Rory Gilmore Is All Grown Up! Everything You Need to Know About Her New Look
The cast and crew of Gilmore Girls have stayed tight lipped what really goes down in the Netflix revival of the show, but the one thing we do know? Rory’s look has come a long way from her Chilton uniforms.
When we last saw Rory (Alexis Bledel) it was 2007 and she was just a wide-eyed ingenue and heading off for her first big assignment—to cover Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Now almost 10 years (and two presidential terms) later, she’s back in Stars Hallow with a chic, new wardrobe.
“We were very particular about how we thought Rory should look because yes, she is older, but we still wanted to keep some type of continuity for the character,” says Brenda Maben, the costume designer for both the original series and the new Netflix special, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. “Rory is still the same person. She still loves to read. She still loves to write. But the difference is she is more mature and she has acquired really good taste over the years.”
Since Rory's shopping options have opened up beyond her hometown, Maben says the outfit possibilities were endless. “Because Rory has been traveling, she would pick up a piece or two in whatever place she was in. When she lived in England, she might go to Selfridges or browse around the stores on Oxford Street. And when she goes home, I think she would take a train into New York with Lorelai because Connecticut is not that far. They would wander into different boutiques. I always dressed her in outfits that she would be able to put together herself."
Keep reading for more fashion scoop on Rory’s new look. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life premieres November 25 on Netflix.
She Has A Little London Flair
We know Rory has been traveling for work the last few years and it turns out she picked up a more worldly sense of style along the way. Her most recent discovery while living in London? The classic charm of Burberry. “When Rory comes home she arrives from London, so it makes sense that she would've done some shopping there,” says Maben. “The tan Burberry coat felt like something that she would've picked out.”
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She Has The Young Professional Look Down Pat
“It was important that Rory’s wardrobe showed that she has been working as a journalist,” says Maben. “And when you get your first few jobs, you usually go out and buy a few really nice pieces. The blue Jamah bag that she carries is one of those pieces for her. In the trailer, she wears it with the tan Burberry coat and a red dress by Anthropologie. “It shows ‘Yes, I’ve been working as a writer. And yes, I have important documents in my bag.’ It was also made in America, which would be important to her."
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She Still Gets Her Style From Her Mom
While Maben says that Rory and Lorelai have different taste in clothes, sometimes a scene would call for their mother-daughter style to align. But overall, she has a more classic look than the free-spirited Lorelai. “Rory is a treat to dress," says Maben. “She looks great in feminine dresses and skirts. I also love to put her in little sweater tops and blouses that are tailored and more fitted. And both her and Lorelai wear lots of great coats and boots, of course.”
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She Likes To Play Dress Up
One example? This mother-daughter pool day scene. “I like the girls to have an element of fun in their wardrobe, especially when they’re together,” says Maben of Rory’s tie-dye look and Lorelai’s printed caftan. “It’s a moment where they say, ‘Let’s go to the pool, relax, and have fun.’ They are out and about and having a great day and their clothes reflected that."
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She Still Has Her Comfy College Clothes
In most of the scenes Rory will be her usual polished self, but now that she’s home, keep your eye out for a few of her old closet staples. “When Alexis and I talked about Rory’s wardrobe, we decided that when she came back to Stars Hallow she would probably go through her closet and put on a few of the pieces she wore in college,” says Maben. “Like anyone else, she would likely come across a comfy sweater or top and remember how much she used to love it."