the style of the thirty, flirty and thriving: jenna rink's lookbook
Unpacking the creative flair of 13 Going on 30's Jenna Rink's clothes: a reminder that fashion is fun.
Jenna Rink is the imaginative editor of Poise magazine—except she’s secretly a 13-year-old navigating adulthood after a disastrous birthday wish catapults her into her 30s. She’s quick-witted, creative and a distinctive romcom lead.
Her character, and her fashion sense, serve as a reminder of the importance of living authentically instead of hunting for acceptance and popularity.
Rink’s outfits are composed primarily of twin sets and slip dresses, reflecting the 2000s style perfectly. She also often wears corset style tops and mini skirts which show off her stylish disposition. Occasionally, Jenna is shown wearing a lightly-coloured biker jacket, where rebellion meets the “girly-girl” within, and playful, patterned pyjamas which shine a light on her inner child.
She pairs her clothes with statement accessories such as bold beaded necklaces and earrings, headbands and silk scarves, which only serve to enhance her carefully curated outfits.
Greens, blues, pinks and purples are key components of her fashion colour palette. These colours are typically pastel reflecting her romcom main character charm. However, bright neon shades also make an appearance, highlighting her youthful personality and flamboyance.
Frequent use of floral motifs in her dresses and tops make her seem straight out of a romance book — perfect for the star of a romcom — but also reflect the innocence of her character symbolically. Polka dots also make an appearance in her outfits, providing a contrast to show the sophisticated and elegant side of the magazine editor’s stylistic choices.
It’s important to note that Jenna isn’t afraid to get creative with her fashion — she even wears chopsticks in her hair at one point in the ‘00s film. Her style is all about remembering to not take things too seriously and to have a bit of fun in life.
However, some key outfits create the perfect vibe for her character…
In Jenna’s magazine pitch, she pulls of the sweet and preppy look with a pastel pink matching top and cardigan combo, paired with a pink mini skirt. It not only reflects her loveable personality, but also the charming feel of her pitch.
Her first 30-year-old-Jenna outfit is the flawless depiction of the disorientation a lot of us feel when trying to put together the perfect look for an occasion.
She’s literally a thirteen year old stepping into an adults wardrobe for the first time, and yet the outfit she puts together is brilliant: a dusky pink slip dress and a cream textured jacket. Are they technically supposed to go together? No. Do they work? Absolutely. Jenna Rink serves as a reminder that fashion is supposed to be fun!
One thing’s for sure: there’s one outfit of Jenna’s that absolutely deserves center stage…
That is, of course, the iconic “Thriller dance” dress, otherwise known as the Rainbow Dress.
Its composed of red, green, blue and purple stripes. It’s bright and colourful, reflecting her sprightly nature. It’s paired with dangly beaded earrings, and a blue bead butterfly necklace, and a pink clutch handbag — perfect for storing razzles, a phone and some wishing dust.
13 Going On 30 provides us with the ultimate Y2K style icon.
Jenna Rink’s style is not only feminine, floral and unique but serves as a symbol of the importance of fashion in self expression and finding what beautiful means to us.