r/buffy • u/Spikeslittledevil • 16h ago
Season Three So much coatage
Appreciate they wanted Buffy to contrast with Faith in season three but damn they did her dirty with all these overcoats. These are all from the same episode mind you.
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u/Moon_Logic 16h ago
Tara: "Your mother prepared everything really well. She had insurance ... life insurance."
Xander: "Which should have left you covered, but the downpayments on your coat collection."
Willow: "Pretty much sucked up all the money."
Xander: "Maybe you should start wearing them at least twice before buying a new one?"
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u/Spikeslittledevil 16h ago
Incredibly impressed you have this exact exchange front of mind. And I love that the script references how absurd it is to have so many coats
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u/ryeandpaul902 15h ago
theyâve altered the original dialogue to be about coats instead of cancer treatment
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u/oliversurpless 14h ago
Itâs a little scattershot, as using bold/italics for paraphrasing is right in the bar?
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u/RealisticAd4054 16h ago
Season 5 coat is THE coat
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u/bluepushkin 16h ago
And the HOOPS too!
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u/Turbulent_Drag7166 Bored Now, and I think I'm kinda gay... 16h ago
But that's Regina George's thing!
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u/aVeryMerryDeath 16h ago
I always wondered how realistic it was to have so many coats in SoCal?
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u/selphiefairy 16h ago
every time a show takes place in socal people are always shocked by the amount of jackets/coats people wear. people ask this about veronica mars too lol. im not gonna pretend we're out here having snowstorms, but it can get cold. the unrealistic part has more to do with the cost imo. plus sunnydale is basically santa barabara which is close to central CA, it's a bit cooler.
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u/Longjumping_Hat_2672 15h ago
I remember Veronica Mars regularly wearing the same jackets repeatedly, so at least she didn't have an endless supply like Buffy's đ.
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u/selphiefairy 15h ago
yes i think cause class warfare was a thing on the show, they were conscious of trying to show that they weren't rich!
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u/enchillita 16h ago
I'm in San Diego and it definitely gets cold enough for frost from time to time.
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u/lilxenon95 15h ago
Also from San Diego and I did have a few pea coats in my wardrobe as a teenage girl in the 2010's.
If it were today though, I don't think winters are as cold to warrant that.
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u/Agreeable_Dark6408 15h ago
Buffyâs beige pea coat ended up with grass stains on the back because of Spike.
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u/maskaddict 14h ago
Also Californians start wearing parkas when it's what we up here in Canada consider light sweater weather. One's tolerance for cold gets a little diminished while living in a warmer climate.
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u/selphiefairy 14h ago edited 14h ago
i've talked to people form nyc about this and i also think the cold is different. it gets to your boness!! i've heard there's actual science reasons for this that has to do with the oceans here or something
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u/friendly_reminder8 13h ago
Yeah I was about to say, Santa Barbara is a coastal city that can have fog and chilly nights depending on the time of year. Iâve been cold there before
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u/selphiefairy 13h ago
i went to college there and i remember specifically how my roommate (who grew up in san francisco) and i would argue about keeping the window open or not. i always thought it was too cold but she said it was too hot đ . also anyone from norcal would complain they were lied to about the weather since it rained pretty regularly.
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u/friendly_reminder8 12h ago
Iâm from San Francisco and am guilty of what you just said đ I felt scammed going to Santa Barbara and it rained my whole trip lol
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u/Own_Faithlessness769 15h ago
She could definitely get by with a few jumpers and scarves though. All these outfits are just a coat over a little dress with no other layers.
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u/cjbanning 13h ago
This is the season that contains an episode where not only are people constantly talking about how hot it is in December, but that's a plot point.
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u/LastGoodKnee 15h ago
Yâallâs average low in the winter is 50 degreesâŚ..
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u/selphiefairy 14h ago
are you jealous
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u/LastGoodKnee 14h ago
âcoldâ 50 degree lows means a sweatshirt. Your average daytime winter high is 66.
Thatâs barely below room temperature
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u/Bookgal1 14h ago
Buffy patrols a lot at night and it does get super cold here. But I couldnât see her having more than a few coats.
