Bella Swan's Khaki Skirt (on desire, perspective, and overanalyzing Twilight memes)

We've been wrong about Bella's khaki skirt for 20 years. Edward's POV (and this video) are here to set the record straight.
--
Find Midnight Sun from Bookshop.org (which supports independent bookstores) here: bookshop.org/a...
Kindle edition: amzn.to/3LIihQb
Clicks on links may give me a small commission.
---
Most of the Twilight Saga's literary sins are victimless crimes, with one notable exception. The real stories, culture, and home of the Quileute people were exploited in the creation of Twilight's fictional werewolf shapeshifters. To be frank, the Quileute Nation is owed a massive apology and compensation from Meyer and the filmmakers behind the Twilight movies. (In my opinion.)
If you want to learn more about this real community, you can start here: quileutenation...
I encourage you to check out their current efforts to relocate essential community centers out of a tsunami zone. Consider donating here: mthg.org
--
References:
My trusted expert on the Twilight timeline: / sarahelizabeth_talks
Stephanie Meyer interview with Remember Twilight: • Stephenie Meyer on the...
The Gap catalog page: clickamericana...
Tight turtleneck picture: menspriorities...
If you don't recognize the baby muffin, presumably because you were born after the publication of Twilight, here is a fun adventure for you: • asdfmovie
Various meme sources:
www.tumblr.com...
/ listen_the_book_never_...
/ utterly_indecent_stuff...
/ 1536012807245910017

[@EverLearningDragon]

I came into this blind and unaware and I left with secret knowledge and infinite amusement.

[@nannadie]

Same.

[@yasmineh.1333]

This is why I love this era of video essays so much. So many people talking about things that were never even close to being on my radar.

[@junglejulia7460]

😂

[@OsloTime]

Hahaha, yes! I totally feel the same way. I just learned of this skirt! 😂😂😂 Love ya Kate!

[@cupcakesruletheearth]

Exactly how i feel

[@alethearia]

As an exmormon girl who was Bella's age when the books came out? I literally had this outfit in my closet. This is 100% 2000s Mormon girl clothes.

[@shay-car]

I was a Pentecostal teen at the same time and also had this exact outfit. The long khaki skirt gives me chills to think about to this day.

[@FernBlackwood1995]

I was a Baptist teen, so, I had similar skirts. Stephanie Meyer is a Mormon, so Bella have clothes the same as folks like us makes sense.

[@sillylittlejenn]

please provide an example 🫣

[@melissamargolese8782]

Also observant/orthodox Jews, although the skirt was of the denim variety, same cut and the top had to be buttoned ALL the way up, if not just layered with a “shell” long sleeve

[@mailill]

I was a Catholic girl with very little fashion sense, and could easily have worn that skirt to a date, but I would have chosen a more conservative blouse - maybe red instead of blue, but definitely more buttoned up. And I hardly dated when I was 17. Guess I was too weird and nerdy for most people.

[@happyscavenger8940]

Everyone remembers the khaki skirt. No one remembers the PUFFER JACKET AND SAFETY HELMET, and how utterly irresistible that fit was.

[@ambiguousaesthetic4170]

hWAT

[@LifeInPink999]

I read when Inwaa a teen, I didn't remember the skirt situation.

[@frostfang1]

We want to forget. She was like a puppy Edward found amusement in bubble wrapping and keeping her from bonking her head on things and babying when she did

[@scz1770]

He didn't actually think it was sexy, he was trying to get her to wear the right gear on a motorcycle

[@nicoleg2544]

I do want to point out that Edward’s desire of Bella Sexually and his desire to drink her blood being described in a similar fashion makes perfect sense when you consider how vampires reproduce. They don’t make babies in the way us puny mortals do, with the old Devil’s Tango. They bite. So, for Edward, his overwhelming desire to suck Bella dry IS inherently sexual. I think this is a major reason why all other vampires look at the Cullens sideways: the Cullens’ ‘vegetarianism’ has branded them infamous sexual deviants in the vampire world 🤣

[@h0td0gwater]

Oh my god I never thought if it this way and I wish to unthink that, dear Lord 😟🤢

[@ettaetta439]

😭😭😭😭 I don't think Meyer thought it through that deep in regards to the whole animals thing. She probably means it as solely sexual in regards to human-human action, but not for human-animal action. The Cullens were seen as weird because being "vegetarians" made them weaker.

[@NeverKissSomeFrog123]

„The Cullens are furries“ has to be the worst hot take I’ve ever read fuck 😂

[@Moeller750]

This made my day

[@JenamDrag0n]

@@NeverKissSomeFrog123 Nobody said furries, just sexual deviants. If you mean the Cullens going after animals with sexual connotations, that would be beastiality instead.

[@mintybadger6905]

I pictured the blouse as having 3/4 length sleeves and the skirt as being about calf length. That was preppy chic for the Christian girls I knew back in the 90s.

[@forvanityssake]

Yes, absolutely this!!

[@insomniacsophia]

That outfit in the Gap advert surprisingly slays!!

[@dysmissme7343]

ME TOO

[@lyamainu]

Agreed

[@jessjess23brooks89]

I over analyze text way too much and came to the conclusion that Bella doesn't know how to dress herself and every outfit described was the absolute worst possible combo my brain could conjure. I wish I used more imagination, because it would probably have made my reading experience more enjoyable.

[@CastielWillow]

I kept waiting for you to talk about how Bella is dressed like every conservative Christian girl and woman ever. She might as well put on a Mennonite cap for that scene. Like, of course she's dressed like a fundamentalist Mormon, in retrospect. I don't even think Stephanie Meyers did it on purpose. That's just the kind of thing Mormon women would wear to meet a guy's family.

