My favorite part of 1998’s The Parent Trap will always be the moment Hallie Parker arrives at Annie James’s bunk amid Annie’s winning streak during the girls’ poker game. The door screeches open and the intro of “Bad to the Bone” starts to play. “No more takers?” Annie asks. “I’ll take a whack at it,” Hallie says, approaching the table in her varsity jacket and sunglasses, swinging a bag full of quarters.
As the poker tournament begins and the pot grows, we see the girls are gambling for all the finer things: scrunchies, nail polish, a big purple hair clip — who even cared about the cash? I could rewatch that scene over and over just appreciating Hallie’s no-nonsense style and the simple notion that somebody would end up winning the blue metallic polish.
For most girls, the film brings back ’90s camp trends that Lindsay Lohan wore as Hallie and Annie so well. From the bright-blue Speedo to the fitted denim jacket and Kipling duffle bag, these fashion moments have become iconic, in a sense, simply because they’re forever imprinted in our minds. Today, we’re seeing a return to some of these kitschy looks with beaded necklaces and bracelets taking a spot in our jewelry boxes and tie-dye or co-ord sweats making up our shelter-in-place wardrobes. These are the cozy, comforting trends that we’ve been returning to because they bring us joy — and maybe they also remind us of summer camp.
Ahead, I’m breaking down The Parent Trap‘s nostalgic fashion moments and shopping out the scenes piece by piece, just in case you want to seek influence from a 12-year-old Lohan who looked like she just walked out of a Limited Too catalogue. I know I do.