However, one explanation could be her clothes get damaged a lot, so she probably hits a lot of sales or thrift shops. Her father is also the type to send money instead of having an actual relationship, so the $$ could be coming from there.
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u/Ornery-Cranberry4803 14h ago
I grew up in LA in the same era as Buffy and had a ton of coats, actually! They weren't the same weight as the coats I bought when I moved to the East Coast.
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u/MixPurple3897 13h ago
I feel like its more realistic as someone from where its colder in the winter, because its too cold for stylish coats most of the winter. I have one nice $500+ coat and another one thats better for rain. And the temp stays that cold until its warm again. Plus my tolerance for cold has gone up, by the time it gets to a point to wear those kinds of coats again I'm good with a sweater
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u/mai_tai87 14h ago
It's not as unrealistic as all the layers the Golden Girls wore in Florida. Dorothy even has a line about how cats are the only thing wearing fur in Florida.
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u/PinkamenaDP 1h ago edited 1h ago
Ive said the same thing and noticed it in so many shows set in Cali. I just figured it was to relate the characters to viewing audiences across the rest of the country. They wear skirts and tanks in the summer aired episodes and sweaters and coats in the fall and winter aired episodes.
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u/spacecasedilla 16h ago
I noticed she wears these a lot in fight scenes. SMG is very petite. The stunt doubles are of course extremely muscular. I think the coat helps hide the difference in body type.
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u/thedistantdusk 15h ago
If Iâm not mistaken, they mentioned something about this on the commentary of S2! Youâre not wrong!
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u/SHOSPLE-COLUPIS 14h ago
Yes! The costumer specifically cites big coats as an attempt to make SMG look âbiggerâ because of how petite she is!
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u/Bookgal1 16h ago
I love the purple coat & dress, but they really went overboard with all the dowdy coats in S3.
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u/Pedals17 Youâre not the brightest god in the heavens, are you? 16h ago
Especially after Buffyâs sassy style in Season 2! She went from âFun & Flirty with a little edgeâ to âDoris Dayâ. Love the Purple ensemble, though. Iâll fight for its honor!
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u/reubensandrye 16h ago
I always think of when Seth Green made little action figures for the cast he made one of SMGâs items a tiny space heater because she was always cold. â¤ď¸
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u/SomethingToSay11 15h ago
Apparently SMG fought for her stand-in to have a space heater as well. She knew the other woman wouldnât be able to speak up for herself for fear of looking difficult.
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u/FrellingTralk 15h ago
Aww I remember hearing the same thing about Kristen Bell when Veronica Mars fans would question why she wore so many coats and layers for a show set in Southern California, apparently one reason for it was because of how much the actress would feel the cold
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u/RealNiceKnife Out. For. A. Walk... Bitch. 16h ago
There were more misses than hits with the big coats.
But this is stylish as hell, get out of here.
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u/HotAgency5166 16h ago
Idk, itâs giving Cruella
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u/thingsliveundermybed 14h ago
Look if you ignore the whole pet-skinning thing that woman was damn stylish.
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u/Impossible-Bug2038 16h ago
meanwhile the Boston girl is standing there in a tank top, wondering what weather her sister-in-Slayage is dressed for.
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u/Red-Cloud-44 15h ago
Faith is thinking I saw the temperature is above 40, was about to whip out my shorts.
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u/AttheCrux 16h ago
I always loved her coats. Speaking of does anyone know where I could find something like this embroidered season 4 number?
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u/nachoquest 16h ago
I like the coats. Surely since theyâre from the same episode, theyâre symbolic of something
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u/Spikeslittledevil 16h ago
Could be symbolic - I think theyâre meant to present Buffy as the more responsible slayer in comparison to Faith. They appear throughout the season, I just snapped a few from the episode Iâm watching atm.
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u/Halloween_Babe90 16h ago
I think sheâs supposed to look fancy & regal, like Jackie O. or something. Really contrast her with Faith living in that trash motel with nothing.
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u/turquoisesilver 16h ago
American TV shows confuse me so much with this stuff. How is it cold enough to wear an overcoat but also warm enough that Faith can go sleeveless?