[@lydia1634]

It could only scream "homeschooled from a religious family" more if it were denim.

[@AnnaReed42]

Honestly it's not even fundamentalist - it's mainstream Mormon fashion standards of the time. This is an outfit that you could have seen on any sister missionary in 2005.

[@Lilas.Duveteux]

I'm secular and still value modesty. For me, her way of dressing was relatable.

[@TonyHalle]

She definitely did talk about that 😂

[@PyroGothNerd]

​​@@AnnaReed42I'm a Mainstream Mormon woman, and not just no...HELL NO. I would not wear that, and I knew very few girls who would have during the time the book came out. Stephanie Meyer wasn't writing for actual Mormon girls, she was writing for whatever her overly strict parents tried to tell her Mormon girls were supposed to be.

[@AnnaReed42]

Ok so I was a Mormon teenager in the early Twilight era. The focus on modesty within Mormonism and its effect on Stephanie Meyer's depictions of sexual arousal should not be downplayed. This is a culture in which bare shoulders are literally described as pornography. So yeah, a little collarbone action? That's the Mormon underboob. And below-the-waist sexiness didn't even occur to me as a mid-2000s teen, because the fashionable silhouette was flat stomachs, low waisted everything, thigh gap, butts discouraged, and boobs accentuated by deep v-necks. I think it just felt more clean and chaste to Meyer for Edward's lust to be focused above the waist. Having him thinking about pussy just feels too dirty to her, so she didn't even give him the opportunity.

[@alethearia]

100% all of this

[@jamiehenderson6191]

I do not enjoy reading “Edward” and “pussy” in the same sentence 😖 full body cringe. I’m suddenly very grateful for Meyers’s Mormonism lol

[@AnnaReed42]

@@jamiehenderson6191 I'm so sorry 😂😂😂

[@no.6377]

@@jamiehenderson6191 oh good, it's not just me. I feel violated and had to take a minute to re centre myself. 😣😣

[@PyroGothNerd]

What fucking crappy ward were you in? I'm Mormon and I NEVER heard anyone claim that about modesty. Literally no one.

[@sleepingsleepsleep]

I'm so glad you're talking about this, Bella's terrible outfit choices were specifically kept out of my self-narration when I was reading in 8th grade. No she will not wear a blue blouse and khakhi skirt, she will wear jeans and a layered cami top I said what I said.

[@lunacarolyn]

😅same here hahaha

[@frostfang1]

Gawd I had to roll my eyes everytime Alice had to force her to wear something even mildly appealing. Books spent wayyyy too much time on that and her one distinctive characteristic. Her one "I'm not like other girls". Her apathy almost made it so I didn't get past the first chapter, and this was the one thing that was actively opposite of the self insert accessibility, at least very much to me. I know there were probably plenty of girls at the time who has less self confidence where it vibed with, but the girls I knew were not like that at all. We all had our insecurities, but it wasn't dressing like that or a resistance to dressing up. If we had been offered designer dresses, we'd be snatching it in a heartbeat.

[@Naomi-bw5qs]

I did the SAAAAAME thing. Also Bella being a loser had to change, I made her prom queen.

[@sleepingsleepsleep]

@@Naomi-bw5qs Low-key I already thought she could've been prom queen if she tried, she was immediately liked and admired. Her terrible outfits didn't vibe with the vision ✨

[@Naomi-bw5qs]

@@sleepingsleepsleep Exactly. My real question is what did Edward do when it was that time of the month for Bella. Did he just lose his mind?

[@emilygray2025]

Your description of Charlie as a parent who would not notice if his kid came home wearing a new jacket is so accurate lol

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

even though he's a cop...

[@FernBlackwood1995]

@@user-is7xs1mr9y Yeah, but in the book he’s also pretty neglectful and pushes all the chores on his daughter. So, he doesn’t care about what she’s wearing.

[@glitteriable]

I wonder if that is also actually more wishful thinking. If you're raised to do all the chores, then maybe it's more appealing to have the father figure just not notice all the housework and leave it up to her via disinterest rather than regularly talk about it or tell her directly to do it, or tell her its her job and stuff @@FernBlackwood1995

[@Maru-et6of]

i also think bella is just replicating behaviours she learned when she lived with her mother and tbh, reading the books now as an adult I am really uncomfortable with bellas and renees dynamic...a child shouldnt have to worry about taking care of their (non-elderly, healthy) parent...at least charlie installed the snow chains

[@glitteriable]

@@Maru-et6of I love talking about the Renee and Bella dynamic omg it’s so crazy and then also I’m pretty sure it was written like that to show just how responsible and “mature” Bella has been from a young age, in order to make it even more valid for her to make the decision to become a vampire. The way Meyer was so careful about making sure every aspect of Bella’s personality boiled down to being responsible is incredible

[@youtubename7819]

“Edward is just really impressed by how Bella dresses for her season” had me cackling and I’ve never even read the books or seen the movie 🤣

[@cecilyerker]

REEEEE Bella’s a winter xD

[@glitterberserker1029]

Hearing that had me leaning on the washing machine laughing so hard I cried.

[@fatcat1414]

I was never a Twilight girlie, but the description of Bella's response to the mere suggestion of tongue-kissing is actually very relatable as someone with a high libido who was raised under a sexually conservative religion. I was told everything beyond pecks on the lips was highly sexual, so I was conditioned to view these things highly sexually. Tbh, I probably would have loved Twilight when I was younger simply because it captured that hyper-sensitivity perfectly while other media seemed 'intimately numb' to me.

[@celinavivian1162]

Oof man I feel for your teenage time. I had a high libido in a non conservative family and I struggled still

[@Aelffwynn]

​@@celinavivian1162same here. My parents weren't controlling about it. But because our culture made a big deal out of virginity and sexuality (even more than it does now, imo) I was afraid to learn too much about myself. I was repressed until my early 20s.

