Femininity in the Devil Wears Prada

In the film The Devil Wears Prada femininity is represented through the use of fashion, attitude and the ability to succeed. It can be clearly seen in two of the films principal characters Miranda Priestly and Nigel. Femininity in the film is portrayed through a range of characters and film techniques, including tilts, pans and camera angles. Miranda represents femininity through fashion, make-up and power where as Nigel represents it through his fashion, personality and behaviour. Nigel is the art director of runway, he looks after the fashion articles and photo- shoots. Miranda is the editor in chief of Runway and she is at the top of the fashion industry. Nigel and Miranda’s jobs are very dissimilar; Miranda is the top of the hierarchy and Nigel rests below her. This one makes Miranda superior to Nigel and two shows the diversity in their jobs.

The film demonstrates that an important part of femininity is a person’s attitude. Nigel is an obvious example of this. He shows femininity through his attitude and personality. Nigel shows femininity through his attitude, especially in the way he talks. An example of this is during the movie he says “wake-up 6!” Which is an insensitive fashion insult because, “size 6 is the new 14”. This demonstrates that Nigel has a judgemental attitude when it comes to fashion and Andy. Another way in which he represents femininity is through his creativity and artistic talent. He is head of the art department at Runway and he organises all of the photo shoots. He adds his flair to the way he dresses the models and the way he organises the artistic area of the magazine. This shows that his dedication towards fashion is feminine.

Miranda represents femininity through her knowledge of the fashion industry and her high fashion clothes and designer cosmetics. This is the reason why she is impressed when Andy changes her wardrobe to become more feminine. Miranda lives for fashion and designer accessories. During the film this is evident when she is explaining to Andy her knowledge of the fashion industry and why she wears her lumpy blue sweater. “That sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean… and in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns… And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers… that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry.” This quote demonstrates her complete knowledge of fashion and the industry in which she works. If Miranda did not know about the fashion industry she would not be seen as feminine, as the industry in which she works is feminine. She also represents femininity through her clothes and fashion. Many examples of this are strewn throughout the movie, such as; on Andy’s first day at work.

During the film both Nigel and Miranda represent femininity, in similar and different ways. In the film there are very little similarities between Miranda and Nigel however they both share the love of fashion and the sense of belonging they receive from working in the industry. Many differences separate Nigel and Miranda, from her superiority to his inferiority. His femininity is portrayed through his character’s personality and behavior. Examples of this are scatters throughout the film such as; when he says “We have to get to the beauty department, and God knows how long that's going to take.” Miranda’s femininity is reliant upon material items, such as designer accessories, cosmetics and clothes. These material possessions helped Miranda into the position she is in today. Without her accessories and clothes, nobody would have noticed her. These two different types of femininity are vastly different but help make the character’s personas complete. The film techniques in the movie are mainly in favor of Miranda as she is more powerful then Nigel, examples of this include that the camera is tilted up towards Miranda and down towards Nigel when they are together. Miranda is also the most dominant person in the shots. She is the most focused on, everyone else is in the background.

In conclusion femininity in the Devil Wears Prada is represented through many different areas. One way, Miranda’s way, is through high fashion, designer cosmetics and accessories. Another way, Nigel’s way, is through attitude, personality and behavior. A person’s persona. Film techniques and characters help portray these types of femininity throughout the film. The Devil wears Prada is a prime example of how femininity is not just about being a woman.