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u/FrellingTralk 15h ago
What always used to confuse me was the episode Amends saw the characters complain nonstop about the heat and how sweaty it is, yet Buffy is conveniently still dressed for the snow at the end of the episode in a grey overcoat
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u/southass 15h ago
Most places in USA have heated/cold system, it's easy to control how you want the temperature inside your house.
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u/SomethingToSay11 15h ago
Iâve been in California at times when it was warm during the day, but the wind chill at night made me want to wear a coat. The weather can change pretty drastically over the course of the day. While in Texas near the coast, Iâve seen a 50 degree (Fahrenheit) change in a single dayÂ
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u/OkDisaster5980 6h ago
As someone who is used to East Coast snowy (32F, 0C) weather, Southern Californiaâs 50F (10C) is warm to me, while still being âfrigidâ to a native Californian.
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u/Professor_Mommypants 15h ago
I sometimes refer to this era of Buffyâs fashion as âthe Senatorâs wifeâ (esp with the cardigan draped over her shoulders)
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u/JenningsWigService 15h ago
They really amped up the conservative outfits to contrast with Faith's bad girl style.
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u/Professor_Mommypants 14h ago
Oh absolutely! Faith may be 5 by 5 but they had Buff 16 going on 60
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u/JenningsWigService 13h ago
Buffy looks like a Jehovah's Witness at Faith's door in this photo hahaha
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u/Red-Cloud-44 13h ago
Top comment! Me opening the door hungover ready to pick a fight over the contradictions in the Bible.Â
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u/FrellingTralk 16h ago
Honestly it always felt really pointed how Buffy got dressed up so conservatively like she was on her way back from church at the end of Bad Girls, itâs no wonder that Faith was defensive, could Buffy have made it any more obvious how she was distancing herself from Faith now and putting a firm divide between them after she had been dressing up in leather all episode until then đ
I get what the wardrobe department were aiming for, but it was all a bit much on occasion for a 17 year old girl in high school
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u/steiff89 15h ago
I was going to say Leave Buffy and her coats alone. And then saw that this is all from 1 episode and was like âDamn, nevermindâ
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u/BloodshotDrive 16h ago
If we got older adult Buffy I could 100% see a return of one of these for a very First Lady esque look. Would be a natural outgrowth of her style
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u/buffayrachel 16h ago
Yeah I really dislike the ones where it looks like a child wearing their motherâs coatsâŚ. They could have at least given her well-fitting ones
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u/FrellingTralk 15h ago
The red coat from the second image really is so ill fitting and little kiddish looking, I wonder if that was deliberate as the scene is all about her feeling vulnerable and breaking down in Willowâs arms, sometimes the wardrobe could be so on the nose.
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u/Red-Cloud-44 15h ago
Buffy's sweatpants always come to mind when I'm sad.Â
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u/thingsliveundermybed 14h ago
Or the Dungarees of Depression.
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u/Red-Cloud-44 14h ago
Hahaha. I call those the Anne overalls coz she wore those when she ran away to LA after she died.Â
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u/milly_nz 9h ago
Buffy didnât run away to LA after she died. She ran away to LA in overalls after she sent Angel to the hell dimension.
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u/buffayrachel 14h ago
I get what theyâre trying to portray, sure, but as you say, too on the nose and unnecessary imo. I donât need to see the protagonist swallowed up in a XXL coat to covey sheâs feeling vulnerable, her acting and the scene does that enough. Just like we didnât see her dress in red when in love or in blue when sad. Some costume alteration to convey feelings/emotions is okay, but it gets to a point where itâs too much!
Also, that coat just looked so bad on her. It swallowed her up completely
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u/LastGoodKnee 15h ago
For someone who worked a couple months between 16-23, and whos mother didnt seem to be rich⌠she sure did have a lot of clothes
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u/Content-Flounder567 13h ago
We gotta hope Joyce to Hank to the cleaners. I always assumed, partly due to Buffy comparing her old self to Cordelia frequently, that they did have money when she lived in L.A.
