Entertainment
Every Outfit Rachel Ever Wore On 'Friends', Ranked From Best To Worst: Season 1
It's widely accepted that Rachel was the best dressed friend on Friends. Not that she was up against tough competition. Between all Joey's turtlenecks, Ross's weird collection of pink shirts and leather jackets and Chandler's sweater vests, the boys didn't provide much competition. And while Phoebe looked great in her own special way, she wasn't really the fashion icon Rachel was. So that leaves only Monica, who tried, but never quite succeeded in being the clothes horse that Rachel was. And so, in an ode to Rachel, master of both at-home casual and cocktail chic, I'm ranking every single one of her outfits on Friends (that's right, EVERY SINGLE OUTFIT RACHEL EVER WORE, including all her Central Perk uniforms), starting with Season 1...
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Season 1, Episode 18
This skirt is something Urban Outfitters would offensively label as “Navajo”.
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Season 1, Episode 10
This looks like something yoga instructor who doesn’t wear shoes in public would wear.
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Season 1, Episode 18
It’s not Rachel’s fault the silhouette du dour in the ’90s was “boxy” and “clunky”.
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Season 1, Episode 14
Rachel normally makes mom jeans sexy, but sometimes they just look like mom jeans.
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Season 1, Episode 24
Rachel looks good in absolutely any color (I mean, the woman pulls of YELLOW. Who can even do that?) unless that color of course, is pastel pink.
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Season 1, Episode 1
This outfit is very Calvin Klein ’90s ad campaign but not in a good way.
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Season 1, Episode 7
Another big thing you might remember from the ’90s is denim jackets WITH CINCHED WAIST LINES.
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Season 1, Episode 1
What did I say about HUGE VESTS? The scourge of the ’90s. Also check out that pre-“The Rachel” hair.
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Season 1, Episode 13
There really are no words to express how much I hate Rachel’s denim bib. Paired with that necklace the whole thing just makes me cringe.
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Season 1, Episode 10
I feel like this is what an administrative worker wears to work, throwing sneakers and a cardigan over the top for the commute home. That’s the vibe I’m getting.
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Season 1, Episode 17
Rachel-mom just dropped the kids of at school now she’s going to stop by the mall to run some errands.
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Season 1, Episode 6
It’s common knowledge that Rachel has some pretty amazing t-shirts in her collection. You wouldn’t know it looking at this one.
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Season 1, Episode 8
I mean, the best thing that ever happened to Rachel’s “Palo Shoes” was that muddy puddle.
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Season 1, Episode 17
Flowy silk shirts and ankle length polyester skirts, the calling card of ’90s fashion when it turned into a cold blooded killer.
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Season 1, Episode 11
Wait did I say boleros were the worst thing to happen in the ’90s? I meant HUGE VESTS.
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Season 1, Episode 11
There’s something really reformed-stripper-turned-soccer-mom about this outfit.
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Season 1, Episode 21
Again, Rachel is great at pajamas and other at home casual, but these shorts are being eaten by her vagina.
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Season 1, Episode 16
Bolero jackets are one of the worst things that happened to the nineties.
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Season 1, Episode 13
There’s something about the long sleeved top under the shirt that irks me a lot.
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Season 1, Episode 14
Rachel has her at home “relaxation wear” on lock, but this one is lazier than I would like lazy to be.
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Season 1, Episode 12
This is fine in theory, it’s just so boring I fell asleep looking at it…
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Season 1, Episode 15
There’s that cute jacket again, this time ruined by, you guessed it, a BROWN top underneath.
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Season 1, Episode 11
I weirdly like this strange suede overall dress, but as you can probably tell, I have an aversion to brown, and would have preferred to see a white tank under the dress instead.
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Season 1, Episode 18
I mean I definitely wore a lot of brown on brown in the ’90s, and Rachel’s boobs look perky, but the top paired with jeans might have dulled down the whole brown factor a bit.
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Season 1, Episode 4
This high neck black shirt look was a weird, uncharacteristically androgynous one for Rachel, and she’s not really pulling it of. The adorable apron saves it though.
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Season 1, Episode 21
This little tee is a cute color on Rachel but can we all take a collective moment of silence in which we remember the horror of EVERYTHING being ribbed in the ’90s?
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Season 1, Episode 16
NO SERIOUSLY GUYS, THE DENIM VESTS ARE COMING RIGHT FOR US. With the white underneath it’s all starting to look a bit West Side Story though…
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Season 1, Episode 18
This “I don’t care, I’m just wearing a man’s shirt while playing poker” look is cute, but that half-up ‘do has got to stop.