[@basicradical3581]

Same, lol no wonder I was so emotionally intense and imaginative

[@meredithsutton1485]

Oh my goodness, this video is perfect! And you didn't even really all the religious undertones or the huge amount of neutral colors in both Bella and Edward's wardrobes that make them "blend in." Like, maybe the khaki skirt doesn't matter. Maybe it really is all about the blue blouse, boobs, and blood. (Does Edward ever actually comment on the color of Bella's veins? I'm a pale AF gal like Bella, and certain shades of blue really make my veins stand out. I can imagine Edward being super into that.) The Twilight books were very, very horny, but they rarely articulated or acknowledged that horniness. And when we get Edward's perspective in Midnight Sun, you'd think it'd be horndog central--he's been 17 for like 100 years!--and yet? It's not. Twilight's preoccupation with sexuality and its inability to address that sexuality are an endless source of fascination for me.

[@cuca_]

I honestly love that about twilight tho, being the opposite of overtly and gratuitously sexual

[@ah5721]

its because it was written by a married mormon woman aimed at older teens and young adults in college . mormons in utah especially have messed up views on sexuality etc. in phoenix there are a lot of them so I'm not surprised if Bella picked up some weird habits out there that contributed wot her feeling awkward with her body .

[@Patchouliprince]

I definitely picture the blouse in the more ‘2000’s boho’ vibe

[@maike__-]

Right? In the movies Bella wears at least one of those blouses in a different colour, it’s part of the original promo shoots and everything, and I feel like they would have asked for Meyers‘ input for those costumes in particular. And I do see the "Edwardian" look that’s talked about in this video 😂 I feel like it all adds up

[@Hayles92]

I do remember reading Twilight as a teen and trying so hard to picture this khaki skirt in a way that would look good lmao

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

I watched the movies when they came out and I was a teen, but I read the books until I was in my mid-20's and that skirt made me almost gag lol.

[@no_peace]

You're more generous than me. I pictured it and thought Stephanie Meyers is a square, pretended the outfit was different, kept reading. lol

[@wel408]

when you showed the combo as an outfit i choked on my coffee and nearly destroyed the jeans i've been hand-sewing for like the past two days lmfao. i friggin died.

[@minivan1680]

I cackled for five minutes straight 😂

[@lethersing5909]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@tangyjenna]

You have such an engaging speaking voice. I was hooked on every sentence. For 25 blissful minutes there was nothing more important than deep diving Bella's questionable fashion sense and Edward's infatuation with khaki coloured things. I would listen to you talk about dirt for hours.

[@carolynv8979]

I’m not Mormon, but growing up girls in my church were cautioned not to show up to church with wet hair because it would “cause men to imagine us in the shower.” So I think it’s safe to say there was some crossover of propaganda. I think it’s entirely possible that Bella and/or Stephany Meyer didn’t say “t-length” because she just doesn’t know the term. (I certainly didn’t at the time.) Clothing wasn’t something we were encouraged to take interest in. (That’s vanity) before online shopping you didn’t need to know the key words, we just eyeballed racks for anything long enough to be appropriate (goodwill was helpfully pre-divided skirts onto “long”and “short” racks.) this whole thing is very “Modest is Hottest”

[@yasmineh.1333]

Honestly had I not known that Stephanie Meyer was a Mormon I would've thought that Bella's disinterest in clothes and her only wearing baggy clothing sounded like my gender dysphoria.

[@TheSlipperyNUwUdle]

I personally don’t know what t length means and I’m in my late twenties now lol

[@Mayeko]

Not trying to correct anyone or anything, just excited to share what I know: For anyone confused at to what a "Tea Length" skirt or gown is, it's well below the knee but above the ankle, exactly how far depends on the era, somewhere between Midi and Maxi to our understanding, but I think it comes from day time society events and their dress codes among the Fancy English beginning in the early 20th Century, think Downton Abbey episodes where everyone was swanning around a summer garden party all wearing white. The dresses had to be short enough to signal the informality of day wear but long enough to not pop any monocles in case someone brought their easily offended Great Uncle who remembered the Victorian Era better than the current one. As an extra aside, showing ankle wasn't actually scandalous to everyday Victorians, working women wore the equivalent of tea length skirts their whole adult lives if they could because those servant-only stairs were DEADLY STEEP. It was only a scandal if a woman of noble birth or good breeding was seen acting or dressing as "loose" as a commoner and didn't follow expected rules of decorum exactly. For example, if someone had an evening gown made that showed her stockings AND her shoulders, she'd basically be seen as a sex worker.

[@yasmineh.1333]

@@Mayeko This is so cool to know! Anytime I find out about common misconceptions on historical fashion it always turns out to be people learning about rules the rich followed, and assuming those rules applied to everybody.

[@namedrop721]

*tea length, not t-length It’s because it’s a skirt length for an afternoon tea.

[@gothmomfriend]

Bella actually does own A Singular Jacket, specifically a parka when she first moves from Phoenix; it's her carry-on item.

[@amethystevisions]

I always just figured he meant she could wear basically anything and she would be irresistible to him. Never once thought about it any further 😂. I've only read Midnight Sun once, guess I need to revisit that one.

[@frostfang1]

Same. I was thinking he didn't want her to change because he'd find her appealing in anything.

[@PoppyBeaujolais]

Ditto. I dated a guy once who I could not trust to give me an honest opinion of how something looked on me because he would think I looked good in a potato sack. Its not as endearing and you might think.

