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When fans first glimpsed outfits in the new adaptation of \u201cMean Girls,\u201d they were not shy with feedback<\/a> on the film\u2019s pink miniskirts and mesh bustiers.<\/p>\n On social media, some said the costumes looked cheap, as if they had come from fast-fashion retailers<\/a>. Others said they did not lean heavily enough on the Y2K style<\/a> of the original \u201cMean Girls,\u201d released in 2004. And one online commentator<\/a> said the costumes seemed like an A.I. image generator\u2019s clumsy response to the prompt: \u201cWhat do trendy teenagers wear today?\u201d<\/p>\n The wardrobes for the film, which was released on Jan. 12, were not created by artificial intelligence but by Tom Broecker, the costume designer for \u201cSaturday Night Live,\u201d where he has worked for nearly 30 years. Mr. Broecker, 61, had no involvement in the original \u201cMean Girls.\u201d He joined the crew of the adaptation after working with Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels \u2014 who were involved in both films \u2014 on costumes for \u201cS.N.L.\u201d and for \u201c30 Rock.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr. Broecker said the criticism of his work had made him \u201csuper, super, super anxious\u201d for the new film\u2019s release. His goal was to reference \u2014 but not redo \u2014 the wardrobes from the original movie, which were created by the costume designer Mary Jane Fort, by imagining how its high-school-age characters might dress as members of Gen Z.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He cited the \u201csexy Santa\u201d costumes for a holiday talent show scene in both films as an example. In the adaptation, those outfits were influenced by Ariana Grande\u2019s music video for the song \u201cthank u, next,\u201d he said, so he made them a little more sparkly than the plasticky red skirts in the original.<\/p>\n More than 600 looks were created for the adaptation by Mr. Broecker and his six-person design team. In the edited interview below, he explains how they came up with the wardrobe \u2014 which, he said, should not be judged by trailers and teasers alone.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re only getting the bread crumbs,\u201d he said, \u201cwhen you really want to have the whole 10-course meal.\u201d<\/p>\n What did you think of the costuming in the original film?<\/strong><\/p>\n When I saw it then, I thought, This is fun, this is high school in 2004. Watching it now, I go, Oh my God, those poor girls were so sexualized. But that\u2019s 2024 eyes looking at 2004. I know they didn\u2019t feel that way at all, but you look at it now and realize that the world has changed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Where did you look to find inspiration for how Gen Z is dressing?<\/strong><\/p>\n We were very influenced by Instagram and TikTok, and by celebrities like Billie Eilish, Jenna Ortega and Sydney Sweeney. I have a niece who graduated from high school in Indiana last year. I looked through her closet and her Instagram. And I live near N.Y.U., so packs of students walk by my apartment all the time in light-wash, straight-leg jeans, white Nike sneakers and crop tops.<\/p>\n What did those references reveal about how people dress now?<\/strong><\/p>\n The early aughts are very influential in the visual landscape of clothing right now. Sometimes I would show Tina certain things and she\u2019d say, Oh my God, I think I wore that before.<\/p>\n Other things have changed. Gender fluidity is a big thing for kids. And everyone wants to be comfortable, especially after the pandemic. So I dressed the high schoolers in the movie in athleisure, like North Face, Patagonia and Champion hoodies.<\/p>\n Fast fashion has changed how young people shop. How much of that did you include?<\/strong><\/p>\n Probably more than we should have. Two brands we used were Cider and Princess Polly. I stayed away from Shein, but I did find a piece or two secondhand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I kept saying that we have to get into the mind of a high-school student, and that\u2019s how they shop. The directors got rid of a mall scene that was in the original because kids don\u2019t go to the mall anymore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n How did you differentiate costumes for the Plastics \u2014 the three popular girls \u2014 from those for the students they reign over?<\/strong><\/p>\n Everyone in the high school has big bags and sneakers, except for the Plastics, who have little purses and heels. They are different than the people who are weighed down by their books and grounded to the floor with their shoes.<\/p>\n Did you spend more of your budget on clothes for the Plastics?<\/strong><\/p>\n Basically the Plastics got all the money. For Regina George (Rene\u00e9 Rapp), we did Isabel Marant, streetwear like Off-White and a lot of vintage stuff. Tom-Ford-era 1990s Gucci was the inspiration for her homecoming dress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Why do you think people have reacted so strongly to the costumes in the adaptation?<\/strong><\/p>\n I didn\u2019t realize the nostalgia for the original. It\u2019s hard to have something stand on its own when something exists that people love. But this is not that, and 2024 is not 2004. We have changed how we feel about a lot of things. As the tagline says, this isn\u2019t your mom\u2019s \u201cMean Girls.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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