Eliza Dushku in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Faith Lehane, portrayed by Eliza Dushku, is Sunnydale's resident bad girl. She is a rebellious, free spirit. Faith bounces from boy to boy with no commitment, only looking to satisfy her need for sex and attention. She does what she wants, regardless of how it affects anyone around her. She is the only character who doesn't really care about doing the right thing and helping people. Faith just wants to wreak havoc, have fun, and look damn-good doing it.

Faith is represented in two colors: red & black. It's the color scheme for 95% of her outfits. Faith focuses on textures like leather and snakeskin, over print and color. She pairs this with a solid red, black, or white tee shirt or tank top. Her keywords are 'skin tight' and 'low cut'. She emulates the 90's/00's riot grrrl look, popularized by people like Shirley Manson of Garbage, PJ Harvey, and Courtney Love of Hole. Within this look are elements of grunge, goth, and club wear. She has a tribal tattoo on her upper arm just to say 'yeah, I'm tough'.

Faith exclusively wears pants. You'll never see her in a skirt or dress, except for at the Homecoming dance. In the most basic of thought, pants are considered a masculine garment associated with power. On a woman, they signify rebellion. Girls are expected to dress in girly, frilly frocks and anything that contradicts that is considered radical. This clothing choice reminds us that Faith wants to be perceived with the same respect and ideals of a man.

Faith's physical appearance echoes her need to mask what society thinks of her and in turn, how she thinks of herself. Technically, her face is a mix of features associated with innocence and youth: doe eyes, pouty lips, and a round doll-like face. To offset this, Faith layers on black eyeliner and shadow, slaps on dark purple lipstick, and adds a few crimped pieces into her messy bedhead. She wants to be seen as a tough adult, pushing away any kind of weakness or human emotion; much like the slayers of the past.

Faith is a very troubled and jealous character. She provides a foil to Buffy's savior character, the misguided, fallen angel. She lacks the comedic element possessed by the rest of the cast. Her comic lines revolve around impressing or shocking others. Isn't it crazy how slaying always makes you feel hungry and horny? 

Smudge your makeup and push up your bra as we re-create a look that slays:

The five key pieces to this look are:

Red Sleeveless Top. This is a good time to check out a color coded shop. There's nothing better than seeing all the tops arranged by color. All you have to do is look at the shade, shape, and details. The Salvation Army in my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky does this and so do many of their locations. In NYC, there is a store that is completely color-coded on 23rd St, called City Opera thrift shop. Look for a scoop neck to show off cleavage. She rarely wears long sleeves, unless it has an element of leather, tassels, lace-up, or sheer fabric. 

Leather (Faux) Pants. A Faith staple. Tight or loose pants work. Try to avoid ones that squeak when you walk. Nobody wants that (or maybe you do). I always look for pants cropped at the ankle to show off the upper part of the boot. It's good to look for one that puts a little space between the leg and shoe. If you find the perfect ones, but they are a little tight or long, you can always tuck them into your boots to create the grungy bunched look. There's a lot of jeans with a leather looking sheen to them, like the ones from my recreation. Actual leather pants are the way to go, but the jeans can be more comfortable. They also have a little stretch. 

Combat Boots. I chose the classic Doc Martins, broken in by my poor feet. My permanent ankle scars, urge you to find used, worn-in boots. You want them to lace up and go at least above the ankle. Black, heeled boots are another option.

Choker & Cross Necklace. A slayer trademark. Gotta keep those vamps away. Maybe go for a darker stone or metal coloring.

Optional- Tattoo. Buy a pack of tribal temporary tattoos, easily found in a multitude stores. Check the kid's section. They might have them in those 'put in two quarters and push' vending machines. Or if you're feeling artsy, paint/draw it on. And if you're really feeling it, tattoo it.

My Recreation: 

photo cred: Sarah Howard

The Breakdown:

Top: Goodwill-23rd St, NYC

Pants: Goodwill-8th St, NYC

Choker: Romwe.com

Cross Necklace: Mom Gift

Boots: Doc Martin

"How're you? Oh, I'm 5x5."

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