The Elle Woods Back-to-School Edit
Watching and rewatching "Legally Blonde" as a teenager, I was endlessly inspired by Elle's relentless love of pink and feminine frills, her determination, and her unwavering confidence. If Elle Woods had a fluffy pink pen, I too would have a fluffy pink pen.
I was convinced I looked just like her, stepping off the bus in my kitten heels and pink midi dress, ready to tell the Warner of my life that I was so over him. She's even the one who convinced me, for a short period at least, that I wanted to be a lawyer. What, like it's hard?
Elle has been my movie icon for as long as I can remember, and the original Legally Blonde is still my all-time favorite. That's why when I found out she was coming back to the big screen I practically squealed with delight, ready to break out into a bend-and-snap, while holding tightly onto my toddler this time.
This week, Elle is officially back, and we get to see what she was like as a teenager.
The prequel series, Elle, drops on Prime Video July 1, exactly 25 years after the original convinced a generation of us that Harvard was one glittery application video away. This one rewinds to 1995, dropping a young Elle into a Seattle high school full of skater boys and almost no blondes after her family moves up from Bel-Air. Bruiser, obviously, comes too. Despite some grim early reviews, it's already at the top of my must-watch list.
Watching the trailer, I couldn't stop thinking about what Elle would actually be buying if she were heading back to school this fall. The version of her who'd show up to an 8 a.m. lecture fully accessorized, Bruiser peeking out of her bag, planner somehow both pink and intimidatingly organized.
So I built her back-to-school edit: bedroom decor, classroom essentials, wardrobe staples, and the accessories she'd never sit in a lecture hall without. It's the feminine details you'd expect and a few picks you wouldn't, from a fuzzy pink pen to the one bag built for carrying a small dog. Scented résumé not included.