When Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow sat down for Variety's Actors on Actors, the two friends hadn't seen each other in about a year and a half. What followed was a proper catch-up between two women who clearly adore each other, reminiscing about their time on Stage 24 at Warner Bros., where Friends filmed every week in front of a live audience.
And if you go back and rewatch, you'd notice something beyond the chemistry and the jokes: Rachel Green dressed extraordinarily well. Few TV characters have captured and sustained fashion influence quite like her, and over three decades on, the looks still hold up. Here are ten of the most iconic.
The Denim Vest
The one that started it all. Rachel arrives in Monica's life in a soaked wedding dress, but her Central Perk waitress uniform is what kickstarted her style trajectory. The base of the look is a denim vest paired with black bottoms, and layering has helped keep her looks interesting.
The Turtleneck and Plaid Skirt
A white turtleneck and mini skirt, worn with knee-high socks. This is an outfit that's been pinned on a thousand Pinterest boards. It's a timeless look that keeps cycling back every few years, inspiring fresh, fashionable interpretations.
The Mint Green Dress
Jennifer Aniston herself took to Instagram to settle the long-running colour argument, confirming that the thin-strapped, square-neck dress with the thigh-high slit was indeed mint green, and not blue.
The Overalls
Rachel Green styles her denim overalls several different ways throughout the series. Whether worn with a cardigan over it or a baby tee under it, she still looked effortlessly chic. Pair it with a shoulder bag, and it's a quintessential nineties casual look that's still completely wearable today.
The Monochromatic Look
A sharp suit captures exactly where Rachel's style had arrived by the later seasons: polished, intentional, and on the rise not just in the work environment, but also as a fashionista.
The Yellow Strapless Dress
The yellow strapless dress with floral embroidery that Rachel wore was so popular that fans also wanted to purchase it for themselves. Unfortunately, the fashion label IDOL has long since closed, but the outfit remains memorable to date.
The Little Black Dress
This sleek little black dress is a statement itself. Simple yet elegant, this demonstrated that the character's fashion tastes were evolving in step with Rachel's career ambitions.
The One with the Fur Trim
In later seasons of the show, Rachel trades her denim vests for more sophisticated blazers. This purple plaid blazer with a fur trim surely puts her on the map as a style icon.
The Sporty Look
Rachel's character is not someone you would describe as sporty, but she can definitely pull off the look when she needs to. Gearing up for a game of 'Geller Cup', she tucks a graphic tee into sweatpants and tops off the outfit with a baseball cap.
The Gingham Dress
The sleeveless, scoop-neck black-and-white gingham mini is one of Rachel's early-series looks that made a statement. The boxy silhouette was ideal for the nineties layering trick of wearing it over a tee or turtleneck, though on its own, it read as sharp and confident.
What the Variety reunion reminded us is that Friends was never really just a sitcom. It was the nineties television's finest fashion education, and it's still in session.
