Just 10 minutes into Hustlers, Jennifer Lopez embodies the definition of bold and fearless as she appears on stage for the first time as her character Ramona.
Easily becoming one of the most daring entrances in recent movie history, Lopez wearing a silver fringed thong bodysuit, hit the pole for Ramona’s iconic solo performance. But in the scene that is seductive by nature, there are noticeably no lewd or racy moments that many have come to associate with professional stripping. – Instead, it is a scene all about the empowering of a woman in her 50’s showing her strength, making her mark and looking fierce while doing it.
Directed and written by Lorene Scafaria and based on a 2015 New York Magazine article by Jessica Pressler, Hustler is what Refinery29 calls a movie that is “basically the Avengers of hot, powerful women.” And although it is centered around the true story of a group of strippers who were stealing and lying to their Wall Street clients during the 2008 financial crisis, it is much more fascinated with the relationships that women have with one another.
Women around the world have widely received the $100 million box office hit. But the part of the movie that most women were fascinated with was Lopez’s character Ramona, who has been recognized as one of the most confident female go-getters in movie history.
Some women were even so inspired by Ramona that they dressed up as the character for Halloween. And since Halloween has come and gone, most believed they had no choice but to store away their Ramona alter ego. But just as Jezebel writer Hazel Cills says, Hustlers is a “timeless” movie, so is the leader of the pack Ramona. Here are a few steps you can take to channel your inner Ramona this fall.
Never Leave The House Without Faux Fur
From stripping outfits to scamming outfits to daytime outfits, Ramona was almost never without her signature piece: fur, fur and more fur. A key scene in the film even involved one of Ramona’s fur coats, where she told other main character Destiny (Constance Wu) to “climb” into her fur.
“I felt like the minute Ramona invites her into her fur coat, it’s pretty clear that she’ll follow her to the ends of the Earth,” writer and director Scafaria told Bustle writer Lia Beck. “It’s a pretty irresistible offer.”
Recently, as many brands from Prada to Gucci have committed to being fur-free, faux fur has surprisingly become the new showpiece this fall. And not only will a faux fur coat make you look the character’s part, it will keep you warm in the fall and winter and will also make a statement. “Parkas and puffers are great for winter, but when you really want to feel like a million bucks, nothing beats a plush faux fur coat,” Marie Claire writer Marino Liao said. “And you’re never too late to hop on this trend.”
“The coats are so cozy, you may even find yourself draped in one while you wait for the heat to be turned on,” she added.
“Fall” Into The Money
Through Hustlers which tied in the theme of sex and cash, viewers were able to see a new side to women in film that have historically been left out. The all-female cast movie shed a new light on women being more outspoken about who gets to achieve wealth. It also highlighted the challenges that women face to achieve wealth as opposed to their male counterparts. Hustlers is really about the women hustling to make a living after the 2008 financial crisis hit. And with both main characters Ramona and Destiny being single moms, after struggling for two years, the pair ultimately began their story of running a crew that drugged clients and targets which led them to make hundreds of thousands of dollars.
One of Ramona’s most famous lines from the film includes a scene where she tries to justify drugging and stealing from men: “The game is rigged,” she says. Many support Ramona’s claim in real-life, including investment coach and founder of Dahlia Wealth, Anjali Pradha. In an interview with Huffington Post, she expressed that the workplace doesn’t give women the same opportunities as men. “The structure is not set up for women to succeed,” she told Huffington Post. “For instance, women are prevented from getting promoted. If they’re entrepreneurs, very few women get funding for their projects.”
Keeping this in mind and adopting Ramona’s go-getter attitude can be used as encouragement for you to make your own hustle this fall. – And most importantly not illegally like the women of Hustlers. Between having a side baby-sitter gig to selling clothes or maybe even to standing up to your boss and asking for a raise, you will definitely have the chance to make some extra cash this fall.
23-year-old Breelyn Sims, a Human Resources Coordinator at Clark Construction, is putting this at the top of her fall list. “I need all the money I can get for 2020,” she said. “Not only would I apply [Ramona’s] go-getter spirit to getting money [in my life], but also going after my summer body for next year.”
Put Yourself Out There And Make New Friends
Another huge theme of Hustlers, which the Washington Post is calling the “heart of the film” is female friendship. It focuses on the friendship journey of Ramona and Destiny as they try their best to look out for one another through several obstacles. This theme is established from the very beginning of the movie during the previously mentioned fur coat scene.
“It’s a scene of startling intimacy, and one can already feel the energy between the pair molding into something like love, an early sign of their ride-or-die bond,” The Guardian writer Rosa Boshier said. “We’re accustomed to seeing films present sisterly loyalty soon ruptured by jealousy, but instead, Hustlers shows something far less cliché.”
The way that Ramona takes Destiny under her wing and opens her up to an entirely new world that she’d never experienced before can serve as an inspiration to expand your friend group by developing new friendships this fall. And according to Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist at Brigham Young University, friendships can give us a sense of purpose and make us more motivated to take care of ourselves. It can also influence health-related behaviors which promotes healthy eating and exercising, Holt-Lunstad added.
Host a Friendsgiving and/or Frismas
Throughout Hustlers, Ramona naturally acts as a protective den mother as she leads the group of strippers through their planned schemes. As the movie goes on and she brings more people into the mix, you can see a new caring and loving side to the character, where she wants everyone to have the chance to get a slice of the pie (literally). The character even hosts her own Frismas party, which is a celebration of Christmas among friends. During this scene, at Ramona’s apartment at the height of their con’s success, the group of women are shown showcasing their wealth and just having fun together without drama.
So whether you decide to host a Frismas party like Ramona in the winter or Friendsgiving (celebration of Thanksgiving among friends) at the end of the month, you’ll be sure to have a fun time this fall and winter by bringing your group of friends together and celebrating the most wonderful times of the year.
Between her bold look to her go-getter attitude, Ramona definitely became one of the most inspiring characters of the year. And by following these steps, you’ll be able to get a taste of her life this fall and possibly even into the new year. So spice things up and let your alter ego fly!
