17 Years Later, and I Still Dress Like Princess Mia Thermopolis
Are you ready for some shocking news that may or may not make you feel a tad older than you'd like to feel? The movie we can probably all quote at the drop of a hat, The Princess Diaries, is officially 17 years old today. How that is even possible, I'm not sure—I'm just stating the facts. As I sit back and relish over the countless times I've enjoyed this quality feature film, I had an epiphany. I'm still mulling over what exactly this epiphany says about me, a 25-year-old woman, but I'm here to share it with you anyway.
After 17 years of The Princess Diaries being in this world, I still find myself dressing like Princess Mia Thermopolis, Princess of Genovia, on a regular basis. Despite the fact that I went to private school basically my entire life, plaid skirts, blazers, and Dr. Martens are weirdly a part of my usual wardrobe, and if that makes me a Mia-obsessed freak, then so be it. Her style wasn't revolutionary (at least not as revolutionary as Lana's), as far as movies from the early 2000s are concerned, but it was subtle, memorable, and apparently, timeless.
See that up there? That's me. The year is 2018, and I am still dressing in a way that I think Mia would have dressed should the movie have been shot today. Ahead check out some of favorite Princess Mia outfits along with the pieces I'm buying to re-create these timeless looks for myself (since apparently, I have the whole private school thing down).
Here's Mia post-makeover looking happy but still awkward. Oh, and let's not ignore the backpack she's hugging here. Does this quote ring any bells? "This bag… you have one of these bags?!"
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If the sight of Joe doesn't make your heart feel all warm and fuzzy, you need to watch the movie again ASAP. Here Mia is rocking her full uniform—knee-high socks, Dr. Martens, and all.
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Remeber when Mia crashed her new baby into the trolly? Here she is waving to the commoners with her grandma/queen while rocking a simple yet perfectly San Francisco look.
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Is anyone else still confused as to why this scene was necessary? Okay, so Mia rock climbed, but that never came up again once in the rest of the movie, and that's always bothered me. Anyway, here she's wearing an old graphic T-shirt, fleece vest, and scrunchie—a look I totally vibe with.
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Last but not least, I'd be kidding myself if I didn't admit to looking like the soaking wet Mia pre-ball a majority of the time. Discheveled and overwhelmed are two looks I have on constant rotation.
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Next up, check out the one style trick all New York women use.
Lauren Eggertsen is currently the editorial director of Who What Wear and has worked at the company for over eight years, where she started as an associate editor and has since worked her way up. Lauren has over 10 years of experience in the fashion editorial space, starting her career with internships at Marc Jacobs, Marie Claire, and The Zoe Report, where she was later hired as their editorial assistant. Lauren has worked in the Los Angeles and New York Who What Wear offices but currently calls L.A. home. It is here where she leads and manages Who What Wear's fashion team and oversees all day-to-day editorial content and large tentpole moments. This includes all of the runway, trend, and shopping-driven content that ultimately helps to build a strong brand reputation within the industry. Lauren's role also includes helping to set the fashion direction for all original photo shoots and often styles many of the celebrity cover shoots, including big names like Kaia Gerber, Normani, and Kristen Stewart.
She has also attended multiple fashion weeks, including New York, London, Milan, and Paris, where her personal style has been featured on sites such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Elle. She prides herself on discovering and supporting small brands and on her knack for a good vintage shopping find. When she isn't working, she enjoys researching and dining at reputable restaurants around both her neighborhood and the globe.
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