Rule #1 of rom-coms: no glasses allowed. At least, not for our romantic heroines.

 

One minute, she’s the “plain,” even "ugly" best friend or the bookish loner who's unlucky in love; the next, her specs are gone, and suddenly, she's “seen” through a whole new lens. For my Spring 2025 Fashion and Film project at VCU, I followed this cinematic sleight of hand—what I call the spectacle rejection trope—through the idyllic world of romantic comedies. I highlight this trope in three classic rom-coms—She's Out of Control (1989), She's All That (1999), and The Princess Diaries (2001)—to discuss how a simple prop swap reveals complex ideas about beauty, gender, and power.

 

By breaking down iconic film makeovers and their ripple effects, I uncover how stories we love can frame how we see ourselves—and each other—literally and figuratively.