Color and costume design are interwoven in Lady Bird (2017) to portray the protagonist’s attempted disavowal from her roots. She is a girl who does not fit into the molds that her mother and small-town expect of her. She rejects her given name, Christine, and becomes the self-proclaimed “Lady Bird”. One of the most evident mechanisms of color is via costume design. Blue is Christine, whereas pink is Lady Bird. These colors contrast to portray an internal clash and path of nonconformism. Toward the end of the film, Lady Bird’s clothing takes on colors that she has never worn before, which signifies a turning point in her identity.

 

Pink is used to portray Lady Bird’s self-alienation. Her hair, arm cast, bedroom walls, prom dress, and most of her daily clothes are different shades of pink—this is her signature color. Through this costume design, the audience gets a better understanding of Lady Bird’s personality and internal struggles. The brightness and noticeability of the color translate into her yearning to express herself, be noticed, and delineate herself from the people around her. The school nun asks Lady Bird, “Don’t you think they’re the same thing? Love and attention?” (Gerwig 1:06:22-1:06:30). To an extent, they are. She chooses to alienate herself in response to feeling alienated by her mom, wealthy classmates, and strict school. In doing this, she gives herself agency by giving off the facade of being in control of her life, despite her actual lack of security. 

 

Gerwig juxtaposes pinks and blues to illustrate Lady Bird’s internal conflicts. While pink symbolizes Lady Bird, blue symbolizes Christine (which is the identity that she is attempting to shed). Blues are depicted in the costumes of the individuals who she does not fit in with. Her mom wears blue scrubs, the nuns at her school wear blue veils, and her ex-boyfriend wears blue sweaters. Lady Bird is the only character who wears both pinks and blues—a reflection of contrasting identities within. This divestation in costume design symbolizes a divestation in her life. She attempts to disavow her roots/support system in order to fully embody the Lady Bird persona.

 

Toward the end of the film, Lady Bird achieves her goal of going to an east coast college. Novel colors coincide with her transition to this new setting. Color is used as a motif in the mise-en-scene of New York City (Bordwell and Thompson 122). Lady Bird, who is dressed in a green-striped shirt and a brown jacket, blends into her environment: an NYC street lined with green trees, brown buildings, and pedestrians dressed in brown clothes (Gerwig 1:25:30-1:27:09). This shift from blues and pinks to greens and browns signifies a transformation. For the first time, Lady Bird blends in with her surroundings. In accepting that she has a loose grasp on her identity, she in turn accepts her identity. Moreover, instead of relying on an overt, protective facade via pink clothing, she embodies an honest version of herself.

Blue, pink, green, and brown are used in Lady Bird’s costuming to convey a sense of self-estrangement that the audience can relate to.