Be the Main Character: Rom-Comcore Style 101

There’s a growing trend on TikTok of fashionistas dressing like their favorite rom-com movie characters, from Cher in Clueless to Sally Albright in When Harry Met Sally to Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada. One bride even had her bridesmaids wear Andie Anderson’s yellow gown from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. This inspired me to start researching the hottest trend for 2023 and 2024: rom-comcore. Keep reading to learn how to dress as the main character of your own life. 

What is Rom-Comcore?

Rom-comcore is a fun sub-genre of the Y2K trend that’s permeating  the fashion industry right now. Rom-comcore style pays homage to the iconic leading ladies of the ‘90s and early 2000s romantic comedies, like Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Lopez, Drew Barrymore, Katherine Heigl, and more.

Rom-comcore has become popular for three main reasons.

1. It’s a seamless way to find style inspiration within the already trending millennial style.
2. It allows you to embody the “main character energy” by being the star of your own life and living out your youthful rom-com fantasies. (Who else fell in love with Matthew McConaughey on a motorcycle in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days?)
3. This era of romantic comedies showed strong, flawed characters navigating life’s twists and turns with humor, grace, and killer style. By drawing inspiration from these characters, we’re embracing all of our own personality styles and quirks. 

Rom-comcore celebrates nostalgia, self-expression, and romanticizing our lives. This movement is more than just re-wearing your clothes from the early 2000s. It’s about living the romantic comedy dream through what you wear.

So how can you start dressing in the rom-comcore style?

How to dress in rom-comcore

1. Choose your rom-com inspiration

Start by selecting your favorite rom-com film or heroine. You might like the endearing awkwardness of Renée Zellweger in Bridget Jones, the vivacious charm of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, or the playful elegance of Rachel McAdams in The Notebook. If you’re drawn to a particular character’s personality and aesthetic, use that as a sign to help guide you toward unearthing your own style.

2. Dress the part

Identify key fashion moments or elements from your chosen rom-com character that you’d like to incorporate into your daily style. Try to incorporate those pieces that will pair well with the other items you already have in your closet to create a more cohesive wardrobe.

Many key fashion elements from this rom-com era are making a comeback in 2023 and 2024, like slip dresses, mini-skirts, tube tops, and cargo pants. This should make finding replicas of the pieces you’re looking for easy if you check out your local consignment store. 

3. Accessorize

You don’t have to completely change your wardrobe to indulge in rom-comcore. The right accessories can do the trick too! Look for jewelry, shoes, bags, and other accessories that reflect your favorite characters’ go-to pieces, like Cher from Clueless’s famous knee-high stockings paired or Miranda Priestley’s Versace cat-eye sunglasses in The Devil Wears Prada. 

4. Shop on consignment

Some fast fashion retailers offer modern adaptations of these styles, but you want to avoid buying unsustainable clothes from fast fashion brands. Instead, opt for high-quality designer investments on consignment! Shopping the racks at Current Boutique, you’ll find everything you’ll need to make your rom-com wardrobe dreams come true – like a colorful Versace dress like Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30 or a crisp French-it-girl style beret and sunglasses like Julia Roberts in Notting Hill. 

5. Check out the “Frazzled English Woman” aesthetic

Within the rom-comcore style is a microtrend known as the “Frazzled English Woman” aesthetic, coined by the Australian magazine Russh on TikTok. This plays more into the “awkward” heroines of the rom-com genre, like Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’s Diary, Iris Simpkins in The Holiday, or Jane Nichols in 27 Dresses. These heroines (both English and American) exude quirky charm rather than classic grace.

This style combines coziness with style, drawing inspiration from flawed, relatable characters. So, if you have a charming tendency toward chaos and disarray, this style might help you add more purpose to your style. This casual look includes hair claw clips, skinny scarves, opaque tights, slumpy knits, and tousled hair.  

Embrace the rom-com spirit

Romantic comedies are playful, lighthearted, and make you feel good. They demonstrate women’s resilience, quirks, humor, strength, and grace. Dressing like your favorite rom-com heroine is a great way to embody those characteristics you want to promote or bring about in yourself.

Rom-comcore isn’t just a fashion trend; it’s a celebration of the movies, the characters, and the styles that have inspired you. You can be the main character of your story by infusing your life with the fashion, spirit, and magic of your favorite romantic comedies.

Be the leading lady of your life. Start shopping for your favorite rom-comcore pieces at Current Boutique right now to let your inner star shine through.

Photo sources

• How to lose a guy in 10 days: https://elle.com.sg/2022/12/26/where-to-shop-kate-hudsons-yellow-dress-from-how-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days/
• Pretty Woman: https://www.vogue.co.uk/miss-vogue/article/julia-roberts-pretty-woman-dress
• When Harry Met Sally: https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/when-harry-met-sally-style
• The Notebook: https://www.collegefashion.net/fashion-tips/inspired-by-the-notebook/
• Legally Blonde: https://www.seventeen.com/fashion/style-advice/g28677600/diy-legally-blonde-costumes/
• Clueless: https://www.instyle.com/fashion/chers-12-best-looks-clueless
• Notting Hill: https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/julia-roberts-notting-hill-style
• Bridget Jones: https://honoriavalemon.medium.com/21st-century-rewatch-bridget-joness-diary-and-toxic-femininity-662600e64cf2
• 13 Going on 30: https://harpersbazaar.com.au/rom-com-core/