[@wreathedriver2856]

This was amazing, but also now from a Doylist perspective I simply have to blame the interview/the meme for Meyer not including the skirt in Midnight Sun so nobody would make it a bigger thing than it was

[@leahscontemporary]

It was never intended as anything chaste or embarrassing so yall(the meme or whatever) didn't do anything

[@MadamMelonMeow]

Midnight sun is old. Really old. It wasn’t finished due to someone leaking a good third of a draft way back when. I sincerely doubt she changed her creative vision for the memers. Its pretty clear in twilight that bella is dressing with the blouse in mind, why wouldnt it be what Edward focuses on in midnight sun?

[@wreathedriver2856]

I know tone doesn't really come through online, but I wasn't actually intending for my comment to be read as seriously as the two have you have seemed to

[@virginblythe]

The GAP ad is close to how I would imagine Bella’s style, effortless and simple in a ‘is it cute or is she just skinny’ type of way. Kstew is perfect because she is this in real life, but more edgy.

[@perryh.-r.4419]

I somewhat disgree on what Edward's description of this scene means. I think you're totally right that he doesn't know how distinguish between bloodlust and normal teen attraction because they do overlap for him and he is too repressed to try to tease them apart at all. However! I think his well-developed aesthetic sense and somewhat more sophisticated and mature appreciation of her body is something that (somewhat old-fashioned, Bronte-reading, Shakespeare loving literary nerd) Bella benefits from and would like. Being wanted by someone who sees all these subtly beautiful things about her is erotic and romantic in a way that's totally distinct from the way the average boy her age would be able to appreciate her. Tl;dr I don't think it's just boobs because Edward Cullen is not Mike Newton. Though I did burst out laughing at the idea that Edward appreciates that Bella dresses for her season. Dark winter girlies unite!

[@annabeinglazy5580]

I dunno, having read austen and her contemporaries and well as victorian and edwardian fiction.... Id still assume hes a boob man. He just expresses himself more... Edwardian. A lot of the phrasing in these older narratives that we now think of as romantic or asthetic rather than physical really are still about as physical as it would get. Example: in pride and prejudice, darcy refuses to walk lizzy and bingleys sister through the room because from where hes sitting he can "appreciate" their forms just fine. Which is the whole point of their strutting around the room. He doesnt mean their cute dresses. He means: i know you guys want me to look at how hot/pretty/well-shaped you are, so imma do it from here. Its the austen era Version of checking someone out. I do however agree that to a y2k teen like bella, his way of expression would sound a lot more romantic than an average teen going: i think youre hot

[@perryh.-r.4419]

@@annabeinglazy5580 Funny coincidence, I'm rereading Pride and Prejudice and I just read that chapter yesterday. I definitely know what you mean; plenty of classic literature has eroticism and/or general horniness. And some of it expressed in the language of the time sounds poetic to our modern ears (e.g. Austen), but some of it is literally poetic (e.g. Shakespeare). And that definitely affects Edward's speech; it feels more flowery partly because he has the vocabulary of someone with a photographic memory who has 100 years of reading literature. And partly because he's old-fashioned. But he also has an appreciation for music and art--an aesthetic sensibility--that isn't as common among the rest of Bella's peers, and that's something that makes him different. So yeah, I agree that it's partly Edward appreciating Bella's form from across the room, so to speak. But I don't think it's just that.

[@JKatniss]

This is THE single greatest video that anyone on the internet has ever created. The in-text and meta analyses, the humor, the references… *chef’s kiss*

[@shannonphillips3717]

The comment section is amazing here too, BEST video!

[@kaitlynhall2112]

That composite of the long khaki skirt and the blue button down is exactly how I envisioned that horrible outfit when I read twilight at 17. I remember thinking “what is this and why?”

[@Amcsae]

It's almost exactly as I envisioned it, too, but I love that style and am very confused about her reaction to it! I definitely wore outfits like that in high school circa 2003-2007!

[@jackcullen5085]

Completely urelated to the rest of the video but in my dialect of english a blouse pretty much always refers to a "button down for women", maybe with some extra embroidery/lace and always long sleeves, so when you said "we can rule out button downs", i had a mini crisis where i questioned my basic knowledge of womens clothing

[@rachelkim4457]

Im american and I kinda was surprised too

[@rechtrecht]

Same in my Language. I was thinking of some kind of flowy button down, like the ones my mom wore when going out

[@no_peace]

That's how I used to think of them but I think the meaning has expanded a bit to cover tops that are just fancier and probably made of a higher maintenance fabric lol. Usually they have extra stuff like ruching or puffy sleeves or something like that

[@no_peace]

Oh maybe Babbity Kate is saying not a button down like not an Oxford?

[@Amcsae]

I think blouse can cover a lot of things, sometimes buttons, sometimes not. Personally, without further description, my first instinct is button-inclusion.

[@ulawan5]

I love how this is a very fun version of the whole "the author just said the curtains were blue" thing it is SO much fun to dig deep and speculate about the meaning of this outfit and tying it back to things like Edward's original timeperiod etc was it intentional on Meyers's part? it seems not to be, but it's able to add SO much flavor if you want to see it there

[@ItBeThatWaySometimes]

Oh my god it’s all coming back to me now!! That writing is really something else when it’s removed from the rest of the book. Just the sentences or paragraphs individually are so wild to me. But you’re right, I read it so fast I never really processed the insanity of it all.

[@Moeller750]

The eloquence, passion and absolute batshit crazy level of overanalysis of this video essay makes me want to leave 1000 comments, so more people can enjoy this ❤

[@kayleigh2632]

i dislike that no one talks about how bella pairs a DARK BLUE BLOUSE with the long khaki skirt. the dark blue blouse combo horrified me more as a child than the skirt did.

