Jennifer Beals reveals the origin behind the cutoff sweatshirt she wears in the iconic poster for Flashdance. Flashdance tells the story of Beals’ Alex, a steel mill worker who dreams of being a professional ballerina. The movie was one of the biggest box office hits of 1983, as it was stylized like the music videos of the period and went on to inspire the aesthetic of other musical dramas from the ’80s, including Footloose, Dirty Dancing, and Purple Rain. Though a sequel has long been discussed, a sequel television series for Flashdance was announced by Paramount+ to be developed through Dear White People creator Justin Simien.
Though not critically well-received upon release, the film has gained a cult following with some of its elements (including the poster) regarded as icons of the era. The poster is pulled from a scene forever etched in the annals of cinematic history thanks to a sweatshirt hanging artfully off Jennifer Beals’ shoulder. It’s a look that’s been replicated in countless Halloween costumes, music videos, and fashion runways. Yet, as with many elements of art, the truth behind its inception is far more serendipitous than calculated. In a TV appearance, Jennifer Beals shared that the Flashdance sweatshirt was not a meticulously planned wardrobe choice, but rather a happy accident.
How Jennifer Beals Landed On The Flashdance Sweatshirt Look
In an appearance on The Tonight Show, host Jimmy Fallon brings out the poster and asks Beals about the origin of the look. Beals explains that she shrunk her favorite sweatshirt in the dryer, necessitating her cutting a hole in the neck to get her head through. She then wore it to a wardrobe fitting for Flashdance, impressing the director and costume designer, and galvanizing them to use it as the poster for the movie. Read Beals’ quote below:
It was based on a fashion accident. I had my favorite sweatshirt in high school, and I put it in the dryer for too long and at really high heat. So the neck part shrunk, and I couldn’t get my head through it, so I just cut out the hole. And I wore it to a wardrobe fitting for Flashdance, and Adrian Lyne, the director, really loved it, and Michael Caplan, the costume designer loved it, so he made a much better version of it for the film.
How Flashdance’s Poster Defines Its Legacy
It’s amazing how many icons of film history are the result of accidents, limitations, or coincidences. Beals’ matter-of-fact recounting of the story speaks to how ordinary the circumstances were, and something so stylistically emblematic of the decade could occur simply because she didn’t want to throw away her sweatshirt. The look would go on to stir a lot of female-driven fashions of the 1980s, including more loose-fitting clothing and a more casual feel.
In an industry so saturated with content, it’s hard to pick looks from movies that had such a cultural impact as Beals did through Flashdance. Even with Parmount+ bringing Flashdance to the small screen, it’s doubtful it would have anything close to the impact the original did in 1983 and instead will only serve as yet another vehicle for nostalgia. In the end, Beals may have altered her sweatshirt by accident, but the result led to one of the most defining images of the 1980s, whose impact was felt for years after.
The Jennifer Beals Flashdance Sweatshirt Is One Of The Most Iconic Movie Looks Ever
Cinema has its share of iconic looks: Audrey Hepburn’s black dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Marilyn Monroe’s white halter dress in The Seven Year Itch, and James Dean’s red jacket in Rebel Without a Cause. Yet, among these illustrious ranks stands Jennifer Beals and her effortless Flashdance sweatshirt. The off-the-shoulder sweatshirt became more than just a costume, it was a statement. It broke the mold of the prim and proper, embracing the rugged, free-spirited aesthetic that echoed the movie’s message of chasing dreams, irrespective of social norms. The unassuming piece of clothing wasn’t just a sartorial choice, it captured the zeitgeist of a generation.