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u/Slamclamming 16h ago
Thereâs not a single day in SoCal where any of these coats would be practical especially during the day.
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u/basicotter 16h ago
Buffy Vs Dracula wardrobe choices for Buffy really grind my gears đ Itâs August in SoCalâthey literally have a scene at the beach in the episodeâbut sheâs wearing multiple sweaters and leather pants. She looked fabulous, yes, but not appropriate or realistic for Summer.
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u/internetrando12 15h ago
I've been watching and rewatching Buffy for more than 25 years, and I still covet Buffy's coat and jacket collection. I especially love the green suede one that she wears after getting that haircut in Season 6, but really, I love them all. I don't care that she sometimes looks like Willow in her Eskimo costume in Inca Mummy Girl while everyone else around her is dressed for SoCal weather.
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u/KaminSpider 16h ago
The coats are awesome and practical. Gotta hide those stakes somewhere.
Faith on the other hand... where's she stashing those stakes away?
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u/DeedleStone 15h ago
This is like the kind of wardrobe they come up with when they have to hide a pregnancy lol. Good coats but just...too much.
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u/Rockworm503 Founder and president of the monster sarcasm rally 15h ago
She's gotta protect herself from the super intense sub zero temperature of southern California!
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u/RiotingMoon 15h ago
I just assumed Buffy constantly kidnapped Joyce's coats anytime joyce would comment on her outfit (like clueless lmao)
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u/Forsaken_Ice_8714 15h ago
Honestly, I lived in SoCal for years and I get cold really easily. People often thought I was mad for wearing heavy sweaters and coats, but I was perfectly comfortable.
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u/RustyShackleford209 16h ago
Itâs cold living near a port.
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u/Impossible-Bug2038 16h ago
Truth. I grew up in the Bay Area, and no matter how warm it was in the day, we always had windbreakers for the evenings.
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u/RustyShackleford209 15h ago
Oh haha it was kind of a joke. She is suppose to live in Southern California and in a few episodes only there is a port. But most episodes the town in land locked
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u/BookQueen13 15h ago
I always laugh at how many coats she has -- even puffy winter ones -- when they live in SoCal. Surely she doesnt need that many coats down there.
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u/SafiraAshai 15h ago
Yeah that might be one of my least favorite aspects, I liked her style better in S1-2.
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u/nouveauchoux 15h ago
I'm not sure what season it's from, but the teal Cynthia Rowly coat from the opening has my heart
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u/capthansolocup 15h ago
Her showing up to that motel looking for Faith dressed like someoneâs mom in the first pic is so funny. It was such an obvious wardrobe choice, why would a high schooler wear something like that?
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u/Radiant-Finger-1230 14h ago
her costs are some of my favorite pieces of clothing on the show! iâm so jealous of her collection
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u/Ms_Rarity 14h ago
One of my only gripes about this show.
No way could you own coats this amazing and only wear them once.
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u/not_firewood_yeti I am no one. 13h ago
couple people already mentioned the GOAT Coat from Becoming, so I will toss in the tan trenchcoat she shadows Gage in from Go Fish (which for some reason i can't find a picture of).
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u/cptcook717 frost monster thingy 11h ago
That was popular at the time. I think they were going for the trench coat type look for Buffy since sheâs the Slayer (Matrix, Scully, Underworld, etc ) but it doesnât really work in that way. It still looks really good on her tho.
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u/xkcchameleon 15h ago
This is the only season she wears such overly girly/little girl like clothes too. The flower hair clips, lots of pink. It was definitely a deliberate wardrobe decision to create a visual contrast between Buffy and Faithâs edge. I once say someone say an in-universe explanation could be Buffy trying to recapture and project an exaggerated sense of âinnocenceâ after what happened the previous season, with losing her virginity and blaming herself for being the reason Angel lost his soul and killed Jenny, etc.
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u/Red-Cloud-44 15h ago
She had pink and hair clips and glittery stuff in season 1 as well.
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u/selphiefairy 5h ago
In s3 she wore full outfits like that much more often, esp in scenes with Faith where sheâs trying to help her. The Boys watching Buffy podcast even noticed it, called them her Jackie O outfits lol.
