness, and just seeing her in a pair of jeans is enough to evoke major feelings of empathy. There's so much of Emily's story right there in her outfit choice, and I can't wait to see what tear-jerking things unfold once the revival hits Netflix on Nov. 25.
Image: Netflix