[@tacefairy]

Whats wrong w the dark blue blouse ☠️ i thought that was the most realistic part of the fit lol

[@awistaiw-uwu]

​@@tacefairyit's the combination, bella is pale and wearing a pale skirt, so the dark blue blouse feels heavy compared to the rest. Personally I always instinctively picture it as being light blue instead.

[@kyleandramae4488]

Mormons love dark blue I think it's a love for byu or something

[@no_peace]

Blue and brown is no

[@bunny_0288]

​@@no_peace khaki comes in different shades. I always imagined it as a lighter beige khaki which would look good paired with a dark blue shirt.

[@peytonpalmour5368]

I am so so excited about your long form youtube videos!!! This is another great video. I think your analysis, that Edward is just into her boobs actually kind of reminds me of re-watching the first twilight movie at age like 25 and being struck by the fact that Robert Pattenson did a terrible american accent, but was really good at the physicality of the weird cross between being eternally young and eternally old, which really expanded my view of the character. And this reading, his obsession with her chest, but not knowing how to deal with that, feels like it's of a similar vein. He doesn't know what to do with himself and his lust. He can't figure out what's causing it (sexual lust vs bloodlust) and so he's handling it like a doofus with a good vocabulary. What a great essay! Thank you for sharing.

[@gothmomfriend]

it also brings to mind Edward's first meeting with Siobhan and the rest of the Irish Coven as he's floored by Siobhan's looks but also describes it in a way that reads as he's so repressed that he feels almost offended at the attraction he feels. Like he specifically describes several attractive things he notices about her face such as her full lips, big eyes, and thick, glossy hair, but also describes everything about her body as "profoundly female--aggressively, forcefully female" and that he "was hard pressed to know where to put (his) eyes." (Midnight Sun 1st Ed, US print, P. 324) like he can literally just say she's stacked as fuck and move on, but instead he spends half a page waxing lyrical about how she borderline intimidates him by being pretty because he refuses to acknowledge his sexual desire as a normal thing and instead views it as a 'dark/embarrassing urge'.

[@seabreeze4559]

I don't like how they made him attracted to someone more interesting than Bella. @@gothmomfriend

[@Samcatlover]

I assumed the khaki-colored skirt was a flowy peasant skirt, since they were popular in the early-mid 2000s & would make decent sense to own in a warmer climate, since the light material means the long length wouldn’t make it too hot to wear. 🤔

[@namedrop721]

I literally had a khaki -colored boho peasant skirt exactly like this

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

This makes so much more sense. It's my head cannon now. Thank you for fixing that horrendous picture in my brain lol.

[@Hannaheh94]

I always imagined the skirt as being knee-length and khaki material. Described simply as "long" because that was relatively long for a high school girl in the early 2000s when most were wearing tiny mini skirts and shorts from Hollister/Abercrombie. And I imagined the blouse as more of an empire waist blouse with a tie back and v neck. Typical stuff that you would buy at Old Navy around 2005-2007. Not fashionable, but typical during the time. Happy to dive oh-too-deeply into this right along with you, lmao.

[@tiryaclearsong421]

I also thought it was knee or tea length because most of her clothes are from Arizona. Long hits different when it's hot. Some long clothes keep you cool in hot weather but those are often made of more expensive fabrics that Bella probably couldn't afford.

[@SupremeViola]

While I never had a top I'd call a "blouse", I *distinctly* remember reading that scene in the book and realizing my 15-year-old self was wearing an outfit very much like it at the time that I thought made me look pretty dang cute: a navy V-neck knit shirt with sleeves that hit just below the elbow and a khaki-colored twill skirt that hit a few inches below the knee (notably, well within my school's dress code). So sure, it certainly doesn't sound "sexy" by the definition of the time, but: 1) a highly religious environment can make collarbone extremely enticing in and of itself 2) most teenagers - at least, most that I knew - would not be allowed to buy clothes that didn't fit the school's dress code, because otherwise it'd be a waste. Only "rich kids" owned clothes they could only wear outside of school, so we were more used to looking for attractiveness packaged in plainer, higher-coverage attire. Heck, I lived in Florida at the time and didn't own a single tank top because you'd get sent to the principal's office in SECONDS (yes, this was a public school) if you didn't have at least a cap sleeve. 3) it's the first time Edward's seen her in a skirt

[@lyamainu]

THIS THIS THIS. If it wasn’t dress code, I didn’t own it.

[@thewingedporpoise]

I don't know if it's because I've been reading too many Victorian romance novels but that last one seems backwards, since you're more likely to see the shape of someone's legs in them, while a skirt covers it, especially if it's as long as assumed all the other stuff makes sense and boggles the mind of a girl who grew up in a very progressive area

[@frostfang1]

​@@thewingedporpoiseI think it makes sense in that it was her only skirt, so the impression she's giving him is both edwardian and "I dressed up for you" when she never cares about fashion other than *resisting* it every other time.

[@thewingedporpoise]

@@frostfang1 I see, I see, "I'm trying to look nice for you and for your sake" and that being attractive?

[@cora_99]

​@@thewingedporpoiseI believe so ; the whole " I'm making an effort, just for you" vibe can be very endearing. Plus, as alluring as tight pants can be to a man, the elegance, daintiness and femininity of a long skirt can also go a long way with a man ; it sure does with mine, anyway - my husband has had plenty of Edward-like reactions to many outfits similar to what's described here 😅🤷‍♀️

[@PoisonTheOgres]

I remember being 12, not fluent in English at all, and being so freaking confused about the outfits in Twilight. The sweater with not only a shirt underneath, but a short sleeved button up? That's what my rich grandma might wear, not the sexy vampire bf. And the skirt. So hot.