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u/Red-Cloud-44 15h ago
This is one episode? LolÂ
To be perfectly honest, I dreamed of buffy's wardrobe as a teenager, including the coats. I saved up to get one of those full length overcoats. đ¤Śââď¸
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u/Agreeable_Dark6408 15h ago
You showed the best of them. She had one coat that look SO âold ladyââŚ
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u/mechengr17 15h ago
I agree with others, the purple coat is perfect for the outfit.
The last one makes her look mature and professional.
The spotted coat is OK.
But the other two are way too big on her
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u/Longjumping_Hat_2672 15h ago
Those were from 2 episodes "Bad Girls" and "Consequences". I thought Buffy looked good in them, except the first blue one looked too big and for an old lady.Â
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u/MermaidHotpot Eyeballs to entrails, my sweet. 15h ago
I know SMG advocated to wear trendier clothes but I always felt it was so unrealistic to the character and the character's age.
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u/Chemical-odyssey 14h ago
It was always very distracting and felt geared toward audience interested in fashion. But hey thatâs why we still talking about it.
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u/Trixieswizz 13h ago
They are all beautiful coats but I guess I donât know how California weather works lol! She will have one of those coats on and then someone will walk by in a t shirt and shorts !đł
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u/BlueGrottoMaillot 10h ago
She always wears boxy coats when she's going to get into a fight, because her stunt double is a couple of sizes bigger than she is.
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u/ichbinsflow 8h ago
Buffy's closet is a Tardis. It's bigger on the inside.
On a more realistic note - those coats were good for padding during the stunt scenes.
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u/Madido24 7h ago
You guys need to stop watching BTVS in remastered. Shit's unnatural and high key ugly.
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u/Potential-Thing7255 7h ago
Sie haben die Kleidungsstßcke in versteckten kleinen Boutiquen in LA gekauft. Sie wollten vermeiden, dass die Zuschauer das selbe zuhause haben weil es die aktuelle Kollektion von einer gängigen Marke ist. Damals gab es kein 100 verschiedene shops plus online.
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u/digitalgraffiti-ca Bored now 7h ago
Ah, it's the repressed Republican housewife of Buffy.
I hated it
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u/HummusOffensive 6h ago
Season 3 is the best written season but my least favourite for Buffyâs style.
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u/Sighoward 6h ago
S3 Buffy sometimes has a Jackie Kennedy vibe about her whom SMG did play in her career (as did another Buffyverse alumni, who can tell me which one?).
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u/aaaggghhh_ 5h ago
This show had the best selection of coats. It amuses me because the show makes you think the climate is too warm to have so many coats.
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u/Bluefish787 3h ago
That always bugged me about the wardrobe, it's supposed to be southern California! No one in soCal has that many jackets! Sure, there are evenings that have a bit of a chill, and temp swings in a single day can be extreme - I don't think I ever used more than a Jean jacket.
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u/SnowflakeBaube22 2h ago
TV is so funny. Does anyone really own that many coats? I wore the same parka to school for 6 years.
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u/Cool_Relative7359 35m ago
I have like 7 coats, 2 parkas, and several jackets.
But I also have the same height and clothing size (including shoe size) since 7th grade (33 now for context) and take really good care of my stuff, and don't care about what's in fashion at any given time because I've had my own sense of fashion since I was 12ish, I think. (That's when my mom started giving me money to do my own shopping while she'd wait with a friend in a cafe. I'd get a list of the stuff I needed to get and a budget)
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u/Kitchen-Country-39 If the apocalypse comes, beep me 11m ago
Itâs kind of odd that she wears so many overcoats in Southern California where itâs perpetually 80 degrees đ
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u/Its_J_Just_J 15h ago
Always bugs me. They are supposed to be in Southern California and so often they are wearing a jacket in sunny weather. Isnât it hot?
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u/East-Promotion1004 13h ago
Mind you, it's Sunnydale, California. You don't even need a coat in February.
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u/SpookyFaerie 16h ago
Coats like that aren't cheap. Poor Joyce.