Geek Fashion Fix | Fictional Style Icon: Rainbow Johnson
When the idea for this segment struck me, so did a certain character.
No, it wasn’t Carrie Bradshaw. It wasn’t Blair Waldorf or any of those other predictably classic characters that come up so often in the world of fictional fashion.
Hold your gasp. I look ridiculous in headbands and can’t walk in heels to save my life, so what good would any of them do me? Nothing.
And are their looks even relevant, wearable, or accessible today? No!
That’s why the lady at the top of my list has made such a lasting impression. Ladies and gents and geeks alike, I present to you, my number one Fictional Style Icon: Rainbow ‘Bow’ Johnson.
I could dedicate an entire blog to Bow’s outfits if that hasn’t been done already. I could also spend this entire post telling you how important ABC’s black-ish and the Johnson family are, or how crazy obsessed I am with Tracee Ellis Ross, but that’s not what I’m here to do (though maybe this will be enough to convince you to tune in.)
Sitcom mothers have come a long way since the days of ill-fitting jeans and tennis shoes, and Bow is the perfect example of that progression, considering I have to pause every episode just to see what she’s wearing.
Seriously, everything from her pajamas to her maternity wardrobe is so perfect makes me squeal. How cute is she?
Her style is the perfect mix of her zany, non-traditional upbringing by bohemian parents and current success as a brilliant doctor and mother of four. It’s modern and colorful and always refreshing— she rocks space buns, vintage band tees, and green leather as often as she does Isabel Marant pieces and her Bandolier phone case.
And that’s my favorite thing about Rainbow Johnson: she’s a constant reminder that we don’t have to grow up and lose our fun streak. Her wardrobe is the perfect example of that.
Watch Bow kill the outfit game in black-ish Tuesday nights on ABC, or do the 2017 thing and stream it all in one sitting on Hulu.
Who's your Fictional Style Icon? Who should we cover next? Let us know in the comments below!
Comments
Lynda Anderson said:
I love this blue summer dress Rainbow wore on an episode of Blackish. It has the rope shoulder straps. Is it possible to buy it or order it online….provided it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? thank you.
Tk said:
I think a lot of the baggy stuff she wears is frumpy looking and very unflattering. Her fashion sense is terrible in many episodes, so I have to disagree. She has a nice body, why wear are that sacky looking high waisted crap?
KB said:
I agree! Rainbow Johnson is a style icon. The wardrobe department has done their thing with all the characters’ styles, but Rainbow stands out. Her style is a mix of contemporary, designer, urban, and French style infused into what is better know as Rainbow ‘Bow’ Johnson. A lot of pieces she wears on the show I have in my closet.
Lisa perez said:
Trying to find the denim shirt or dress with the knotted rope detail on top she wore in season 3 episode 4
Wanda said:
I want to purchase the romper/dress please. Where can I find it? 304-960-9348
Wanda said:
I want to purchase the romper/dress please. Where can I find it?
MJ said:
Her clothes in the beginning were cute, but now not so much. The outfits are soooo unflattering and boxy, baggy, too high waisted and worse than mom jeans. Why are they not dressing her for her body type? Ruby looks sexier than Bow. And don’t try to say it’s designer urban. Nope.
MJ said:
Her clothes in the beginning were cute, but now not so much. The outfits are soooo unflattering and boxy, baggy, too high waisted and worse than mom jeans. Why are they not dressing her for her body type? Ruby looks sexier than Bow. And don’t try to say it’s designer urban. Nope.
Kay said:
I think her clothes are mostly awful, especially the long shirt dresses. The super baggy jeans she wore in season 5 were so ugly, I couldn’t stand it. She’s unusually long from waist to crotch, out of proportion to her legs and upper torso. So this area shouldn’t be higlighted. But they do it every episode. When they dress her correctly, she can look very nice. Also her hair styles – loose and natural looks better on her. She does not have the face for tight knots; she has a bit of a horse face, so anything tight and pulled back is not great. This is a woman who can look really homely or wonderfully beautiful. It all depends on the stylists.