15 Years Later, Bella Swan Remains The Queen Of Never Quite Serving

When the first Twilight movie came out in 2008, I quickly became a proud member of an ever-expanding community of annoying bisexuals who made the film their entire personality. “Never Think” — a sleeper hit on the album performed mumbled by Robert Pattinson — soundtracked every breakdown I had in high school. The question “How you likin the rain, girl?” was burned into my adolescent brain. And I emptied my bank account for an assortment of neutral-tone henley tops.

Today marks the movie’s 15-year anniversary, and I’ve stood by Bella Swan and her affinity for a layered tank since she first appeared on the silver screen. You have to respect her commitment to never quite serving when it comes to fashion, despite Alice’s best efforts. Bella was regular girl representation! Well over a decade later, the film’s normcore not only holds up, but is seeing a second life. After all, Abercrombie & Fitch is back, as are both skinny and low-rise jeans.

Truly, everything I know about both yearning and layering came from Bella Swan. For example, never be afraid to place a long-sleeve thermal beneath a cap-sleeve scoop neck, below a hoodie — or, better yet, a flannel! — or under a Lucky Brand jacket. It’s rare a T-shirt in Twilight stands alone.

Clearly, Bella was never meant to be a fashion girl. “Bella is an outsider. She’s a tomboy,” Wendy Chuck, the costume designer for the 2008 film, tells Bustle. “We always looked at her that way. That’s how we built her personality. She doesn’t appear in a dress until the prom.”

Let’s hone in on that prom look: Me and my need for proper arch support hate to co-sign Bella’s pairing of low-top Converse with a tiered prom dress, but both Teen Vogue and adult Vogue confirm that the sneaker-and-dress combo still hits.

At her core, Bella is just a deeply uncool teen with good hair and a severe anxious attachment style — consider this a spoiler for New Moon. She is exceptionally average, and that is the point. Bella is the people’s princess of Forks, Washington, and her plainness is intrinsically tied to how accessible she is for the viewer. (To be fair, Forks only has so much to offer in the fashion department. Last year my incredibly patient ex-girlfriend bravely took me to the city’s annual Twilight Festival. Shockingly, the tiny town is not the sartorial capital of the Pacific Northwest.)

Kristen Stewart’s character wasn’t the only one whose sense of style aligns with current trends. Angela Webber’s baby pink Gucci readers were serving Bayonetta meets Bella Hadid prescription specs realness. Emmett’s Fila tracksuit and gray thermals paved the way for men with blue sheets and two pillows across America. Rosalie’s big ego, bad attitude, and tightly tailored jackets are fit for your everyday girlboss. (Power tripping might be out, but power dressing is in.)

Then there’s Edward, whose popped peacoat collar and classic Ray-Bans walked so Cole Sprouse as Jughead could run. And while I still personally refer to Alice’s ballet flats as old maiden type of shoes, her hyper-femme ethereal ensembles were the blueprint for anyone who listened to She & Him or has tried out fairycore beauty — not to mention the trend’s cosplay TikTokers.

“Bella is the people’s princess of Forks, Washington, and her plainness is intrinsically tied to how accessible she is for the viewer.”

The Twilight franchise is far from just memorabilia for millennials. The indie-turned-blockbuster caters to young readers, horny parents, and bisexuals who did well in English and history. It truly transcends generations, which many Gen Zers are proving right now.

On TikTok, the #TwilightCore hashtag has roughly 100 million views, and #TwilightOutfits has more than 10 million. They’re filled with a range of cosplayers, twihards, It Girls, fashion teens, Y2K thrifters, and girls who just really love autumn.

There’s also a niche but integral online community for the real ones who remember author Stephanie Meyer’s original inclusion of a khaki ankle-length skirt. In the books, it left Edward hot and bothered.

“I must have blanked completely on that skirt,” says Chuck. “And if I was conscious of it, it was simply because of the practicalities of the stunt work that happened at that location, and the flying up and down pine trees and doing all that wire work with Edward. Sometimes the fantasies don't fit reality.”

I both fear and respect Meyer’s fantasies, but personally, I am grateful that heinous detail was left in the book. (Instead, Bella goes for low-rise bootcut jeans and a classic layered look on top.)

“There’s a fine line between how contemporary you can go. I choose to err away from making something too fashionable, because by the time the movie comes out — and fashion changes so quickly — you’ve got something that looks outdated,” says Chuck. “I’m really happy that, looking back 15 years, these looks haven’t really aged.”

In the end, simplicity will always win. Anyone can aspire to or project themselves onto these characters. This film is for the people, the working class!

The costuming had to be unpretentious in order to work. It is quiet, understated, and sleepy, with a mostly neutral color scheme — which is, of course, hard to fully grasp due to the film’s notorious blue filter. The Cullens damn sure did not need the glamour; their skin was covered in Swarovski crystals, girl.

The only outliers to this rule were the villains: James, who refused to wear a shirt; Laurent, who is possibly the only character who brings a pop of color to the film (unfortunately in more ways than one); and Victoria, who sports a white fur coat and big, curly hair full of secrets.

“At her core, Bella is just a deeply uncool teen with good hair and a severe anxious attachment style.”

There is a lot I wish did not go down in these stories. The name Renesmee is deeply haunted. There was no reason for Jasper to be a Confederate soldier. Billy Burke did not need to be that hot. And, of course, a 108-year-old vampire has absolutely no business dating a 17-year-old or even attending high school for leisure — you’re grown, get a job!

But Twilight is the gift that will never stop giving. It will always be a fantastical place to play and discover your sense of style. While some people might look at a character like Bella and ask, “Her??” there’s an even larger community that wants to embody her simplicity — ill-fitted plaid shirts, layered tees, and all.