Buffy The Vampire Slayer

So Buffy dies (the novelty will soon wear off doing that), comes back, kills the big bad, then heads off to see Hank for the summer. Oh how things change upon her return.

Of course, one of the biggest changes to the style this Season is Buffy’s hair. When Buffy returns from LA in When She Was Bad the honey coloured big-n-bouncy tresses of Season 1 are gone, and in comes a sharp little bob in a much lighter blonde that we’ll all grow to know and love over the years. I have a theory that short hair in Buffy = angst. The next time she’ll have it bobbed is Season 6, also known as the Season of Depression and Darkness (at least in my head). Possibly the haircut could just be a reflection of Buffy’s run-in with a vengeful fisherman over the summer.

Season 2 is many fans’ favourite, and I think is viewed by most people as ‘classic’ Buffy. Although there is still all the Whedon-patented snark and humour we saw in the first 13 episodes of the series, this season marks a change to more adult themes and darker stories. This change is very much reflected through the wardrobe and style for the show. You will see far less of the girly, ‘Clueless Reject’ (and that’s reject from the 1990s film adaptation of Emma, not just someone with no idea what to wear who is generally shunned from society) outfits. This is rumoured to be in part due to Sarah Michelle Gellar voicing her dislike of the micro minis of the first season. Don’t worry, the minis and the knee high boots will still be seen, but they are definitely phased out as the Season progresses and a much higher concentration of trousers/pants will be worn. Let’s face it, these are much more practical for slaying purposes, even the giraffe trousers of doom (I’ll come back to these).

As the darkness of the story arc progresses, Buffy moves away from the sugary purples, lilacs and greens and pinks of the early episodes and more and more black is introduced into her wardrobe (By the way, in my professional opinion black is not SMG’s best colour when she’s blonde, but hey, it’s a handy colour metaphor!). You’ll see Buffy wearing black for the vast majority of the life lessons she learns in this Season – learning that Giles, her mentor, is fallible in The Dark Age, the shades of grey of morality hitting her hard in Lie to Me, post-Angel losing his soul, upon discovering that her former lover has been watching her sleep in Passion (just another sign of what we all know, Buffy would never have tolerated Edward Cullen), and during her darkest moment of the Season, thrusting a sword into the newly re-ensouled Angel in the Season finale. In fact, it is actually rare to see Buffy wearing colours other than black during the second half of the Season.

The Buffy/Angel relationship is once again pivotal for this season, and the gifts he gave her in the first Season make a return; Buffy wears Angel’s cross the first time she fights him in Innocence. In Innocence (which is very much the turning point of the story) Angel gifts Buffy with a Claddagh ring (to the tune of another few hundred girls rushing out to buy one, which way did you wear your heart? How many girls wore it pointing in because they belonged to Angel, I wonder?).

My key wardrobe items for Season 2 –

 The LBD from When She Was Bad. This is a new, predatory side of Buffy, and maybe this particular instance is just a teen acting out due to unresolved issues re. her recent death, but this is definitely a more sexualised Buffy which will become an important plot point.

 The overalls from School Hard. Ever noticed how on TV the characters always have a cute ‘decorating outfit’ every time a paintbrush features in the plot, rather than just wearing ancient and ugly ill-fitting tracksuit bottoms? These overalls also make a return as the last item of clothing of the Season for Buffy as she flees Sunnydale. What could be more of an insight into her state of mind at the time?

 The noble woman dress from Halloween – just have to point this out because, Oooh! Pretty!

 Buffy’s black ‘undercover’ beanie hat – as seen in Becoming part II - put on a black woolly hat, instant stealthy goodness.

 Turquoise coat with purple trousers from Becoming part I. I remember seriously coveting this outfit at the time, it now looks seriously dated. Also a rare burst of colour this late in the season.

 The Giraffe Trousers of Doom (told you I’d be coming back to them). We first see these monstrosities in Reptile Boy twinned with a lacey white cross over top in what would win my vote for worst Buffy outfit of the Season. You can’t miss them, they’re brown and white, tight, and have an abstract giraffe print on them. These horrors are not just around to scar your eyes once, oh no. They make a return for what is arguably one of the most important scenes. Yes, these are the trousers that Buffy wears in ‘that’ scene in Surprise. Poor Angel, he obviously couldn’t help himself, the combination of a wet white top and the sexy giraffe pants was obviously too much for him to control all that pent up broody passion. In any case, the Giraffe Trousers of Doom contribute to the moment of perfect happiness, and thus to the dooming of the Buffy/Angel romance, and the lives of those surrounding them. (This is not the last of the animal print for this season, there’s a fetching leopard print skirt in Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered, but I can kind of forgive that, even if it is a little Bet Lynch.)

Catch Buffy season 2 in the late night slot, 1,20am on Syfy.