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Season 1, Episode 22
Rachel’s good at pulling off fairly nothing but classic looks, like ankle length dresses with no discernible characteristics other than “v-neck”.
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Season 1, Episode 10
This jacket looks like it would have been very Upper East Side Princess if it hadn’t been dragged through the mud, and Rachel’s stockinged legs always look so cute sticking out the bottom of big coats.
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Season 1, Episode 12
This cute plaid jacket would have got more points if it wasn’t cut like a box, and was potentially more like a blazer or even a motorcycle jacket (not-so-subtle pitch to Zara).
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Season 1, Episode 3
Rachel rocked the denim vest like no one else in the history of the world. Got to give the girl kudos for not coming off looking like a farmer’s daughter while ding it.
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Season 1, Episode 9
THE NECKLINE THE NECKLINE THE NECKLINE THE NECKLINE THE NECKLINE THE NECKLINE.
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Season 1, Episode 15
A skin tight top with flowy nineties style spaghetti strap dress was a staple for Rachel, and if it wasn’t for the poo-brown color of this ensemble I might like it more. She’s still managing to make a hideous nineties trend look incredible though.
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Season 1, Episode 13
Technically not an outfit, but Rachel is totally wearing not wearing that quilt.
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Season 1, Episode 11
… Second favorite being the same outfit but the winter version, with long sleeve top and tights underneath.
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Season 1, Episode 2
This denim vest made many appearances in season 1, my favorite being this combo with black mini skirt…
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Season 1, Episode 3
Again, Rachel’s mom jeans relied on the top half. Her baseball look is pretty adorable.
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Season 1, Episode 22
Rachel’s collection of work aprons could turn around absolutely any outfit, even turning this simple, plain tank into a favorite
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Season 1, Episode 6
Rachel’s “mom jeans” look is a love hate one, but paired with this cute sweater, it’s all love.
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Season 1, Episode 11
One day, I too will be the kind of person who gets about in the mornings in a stunning array of Playboy-style silk robes.
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Season 1, Episode 22
Rachel’s Central Perk uniform is basically what all the cool kids are wearing these days…
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Season 1, Episode 9
I would generally say “don’t wear wrap tops” but in this case I say, “What a great wrap top!”
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Season 1, Episode 15
I know she’s technically in a waiter “uniform” but I adore the Pulp Fiction look on Rachel.
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Season 1, Episode 22
I love it when Rachel wears color, especially bold ones (not to much pastels, but more on that later). This stripey t-shirt is very timeless and the perfect amount of French.
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Season 1, Episode 15
Makes you want to spew, even when Rachel’s being Amish she does it well.
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Season 1, Episode 20
If only I could look like this in winter. Legs sticking out the bottom of a huge black coat; perfectly blow dried hair sticking out the top.
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Season 1, Episode 24
I would love this little romper even more if she lost the sheer tights.
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Season 1, Episode 8
Very “resort chic” in a way that most of us could never even hope to achieve in the comfort of our own homes. Oh, who am I kidding? Even when I try to pull this kind of crap on vacation, I look more novelty party drink umbrella than sexily strolling down a star lit beach (which is the official title of Rachel’s look here).
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Season 1, Episode 5
Rachel is the reigning Queen of Casual and one of her best laundry day outfits is this high waist leggings and tied plaid shirt look.
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Season 1, Episode 1
Rachel’s collection of Hugh Hefner quality robes was astonishingly wonderful.
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Season 1, Episode 10
Hilariously busted up, Rachel’s slinky black slip dress is everything that was great about nineties fashion.
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Season 1, Episode 1
If one wedding dress were to represent what we said when we meant “Wedding Dress”, it would be this wedding dress.
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Season 1, Episode 12
This black mini skirt and high-neck royal blue top is one of my favorite Rachel looks. And the apron is adorable…
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Season 1, Episode 21
Forget the Olsen Twins, my first crush on an “I Heart New York” tee was courtesy of Rachel. AND THOSE PANTS. Swoon.
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Season 1, Episode 10
This neckline, silhouette and color are amongst some of the most flattering ever worn by Rachel.
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Season 1, Episode 24
Her “going to the airport to meet Ross”—as weird as the half-short-half-long skirt is—was hot.
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Season 1, Episode 19
I’m giving it to the school girl look for the win. Just look at Rachel in this tartan skirt and cropped ribbed sweater and tell me you don’t wish it wasn’t the nineties again…
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