[@missanthropy6174]

I have some fun personal history attached to the khaki skirt that I think may be appreciated here. I was raised in a Mormon family in the Mormon community in Phoenix AZ and I read twilight when I was about 12. I also happened to be attending a school that’s uniform was a polo and khaki pants or a skirt and I thought then as I still do, that khaki skirts are ugly as sin. I would never choose to wear one. When I read that part of twilight, I immediately clocked how weird this outfit was and when Edward went feral, I thought I was having a stroke. But I can confirm that even here in AZ, you will not catch Mormon women or girls in a tank top. Always at least short sleeves. But I must say that Meyer took it to a new level even for a Mormon gal with that khaki skirt.

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

The face I made the first time I read that khaki skirt atrocity, you would think I was reading a detailed description of someone emptying their bowels. I read it in English, but English is not my first language, so I thought I had misunderstood or something, but a quick google search confirmed my fears lol.

[@Amcsae]

I definitely had a couple of mid-calf khaki skirts in middle and high school, and I loved them! Not a uniform, I just thought they were really cute!

[@pkmntrainerlilly5]

Okay but here me out about the "mystery third reason". I like Twilight the same way I like McDonald's. The food is objectively trash, but sometimes nothing is better than a fresh large fry from McDonald's. Plus, if i want to talk about it, there's a general cultural recognition that make it easy to have people at least understand what I'm saying, even if they don't really have an interest. It's brain junk food, and that is perfectly okay. I put Disney's Descendant's and even Harry Potter in the same category.

[@remytherat2929]

But isn’t that just technically the 2nd reason?

[@pkmntrainerlilly5]

@@remytherat2929 I don't consider it the same as a guilty pleasure. I don't feel any guilt or shame in telling a friend I'm going to McDonald's for dinner, and I don't feel any shame in saying I've read, and used to really enjoy, the Twilight books. It's junk food, literally or figuratively.

[@remytherat2929]

@@pkmntrainerlilly5 ok I see what you mean, I wasn’t thinking in terms of guilty pleasures but more in terms of hate watching (or reading) but that doesn’t really sound like what your doing so nvm lol

[@user-is7xs1mr9y]

You described perfectly the way I like Twilight, thank you.

[@no_peace]

People seem to think everything everyone likes has to be good. Just because I can enjoy Twilight (or enjoy parts of Twilight, or sometimes enjoy Twilight), doesn't mean I'm saying it's good. It's not good. I enjoy it. Those are two different things

[@MagsMcG]

This is the best title I've ever seen. The intrigue and attention grabbing is artfully combined with a seductive simplicity. The inside joke, a bewildering oxymoron of a sexy long khaki skirt possessed me like a ghost. I didn't think or breathe, simply pressed play in a distinctly wild and instinctual response. I've truly never been so enthralled by a title alone

[@DevonD101]

How you described the way you love Midnight Sun is such a vibe omg. Would love to see more Twilight analysis from you!

[@niiii_niiii]

Yes!

[@JaspersSpace]

This video is giving me life, I am so happy to know that there are other people out there who are as obsessed with Twilight as me. God please please PLEASE give a deep dive into Midnight Sun and the Twilight Renissance

[@grainelev8tor26]

To be honest, when I read this as a teen I mistakenly thought the skirt was normal length. The picture in my head was wildly different! Of course at the time we were not so aware of the authors Mormon values or where the books were heading 😂 Book 4s ultra pro life stance came out of no where for me 😅

[@Amcsae]

I definitely don't interpret book 4 as necessarily having a pro life stance. (Over) half the main characters are trying to convince her to abort the baby, and the *female protagonist* is exercising her *choice* to keep it. Her body, her choice. Pro choice doesn't just mean abortions all the time, it's about autonomy!

[@tayter_chip]

This video was so unhinged and chaotic and I loved every minute of it

[@winslow8779]

"I'm way more interested in interrogating the in-universe logic of the khaki skirt and the magical effect that it has on one Edward Cullen," is the definition of the reader I most crave, and am most afraid of. Loved this video!

[@ShadowKaiserin]

I interpreted it as being about Bella, rather than the outfit itself inspiring anything in him. He finds her attractive, both physically and emotionally, and she would be alluring to him in a burlap sack. That's the fantasy, after all. She doesn't need expensive, flashy clothes to make the object of her affection want her, she's enough all on her own.

[@jennywren6232]

When I was 14 and in the depths of my Twilight obsession I bought a deep blue v-neck blouse that did (does, in fact-still have it 16 years later lmao) look BANGIN’ with my skin and never. Ever. Even considered the khaki skirt. So… I get it, Edward 😂

[@_heidi_]

You laid the clues so well that when you finally ruled out the skirt I snapped up and went "It was the blouse wasnt it?!" Very well done, this was a lot of fun to watch 😂

[@jaxhamilton3829]

all of this makes a lot more sense if you are reading the book and already know that the author is a mormon woman. this outfit is EXTREMELY if not exactly the same outfit that my mother and aunts would describe to me as their “nice, boy attracting but also modest” clothing looked like. I remember reading this book and thinking that the “hopelessly in love with each other after three months” was weird but once i looked up the author and found out she was mormon, everything started to make sense. in the church of the laderday saints (mormons)it was very common at this time to get married after about one or two dates, this is actually how my grandparents got married. I could honestly go on and on about this but it’s hard to articulate what exactly to say in a comment lol.

[@martinajohnson]

I had no idea I would enjoy a literary analysis of the khaki skirt so much. 😆

[@scarfydream7836]

please do take a deep dive into midnight sun or just twilight in general , ur content is so so fun!!

