Which ‘Whip It’ roller-derby goddess are you?
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‘Whip It,’ the new Drew Barrymore-directed movie about butt-kicking roller-derby girls, is one of the best guilty-pleasure movies I’ve seen in a while -- despite its formulaic plot line.
And the costumes in the film -- punked-out Girl Scout and Catholic schoolgirl uniforms -- are destined for cult status.
Conceptualized by costume designer Catherine Marie Thomas (who worked with Barrymore on ‘Grey Gardens’), the cut-and-sew roller-derby outfits jibe perfectly with the personality traits of each character (and each girl-empowered character inhabits a familiar cinematic archetype.)
Which ‘Whip It’ character are you? Check the stats and e-mail us back. Babe Ruthless (Ellen Page)
Who?: Babe, nee Bliss Cavendar, the small town girl lusting for life and love in the big city, is predictably wide-eyed. But underneath her naivete lies an elbow-checking warrior.
Rink style: As the roller-derby league’s newest ‘jammer’ (lingo for the player who passes everyone to score in the rink), it’s all about staying low and skating like the wind.
Look: Babe’s getup is downright prim compared with the rest of team Hurl Scout: A buttoned-up pleated mini dress with sleeves, in the style of a Girl Scout uniform.
Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig)
Who?: Maggie Mayhem, the sole mother on the Hurl Scouts, goes home early to be with her kiddo (and, you guessed it, ends up advising young Babe.) Tough but even-keeled, she’s the crew’s solid rock.
Rink style: Similarly nurturing. Mayhem aids Babe’s mojo on the rink by giving her a ‘whip’ -- the term for when a player reaches her hand back to the jammer and literally swings her out in front of the pack.
Look: The tattooed Mayhem rocks the team’s sexier vest-like Girl Scout-inspired top and boatloads of winged-out black and metallic eyeliner.
Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis)
Who?: Iron Maven, the league’s resident bad girl, doesn’t suffer fools lightly -- in the rink and out. But (of course!) the skater’s bad attitude is really an elaborate front masking bruised insides.
Rink style: Beast on wheels. Maven’s main mission is to shut down Babe -- and any other pleated-skirt-clad speed demon in her path.
Look: Heavy metal thunder. Maven hits the rink in the sexy Catholic school uniform of her team, Holy Rollers -- but puts her own tough-girl twist on things, pairing the short plaid mini-skirt with a tight, tied-at-the-waist white button-down shirt, a striped man’s tie and shiny red leggings.
Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore)
Who?:Barrymore’s alter ego, Smashley Simpson, is a spacey stoner who laughs maniacally and confuses easily, but loves the rough stuff -- she beats up her boyfriend (in an endearing way) and is ultra-competitive in the rink.
Rink style: Fast and furious. As an alternate jammer with a mean right hook, Simpson puts the hurt on more than a few roller girls.
Look: Simpson’s sexy-boho uniform consists of a cropped vest top (she’s the only Hurl Scout showing belly) and rainbow-striped knee socks. Flying behind her is a mop of multicolored hair that’s part punk princess, part hippie-chick.
Top photo: Drew Barrymore, Ellen Page and Kristen Wiig in ‘Whip It.’ Bottom photo: Juliette Lewis and Ellen Page in ‘Whip It.’ Photo credits: Darren Michaels / Fox Searchlight