True Blood Fashion: The Teenager

Oh mercurial youth! This week fashion profile feature our favorite young vampire, Jessica Hamby. Turned at the tender – and innocent – age of 17, Jessica’s wardrobe has ranged from demure floral dresses to sexy punk goth to demure but flirty youthfulness. So which is the real Jessica? All of the above.

From One Extreme To The Other
When we first meet Jessica at the vampire tribunal, she is pleading for her life in a demure blue floral dress. She’s a good girl, she says, a church-going girl and she won’t stay out past curfew ever again. My, how quickly things change. Now a young vampire, thrust into Eric and Pam’s care for as long as they could stand her, Jessica returns to Bill a couple of weeks after her turning dressed in the skimpiest punk/goth ensemble she could find. Tiny plaid skirt, black stockings with garters, black tank top (that MUST be Eric’s influence) and piles of accessories (Pam?) form her “rebellious teenager” look. Bill’s having none of it, though, and her inner struggle between “church-going good girl” and “rebellious teen vampire” is evident when she pairs one of Bill’s button-up shirts with her mini skirt. Sure, it’s partially that she doesn’t have many options right then, but with teenagers, every item of clothing is relevant to their state of mind. (Get the look: floral dress, mini skirt, bracelets, men’s shirt)

D is for Drab and Depressed
With her clothing options limited, Jessica expresses her unhappiness over her current state of being with drab colors and shapeless garments. Her v-necked sweatshirt is probably pilfered from Bill’s closet, but the black pants seem to be the right size to be hers. The plum top would normally be a lovely color on a redhead, but is too old for a teenager in the prime of her unlife. (Get the look: sweatshirt, black pants, plum shirt)

Sookie Steps In
Fortunately for Jessica, Sookie offers to let her borrow clothes from her closet while Bill goes shopping for a new wardrobe. Drawn to the bright yellow floral pattern, Jessica looks decidedly more upbeat in this sundress of Sookie’s. Little does she know that Sookie wore it when she was grieving for Bill, supposedly lost in the house fire, only to unexpectedly encounter him in the cemetary. Is it pure coincidence that Jessica also stumbles across love when she dons the dress? At the very least, it’s put her in a sunnier frame of mind, opening the door for Hoyt to approach. (Get the look: floral sundress [original is from J.Crew’s 2008 summer collection, no longer available])

Flirty and Feminine
Jessica finally seems to hit her fashion stride after Bill’s shopping trip. Despite Sookie teasing him about “all the pink”, it would appear that Bill’s more conservative style merged with Jessica’s desire for sexiness to create a flirty, feminine wardrobe for a girl who is quickly becoming a woman. The periwinkle blue chiffon blouse she wore to Dallas is a stunning color for her and is kept from being too matronly by being paired with a denim pencil skirt. Ruffles and wispy fabrics make a red dress youthful and charming yet seductive, mirroring Jessica’s behavior as she practices her feminine wiles on her room service order, then later has a sweet conversation with Hoyt over the phone. Even the hotel bathrobe adds a touch of sophistication and mystery to Jessica, although she keeps herself wrapped up tight in it, belying her innocence. (Get the look: red dress, chiffon blouse, denim skirt, bathrobe)

Jessica’s style has been all over the map in the short time we’ve known her, as one would expect from a teenager trying to figure out who she is. Fashion is a barometer for how she feels about her existence at any given time, whether she’s feeling frightened or sexy or depressed or confident. Will she stick with her latest incarnation, youthful with a shot of maturity? Or will a new look emerge as events unfold in her unlife?

Catch up on the rest of the fashion profiles here.