Are you phoebe, monica or rachel coded?

Friends, the ’90s TV show we all know and love wouldn’t be so iconic without the foundational three female characters, Phoebe, Monica and Rachel. As shared generously throughout the timeless newspapers of the 90s and 2000s and the media over the decades, it’s evident to us all that each character has their own unique attributes, fashion styles and influences on us today. What makes the TV show so popular and renowned is the difference in their personalities, which all combine together to create such an iconic TV show.

But which character would you say you most resonate with? We, of course, have to first consider their personalities within the show. Firstly, Phoebe is renowned for being whimsical, quirky and sweet. In many of the Friends episodes, we see Phoebe wearing lots of ‘earthy’ colours like brown, green, orange and yellow. She often tends to layer her outfits with several tops, cardigans, scarves and coats. One of her most iconic pieces is definitely her fur coats. It’s also crucial not to forget her gorgeous hairstyles seen on the show. Some could argue that Rachel’s character has the most iconic hairstyle, but I would strongly argue that Phoebe’s hair is so pretty, especially in the first few seasons when it is longer and wavy. One of my personal favourite styles of Phoebe’s is the half-up, half-down with her long, wavy hair and a clip. It just totally encapsulates the essence of her character and her whimsiness. Phoebe’s zodiac sign is Pisces, meaning she is a compassionate and emotionally intelligent individual. Perhaps if you share the same horoscope as Phoebe, then you can relate most to her!

Moving on to Monica Geller, the friend notoriously known for being organised, caring and competitive. People often perceive Monica’s character as being meticulous and bossy at times, when in reality, she has so much more depth and nurture to her identity. Monica is a deeply caring friend who often goes out of her way to help those near and dear to her. She is definitely a more complex character to understand. If you know and love the show, you’ll see how thoughtfully designed her character is. Monica is renowned for her cooking and baking - after all, she is a chef! She is often seen continuously throughout the show, making something for her friends to all enjoy. Perhaps if you like baking and cooking, you can resonate the most with Monica. Her horoscope is Aries, meaning that she is feisty, strong-willed and determined, which I think perfectly sums up Monica’s character. As for her fashion sense, we see her fashioning pretty much every colour; however, the general consensus is that her colour is red. She always looks striking, and it really brings the colour of her features out when she wears red. She wears a lot of dresses, cardigans and jeans throughout the show with quite a variety of outfits. I personally think Monica also suits brown, which is also a really popular colour at the moment, so many of her outfits throughout the show could be great outfits inspo.

All of the characters really encapsulate the essence of the 90s fashion styles in different, varied ways. We are all obviously aware of Rachel’s iconic short, layered 90s hair, which thousands of people have tried to replicate over the years. She is always seen on the show with flawless styles and cuts, which influence so many of us even today. One of my personal favourites is when her hair is straightened and much longer in season 6, specifically the episode where it is paired with the iconic purple dress and cardigan. If you are influenced by Rachel's fashion sense throughout the entirety of the show, then perhaps you feel like you see her as your role model the most! Rachel’s zodiac sign is Taurus. Tauruses are notorious for being patient, grounded and stubborn, which I think suits her character accordingly.

If you were offered a variety of activities to do in your free time, out of relaxing on a sofa with a magazine, cleaning and playing music, your choice would definitely correlate with which character you would resemble the most! Obviously, cleaning would correlate with Monica with regards to how much she loves to organise, the music would be Phoebe, as we know she plays guitar and writes songs, and Rachel loves reading magazines as she is influenced by fashion, as we know based on her job.

Each character definitely complements the show, considering they are all very different but inspirational in different ways. Rachel definitely adheres to the aesthetic of Messygirl the most, as she is deeply interested in fashion, shopping, and is a little messy herself. But for yourself, it’s genuinely subjective on your personality, fashion sense and taste of aesthetics.

by Amelia Stansfield