30 years on, the Friends fashion effect is as big as ever

A sale at Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles is gathering huge bids from Friends fanatics around the world, as clothing and memorabilia from the sitcom go under the hammer on 23 September to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the first episode gracing our screens.

From a grey roll neck sweater worn by Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel Green in the episode The One With The Truth About London, to a long denim embroidered coat worn by the character Phoebe Buffay, played by Lisa Kudrow in The One With Joey’s Award, there are items available from the wardrobes of all six of the much loved main characters.

A grey roll-neck sweater worn by Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel will go up for auction

As will this denim embroidered coat worn by Phoebe Buffay, played by Lisa Kudrow

Cameo clothes are up for grabs too; a dress shirt worn by Bruce Willis’ Paul Stevens and an ensemble worn by Cecilia Monroe, played by Susan Sarandon. Online bidding has already begun, with items like the “Rachel sweater” hitting more than four times their estimates.

Fans of the show will have the chance to own this dress shirt worn by Bruce Willis in his cameo appearance as Paul Stevens

Whether it was Rachel’s mini-kilts and waistcoats, Monica Geller’s high-waisted trousers and cropped T-shirts, Chandler Bing’s vintage-style sweater vests or Joey Tribbiani’s Armani leather jackets, every character in Friends had their own distinct visual identity, which evolved with them throughout the ten seasons that the show ran.

“When you see these pieces you immediately know which one was worn by Rachel and Ross as each character had their unique style,” says Laura Woolley, managing director, head of consignments and appraisals at Julien’s Auctions.

“The characters in Friends were so relatable and beloved which transmitted to their style and appeal. We all felt like we were part of the gang and would laugh and cry along with them.”

Even each of the seasons from 1994 to 2004 had a style of its own, moving with the times from Nineties plaid shirts and big, layered hair, to the slicker tailoring and ironed tresses that came with the turn of the century and the maturity of the characters.

Although it was one of the first shows that Debra McGuire worked on as a costume designer, her vision and fine art background shaped the look of the Central Perk gang.

“Since I’m a painter, I thought the best way to begin is to think about the costumes as if they were in a two-dimensional painting,” she told The Telegraph in 2016.

“Because there were six characters and they were together a lot of the time, the idea was to create a tableau, and to work with the production designer and set decorator to coordinate an ensemble look that was unique and visually enticing on a two-dimensional surface, considering colour, line, and texture.”

Thanks to this approach, Joey’s striped Ben Sherman shirt worn in The One After Joey And Rachel Kiss is as iconic as a replica of the orange Central Perk sofa, both of which are lots in the auction.

Sometimes the clothes themselves even made it into the storylines – often for Ross Geller in particular. Who could forget The One With All The Resolutions, where David Schwimmer’s character overheats in a pair of leather trousers on a date, or his infamous red sweater, which eventually pinpoints him as the father of Rachel’s unborn child in The One With The Red Sweater. Sadly, neither of those items is up for auction on this occasion, however the pieces that are for sale still feel completely intrinsic to the characters and the plot.

This enduring Friends style not only infiltrated the mainstream (hands up who else went to the hair salon for a “Rachel”), but had an appeal with high-end fashion designers, too. Tom Ford’s late partner Richard Buckley told McGuire in the mid 2010s that they watched old Friends episodes every night while eating dinner, and that Ford had remarked how well the costumes had aged. For its AW2018 collection, Balenciaga whimsically referenced Joey wearing all of Chandler’s clothes in The One Where No One’s Ready when it designed a seven-layered parka coat – something that was not lost on this journalist who was sitting in the audience, frantically searching appropriate Joey memes to post on social media.

Even now, at New York and London Fashion Weeks, designers have been parading the type of looks that many of the Friends characters would have lapped up. In New York, preppy was a big theme; I could see a season five era Rachel Green wearing a spring 2025 long-line blazer from Tommy Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren, for example (the character did work at Ralph Lauren, so it figures). Meanwhile, Staud’s tight, cropped vests would be an ideal addition to Monica Geller’s wardrobe, and Phoebe’s boho chic is always relevant: see Temperley London for details.

Of course, Rachel’s sweater and Phoebe’s coat will be popular lots, but a jumper worn by Chandler Bing is expected to be one of the most coveted since the death of the actor Matthew Perry in October last year. “Matthew Perry’s iconic cashmere Chandler Bing sweater, one of the bittersweet highlights of this auction, currently has the most registered bids,” notes Woolley. The same goes for items worn by the actor James Michael Tyler, who died in 2021. “Gunther’s purple shirt and colourful tie have already surpassed their original estimate.”

A cashmere sweater worn by the late Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing currently has the most registered bids

And who’s going to buy these pieces of pop cultural history? It’s anyone’s guess, with Friends having been discovered by a new generation obsessed with Y2K fashion and original fans like myself still sartorially referencing the show on a daily basis. Woolley agrees: “Friends’ global appeal was vast and multi-generational so we expect a diverse range of superfans from all over the world bidding in this once in a lifetime opportunity to own a little piece of Central Perk.”