The Matrix through Fashion
If you were offered a choice between a hellish truth or a comfortable lie, what would you choose? This is the central question posed by The Matrix — is it better to live comfortably under an oppressive system that feeds off complacency, or, is fighting against that system, regardless of how hard it may be, the right choice? While the film tackles this through its expansive world-building, detailed story-telling, and symbolism, its silent storytelling elements are often overlooked.
The Matrix’s costume design is often said to have taken a backseat to the rest of the film’s storytelling elements, with costume designer, Kym Barrett, even stating that “fashion was the last thing” on her mind and she was entirely focused on “[making] these worlds [to] be real and be distinctive.” However, this is what makes the movie’s costume design so important. Rather than attempting to create a flashy wardrobe like many sci-fi movies at the time (2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars are two great examples of this), Barrett created a simplistic wardrobe that perfectly encapsulated the film’s themes of breaking out of conformity.
The movie starts by showing us a disheveled Thomas Anderson or “Neo.” Throughout the beginning of the film, he is portrayed as a stereotypical computer geek —- nerdy, unconfident, and emasculated. His poorly fitting, uncomfortable suit encapsulates this perfectly, and shows his unconfident demeanor while also portraying that he’s simply a cog in the machine. Contrasting him is Trinity, a confident, strong, and capable woman, who wears much more imposing clothing, such as the movie’s trademark black leather trench coat.
Once Neo is released from the Matrix and is on board with the rest of the crew, he is shown in a distressed, oversized sweater, skinny jeans, and strapped knee-high boots. This outfit is extremely punk-inspired and portrays two important aspects of the movie. First, the distressed state of the outfits shows the squalor the crew lives in. Constantly on the run from sentient AI, they can not afford to wash or repair their clothes; therefore, their wardrobes are extremely shoddy and low-quality. Second, this represents a turning point in Neo’s character. The exchange of his uncomfortable office uniform for a punk-inspired outfit displays his rebellion against the system and breaks from conforming to an oppressive regime, both mentally and physically.
Finally, when Neo returns to the Matrix to fight the AI, he debuts the movie’s most famous outfit — a black leather trench coat and pants paired with a black tank top and the notorious black sunglasses. The wardrobe for these scenes not only establishes Neo and Trinity as dominant figures to be feared but also represents the final development of Neo’s character. In this outfit, Neo is at his strongest, completely shedding the nerdy, unsure character he was at the beginning of the film. Trinity now no longer juxtaposes him but rather compliments him. They are aligned as one.
Through The Matrix’s simplistic wardrobe, Kym Barrett was able to not only visually show Neo’s character development but also silently exhibit the movie’s main themes and messages. The iconic sunglasses not only created a memorable moment in the film but also served to obscure the rebel’s eyes. The phrase “the eyes are a window to the soul” is not taken lightly in The Matrix. The robots in the film (also called “Agents”) wear sunglasses to hide both their identity and their lack of humanity. On the other hand, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus use the glasses as a means of obscuring their thoughts and mirroring the outside world back on itself. The use of sunglasses helps create a degree of separation between those who do not know they are in the Matrix and those who do. The wardrobe also represents the individuality of the rebels in the movie, with their dark wardrobe significantly contrasting the bland, conformist society they are fighting against. These outfits allow the directors to visually show the rebels breaking the complacency of the system they have been raised in, subtly examining their fight against the oppressive system.
Both directors of the Matrix movies, the Wachowski sisters, are trans women and have since said the movie has underlying themes of being a trans person. Freeing oneself from the constraints of societal gender norms and freely expressing oneself, despite social and physical threats, are at the core of this movie. The not-so-subtle symbolism of taking a pill to be able to see the world as it truly is (the red pill being interpreted as an hormone replacement therapy pill) is just one example of the subtle allegories for being a trans person in the modern world that the film is filled with. So, in what ways is the wardrobe utilized to signify this message?
Neo’s transformation throughout the film is primarily an exploration of his development as a person — going from a meek computer nerd to a dominant, skilled rebel. This development is visualized through his change in wardrobe in the film, but that change does not just represent his change as a character. His development throughout the film can also be seen as a dramatized version of the process of transitioning. Initially uncomfortable in his own clothes, Neo tries his hardest to fit in. Conforming to the dress code of his office, Neo looks like those around him, but after taking the red pill, he slowly starts to develop into an unapologetically confident version of himself. His wardrobe exemplifies this perfectly; when he is first released from the Matrix, he dons an oversized sweater that conceals his figure, but as he develops into “The One”, his demeanor changes, and when he reenters the Matrix, he adorns extremely loud clothes that instantly set him apart from the crowd. This is often compared to a trans person hiding their identity from those around them early in their transition, but as they become more comfortable with themself, they become more confident in themselves and their identity.
The influence of the science fiction realm on the fashion world is undeniable. From the impact of The Fifth Element on Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 1998 collection to the Undercover Fall/Winter 2018 collection, influenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey, sci-fi has had a hold on designers for decades, and the Matrix is no different. From the day the movie was released, it created a very particular lane in fashion. From leather trench coats and pants to lug-sole boots, to the infamous black sunglasses, people fell in love with the film’s all-black, dominating aesthetic. The monochrome color palette offered a way to look and feel confident and strangely sexy. But this influence was not confined to street styles. Christian Dior referenced the movie’s distinct wardrobe heavily in his spring/summer 1999 couture line. The runway was lined with fully leather outfits, heavy distressing on the sewn pieces and black metal-inspired corpse makeup. More recently, Alexander Wang’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection was also heavily influenced by The Matrix. From the form-fitting leather jackets to the micro-sunglasses, this collection offered a modern, minimalist take on the film’s already understated costume design. The all-black, all-leather aesthetic of the film has also extended to more “mainstream” styles, such as the popular “Opium” aesthetic. Although the Opium style is shaped more by punk and heavy metal aesthetics and designers like Rick Owens, the similarities between the two styles are extremely noticeable. The use of monochromatic, completely black outfits and leather pieces gives the Opium aesthetic a distinct feel only seen by the style in The Matrix.
Whether you know The Matrix from its distinct aesthetic, influence on the science fiction genre, or numerous pop-culture references, its use of clothing and its scope on the wider fashion world, though understated, are extremely significant.
Written by Zeeshan Khan, Photography: Rayan Syed, Design: Guhan Sargunan, Social Media: Ellianah Murcia