ONCE UPON A COSTUME - REGINA MILLS

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ONCE UPON A COSTUME - REGINA MILLS
By Mia Bennett (@must_be_mia1)

​Regina Mills is an extremely elegant woman with refined taste. Whether she is in the Enchanted Forest ruling as the Queen, or in Storybrooke doing mayoral duties, she knows how to dress.

​As a teenager, Regina was a free spirit and enjoyed dressing for herself. Often at the stables, she wore her riding clothes, which looked classy on her. Despite Regina's eagerness to express herself, her mother Cora was not pleased. Cora consistently wanted Regina to change her wardrobe which in return made Regina upset. She wanted to be free to wear what she pleased. 

Flashing forward to going through tragedy and grief from her mother, Regina started to become rebellious and changed her style. She began to wear outfits appropriate for an adventure. She mainly wore these outfits while learning how to perform magic from Rumplestiltskin.

​As Queen of the Enchanted Forest, Regina wore extravagant long dresses. The Evil Queen favored wearing black, but maroon and dark blue occasionally were seen. Regina believed as Queen she should look lavish, and her dresses definitely captivated the room. Her outfits then almost always included fur, lace, beads with jewels, or long capes.

In Storybrooke, Regina's wardrobe changed significantly. She ditched the expensive gowns and traded them in for sensible pants suits. As the Mayor of Cursed Storybrooke, she wanted to remind the citizens who was in charge since the rest of the town dressed in jeans and blouses. In my opinion, Regina wore pants suits as her armor. She wanted to be feared and, since she mainly wore these in Seasons 1 and 2 before she made friends, it makes sense. If Regina is stressed out or determined, she will be spotted in these outfits.

​When Regina is taking care of Henry or spending quality time with him, she wears clothes that make her more vulnerable. Besides wearing a classy black vest, it is very rare to see her wear dark colors unless she is in "protective mom" mode. She tends to wear lighter, softer colors around him:  white, light blue and gray. These outfits make her seem more welcoming. Regina possibly wears these particular clothes so that it reminds Henry he is safe and she is there for him, instead of a bold, black dress which could remind him of the darkness that once took root in her.

Over time, between the curse being broken and dating Robin Hood, Regina has also loosened up. She still occasionally will be seen wearing her classic suits, but she now enjoys wearing dresses. Colors vary between red and blue. Regina has also been seen wearing lilac, dark purple, red and maroon. Now that she has friends and romance in her life, she dresses cheerfully instead of being layered in blacks and grays all the time.

In Season 5a, Regina appeared in both pant suits and dresses. She was open and vulnerable when it came to her feelings, and wore certain colors to reflect them: red, and a light pink ballgown in Camelot. Red is known as the color of love, as is light pink. These dresses illuminated the love and sense of family she feels she now has. 

Regina is a headstrong character who knows what she wants and fights for it. She has a wardrobe I believe anyone would want to browse through. Her outfits are stunning, and she knows how to dress beautifully both for her subjects and herself. I can't wait to see if her wardrobe will change now that she has gone to the Underworld and will be facing her mother Cora once again.