[@ldthmpsn]

I love how everything after Midnight Sun feels like a very vigorous sermon as you weild the book around 😂 I sat like I was hearing gospel 😂

[@lmm8960]

It makes SO MUCH SENSE that a Mormon woman wrote Bella the way she did. And even more so, creepy Edward. I’m 35 and never read the books. I was onto better books by the time twilight was going around. Though I love fantasy I know without a shadow of a doubt I would have been like “what in the F Is this?” Granted I watched all the movies back in 2017, maybe 2018 and omg they are hilarious! I’m convinced Kirsten and what’s his face made some sort of agreement to be as weird as the book characters. I mean it was just insanely entertaining. Absolutely cuckoo! I will say Bella’s parents are the exact type of parents whose daughter gets herself attracted to some predator at 17. With celebration and support to go around.

[@jolamarr2203]

I loved this, thank you. I am so grateful to live in a world where I can listen to someone talk about this for almost 25 minutes with as much enthusiasm, excitement, and anticipation as I felt about the entire ordeal, including waiting for Midnight Sun to find out what he thought. God bless.

[@LoonyLovegoodOdity]

As an uninitiated (I was too big of a Potterhead back in the day, when you weren't allowed to like both series haha) who has never read Twilight and has never seen a previous video of yours, I burst out laughing multiple times watching this. Your writing and delivery is great! Loved watching this, will be watching more of your vids :)

[@sytmor]

This was on my YT recommended and I clicked because I have never heard of this. Absolutely hilarious and I hope you talk more about Twilight/other books! ❤

[@Oatmeal_Queen]

Delighted to say this was my initiation into The Khaki Skirt and its related drama--thanks for sharing your take!

[@bugruzon6536]

so glad to tell you that you were in fact the person to introduce me to this skirt phenomenon, and for that I thank you

[@brittanylikesmemes_]

DO A WHOLE MIDNIGHT SUN VIDEO. I also have a weird fixation with that book. I don’t know if it was because I had already been so endeared to twilight when it came out that I was beyond gleeful for it or what, but I love it. I want to hear more people talking about it lol.

[@peytonp8512]

i’m living for the literary analysis of twilight, this is the deep symbolism/motivation dive i needed!

[@marybibik]

Wow, I thought this would be a video once again talking about how funny Edward's attraction to modest mormon fashion was, but this is actually really good literary analysis!

[@radiatingsunray]

i have never read nor watched twilight. still watching this all the way through because im absolutely intrigued at the idea of a video essay on a character’s ugly skirt, good job

[@ShimmerBodyCream]

I wasn't familiar with the khaki skirt. Your enthusiasm over telling me this made me stay 😂

[@cruisindownthestreetinmy6490]

i am so glad that someone has decided to talk in depth about this. i love this over analysis shit like it’s soo interesting to listen to someone who is that interested in a couple sentences in twilight 😭 i eat it up

[@jessicacroteau5600]

I definitely imagine the skirt as the quintessential modest denim maxi skirt but in a khaki color! And the blouse I imagine as a baby doll top lol

[@Charlie-cq5mb]

As someone who has just discovered your channel (finished your American Girl vid not moments ago) and has only watched the Twilight movies, I am so thrilled to learn about this skirt. Also, I really need to read the books.

[@mariaraquelfs]

Good analysis, but it doesn't take in consideration when Meyer wrote the book and the fashion of the early 2000s. Meyer didn't care much about the skirt because that was a very popular style in the early 2000s: a tight top with a maxi skirt, jeans or khakis. Khaki clothes where everywhere back then (I myself owned a khaki miniskirt and it didn’t go well with my skin tone at all 😅). It is not a big deal in the book because it was THE fashion back then. The blouse was probably very tight showing a little belly between top and skirt. This style was not 10 years old in the book, it was actually on fashion when the book came out, or maybe 2/3 years dated... I feel this became more of a conversation when this style went out of fashion in the early 2010, when Twilight was big because of the movies, and khaki clothes started to be labeled ugly

[@collyflower6623]

No way is Bella showing belly

[@spacebar9733]

Bella is not wearing a crop top 💀

[@morgan4862]

I cannot possibly describe how much joy this video brought me. Please make more of these!!!

[@AnnekeOosterink]

Okay, I genuinely cackled at your closing line, I startled the dog. 🤭 Anyway, I have never lived in the US, so I don't know if the fashion was that different, but the straight skirt of varying lengths was pretty popular for a good while there. Not in like, fashion magazines and among the kids TV shows, but in real life. In my school it was denim for the most part (but not exclusively), and the majority was above the knee, but there were calf length skirts, as well. Which, while technically not long-long, were definitely considered long skirts, especially for teens. So in my mind the skirt was always sort of calf length. I did not go to a religious school, nor were the students particularly religious afaik, so what we considered long might be very different than what Meyer would think of as long.

[@pigcatapult]

I’m exmo and was raised as a girl, and I would not be surprised if Bella doesn’t own a single sleeveless shirt. Going into high school, I was warned that spaghetti straps were a sin, and strapless tops were a neon sign of sexual immorality. Because apparently it’s a thirteen-year-old child’s responsibility to make sure men are not tempted into sinful thoughts by her exposed shoulders. … Twenty years later I found out I like wearing detatched sleeves.

[@sosoatypical9836]

I have been waiting for someone to talk about this gosh darn skirt. thank you

[@vildefae]

I'm obsessed, please do more twilight content ✨✨✨

[@lilcorvidmagpie]

i, who have not read or watched twilight, was watching this with my mom, and all i could think of is one of my friends who is like two years younger than me (and i am younger that bella) and she wears business casual clothes *everywhere*. she tried to wear a close fitting skirt to a skating rink. we call her business toddler. she'd probably rock that khaki skirt ngl.

[@virtualsocialretreat8234]

god i enjoy the overanalysis so much... brings me back to my english major days and stimulates my obsessive self. it's even better bc twilight is so silly

[@goldeb.8553]

randomly stumbled upon your channel and i'm obsessed. please never stop!!

