A Look Back at Brittany Murphy's Y2K Fashion
From Clueless to Sin City, the Brittany Murphy filmography has a wealth of 2000s movie style that serves as an inspiration to us all.
Brittany Murphy was a cultural icon in the late '90s and early 2000s. She famously got her start as Tai Fraiser in Clueless, now a cult classic film. Murphy showed up on the scene as a sweet young girl with curly hair and a bright smile. Over the next few years, she transformed herself into a blonde bombshell and went on to act in some of the era's most quintessential films like Girl, Interrupted and Just Married, alongside Ashton Kutcher, a shortlived boyfriend.
Recently, there's been a reevaluation of our Y2K leading ladies. Megan Fox, Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears have all been cast in a new light since revelations about their treatment at the hands of family and the public have come forward. Fox, now starring in a lineup of new movies, was spoken about unfairly because of her reputation as a pretty face. Hilton has alleged abuse at her former boarding school. The #FreeBritney movement has made real headway in releasing Spears from her conservatorship and has helped shed light on what life was really like for many of the most popular actresses of the era.
Then there's Murphy. In a 2021 documentary, What Happened, Brittany Murphy?, the actress' quick rise to fame and subsequent untimely death are examined. Her drastic change in appearance is attributed to professional pressures to be sexier, and therefore more castable in leading roles. After a marriage full of ups and downs to Simon Monjack—who some believe played a role in the actress' declining health—Murphy passed away in her Hollywood home at 32 years old.
How much of her poor health was due to the pressures of Y2K culture? Might she have had a longer career and life if some of the social protections we have now had been extended to her then? It's sad to think that the answer might be yes. In celebration of the fabulous Brittany Murphy filmography and the actress' enduring impact on fashion, seen even today in Gen Z's recreations of some of her most famous looks, L'OFFICIEL looks back on all of the star's gorgeous transformations on film over the years.
Clueless (1995)
Who could forget the fashion of Clueless? The classic '90s film is one of the most popular titles within the Brittany Murphy filmography, and for many fans of the actress, marks the first and perhaps most impactful performance from the celebrity. To this day, these outfits are repeated and remixed by fans of the film. Murphy showed up at Beverly Hills High School as a skater geek and left as an A-List popular girl. And, as Murphy later pointed out, she did it all as a "vigin who couldn't drive."
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Brittany Murphy rocked the '60s aesthetic in Girl, Interrupted as Daisy Randone. Sporting a thick baby blue headband and a dark bob, Murphy appeared in a startlingly different, but no less stunning look from her bubbly, teen outfits in Clueless. Better yet, she rolled up to the premiere looking like an absolute vixen in a black dress and, as was standard in the '90s, a matching shawl.
8 Mile (2002)
Murphy kicked off the 2000s as a bobbed blonde in 8 Mile alongside Eminem. The turn of the decade saw her step out of her shell as a sensual woman, taking on both darker roles and darker sartorial choices. While standing on the streets of Detroit amid frosty winter weather, Murphy sported a series of cold-weather looks that have gained popularity among the Y2K-obsessed youth of today as iconic outerwear looks. The star contrasted her light blonde hair with darker eye and lip glam styles and took on an edgier persona for the film.
Uptown Girls (2003)
Some of Murphy's most iconic outfits come from her 2003 film Uptown Girls in which she stars as Molly Gunn, a former rich girl turned nanny. Between her quirky day attire, and slinky nighttime dresses, this movie rivals Clueless as one of the most stylish movies in the Brittany Murphy filmography.
Just Married (2004)
The arrival of rom-com Just Married in 2003 introduced the world to a cute and fashionable couple, as seen in Murphy and Kutcher. The pair's fling was short-lived, but their Y2K outfits live on the Internet forever. The Just Married era brought about Murphy's year of leather pants and flat-ironed hair, making it one of her most memorable style moments in her career.
Sin City (2005)
Sin City cemented Murphy's status as a blonde sensation, and she was featured alongside other Y2K beauties like Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, and Devon Aoki. For the premieres of the film, Murphy returned to an equally stunning brunette hair look, proving that the actress could rock ant beauty look she set her mind to.
"Faster Kill Pussycat" (2006)
Although the Brittany Murphy filmography highlights the actress' main passion for acting, Murphy also dabbled in a music career outside of her work on the screen. In 2006, she released "Faster Kill Pussycat" with Paul Oakenfold, and the thumping club track quickly hit number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. The video featured Murphy in full diva attire.
Murphy and Simon Monjack (2007-2009)
Murphy and Monjack had a highly scrutinized marriage throughout their two years together, and the pair died only six months apart. Before then, the two lived together in Hollywood, making frequent appearances in coordinated, designer looks. The release of What Happened, Brittany Murphy? saw many of Murphy's friends come forward and share the bizarre lies and scams that Monjack was embroiled in, and many of those closest to the actress shared that the declining health of Murphy was likely due to pressure from her husband to achieve a certain look.