[@medeiats1031]

before this video i was unaware how much i appreciate “straight to the point” content as i haven’t seen it on youtube for a while. “extremely well articulated” content is also kind of a scarcity. thank you!

[@summergirl4567]

I have two minutes left of this essay, but im laughing so hard - nay full on cackling!!! - that I can't even hear you anymore. You hyped this so well, I'm so invested and the pay off was great. I had no idea this was a thing, but this surprising secret knowledge I've stumbled onto is giving me so much life!

[@antonellafernandezcastella9184]

I love the commitment to this meme, this is the greatest video I've watched in a while and since I've been going through my own Twilight renaissance since September I'm loving this

[@Dr.PicklePh.D.]

I found your channel through the American Girl video yesterday, and I was honestly kinda surprised you don't have more videos! Your energy and narration are extremely entertaining, and the topics are great too. I did not know about this khaki colored skirt but now I'll probably never forget about it.

[@Stongna_Bologna]

I never read the books but I DO know this skirt bc of cultural osmosis and I'm excited to see what you have to say!!

[@mariad1820]

I don't know why this popped into my feed, but I am so, so glad I watched it. I missed the original Twilight craze, (just a hair too old), but this was a DELIGHT to listen to. Absolute chaos passion rant, and I enjoyed every second. "And you may be wondering what I mean by that.... and I. Don't. Know." Golden. A treasure. Thank you so much

[@FirstNameLastNameAName]

I literally would not get stuff done without you. I'm working on a costume and I just CAN'T drive myself to work on it without binging this channel.

[@hanakovacic6314]

This video made my entire day. You're an excellent storyteller and you made the suspense perfect. You also made me laugh out loud several times, I had to stop the video for bursts of laughter. I think I need you to explain every bit of Twilight to me, I don't think I've ever understood it to this level, and I want to. I could listen to you talk all day every day.

[@TesseractHeartMisc]

My Twilight knowledge has been entirely from fandom osmosis, so although I am familiar with a lot of it, I knew nothing of the khaki skirt. However, I have now been enlightened, and I can only imagine where and when knowing this will someday benefit me. Also great video; your energy is so contagious and made this very fun to watch. ♥

[@hexylia]

I don't know why the algorithm thought to serve this to me... but I'm glad it did. Your enthusiasm is fantastic.

[@dianaengland1907]

This video showed up in my feed. I have no idea what your channel is about. What an absolute delight!!!

[@hockeygrrlmuse]

This video's been bopping around my homepage & recommendations for a couple weeks now and I'm so glad I finally clicked on it

[@coralinebea]

This is exactly the niche content I've been needing! Love everything you do! Thank you 💜💜💜

[@shay-car]

I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you over the course of this video. You encapsulated my Twilight experience so perfectly.

[@CoreenMontagna]

The algorithm had been absolutely demanding that I watch this video for the last several days. So here I am. And I hate that the algorithm knows me this well, lol. Great vid!

[@rnr212]

I'm obsessed with this video. Your delivery, the content, the enthusiasm, everything. This is my new favorite thing on KZbin

[@Neverseenstars]

If this was in the movies I would’ve died of laughter

[@emilydickerson540]

Just reaching back through time to what I owned and thought was cute when this came out: I had a long, tiered, low waisted skirt. It was made of cotton and would have been a good winter item for the desert. I also had some long sleeve Henley T-shirt’s that I would have called blouses because they had buttons and they were tiiiiight. Like pintes the heck on. And if I had let that skirt live where it wanted to, there would have been some skin between bottom of shirt and top of skirt. So while it is unlikely, there is a small chance that Bella could have been looking a little sexy, at least by Mormon girl standards (source: I am LDS)

[@natatatm]

The way you enjoy midnight sun perfectly describes the way I also enjoy midnight sun, thank you for verbalizing that 😂❤

[@astolat2262]

This was so wonderful and you were in fact my first introduction to the khaki skirt. Thank you for your service.

[@jamieb2289]

This video was the analysis I didn't know I needed, but now I couldn't possibly live without. I loved everything about this! 😂

[@ladysnows]

This is the KZbin I love and miss. Bring back hyperfixation rants ❤🥺

[@woolhatlovebeads]

thank you for verbalizing exactly how i feel about midnight sun. i've never been able to explain it. i genuinely enjoy it even though it's bad but it's not ironic but yes it is...

[@jamiehenderson6191]

Omg I can’t believe your channel is this new and I’m seeing it basically from the beginning 😍 you are EXACTLY my brand of entertainment and I can’t wait to see what more you come out with! This and your American Girl video are top notch. I feel like we are very similar people 😂 keep up the good work! ❤

[@Meimoons]

Girl you’re trying to break down these fashion choices like you’re a historian. And I’m thoroughly entertained! 😂

[@alexamurray1800]

This is my first introduction to the khaki-colored skirt! (I mean, I read the first book, but I don't think I processed the clothes at all)

[@justgraceanne]

The pink void and AG Doll discussions brought me here, but the dedication keeps me here! Me, a girl who was raised in an ultra conservative home and who was NOT allowed to read these books or watch these movies growing up. I saw the third movie with a roommate in college, went in completely blind and had the giggliest of times 😂 I had heard of the khaki skirt but didn't know about the majority of this! I learned so much! Every video you make feels like a sleepover with a best friend (and we're like, a year apart, I think?). Thank you 💕

[@dantem.ginsey4608]

This is such an amazing video. I absolutely adore your narration style, and as someone who spent their entire childhood reading and re reading twilight, this has made me consider a lot more than what I'm familiar with. Thank you for this!!