It has been 30 years since the classic movie "Clueless" was released. The film is beloved for its characters and iconic costumes, which are the subject of a new book called "The Fashion of Clueless."

Mona May, the costume designer behind the 1995 film 'Clueless,' appeared on CBS Mornings to discuss the enduring influence of the movie's fashion, coinciding with the release of her new book, 'The Fashion of Clueless.' May shared how she aimed to create aspirational yet relatable and timeless looks, moving away from the grunge style prevalent at the time and introducing vibrant, tailored outfits for the film's characters.

May revealed behind-the-scenes details, such as the iconic yellow plaid suit almost being blue, and emphasized the importance of tailoring and vintage clothing for sustainability and individuality. She noted that the film's costumes have become cultural touchstones, inspiring generations and remaining popular for events like Halloween. The book offers further insights into her creative process and the legacy of 'Clueless' fashion.

'Clueless' costume designer Mona May talks about movie's fashion looks

I don't know why John's going out with a high school boy. They're like dogs. You have to clean them and feed them and they're just like these nervous creatures that jump and slobber all over you. Ew! Get off of me! Ugh! As if! As if. Now you know why Nate was saying, rolling with my homies. We welcome you back to CBS Mornings. It's 8.30. Time for Talk of the Table. Why? Because we have a table we'd be talking. Today we're talking about the classic movie Clueless. Can you believe that it's been 30 years since its release? I can't either. The film is about a high schooler. Her name is Cher Horowitz and her best friends and the beloved, she's beloved for its characters and its iconic costumes. Those outfits, by the way, are the subject of a new book. It's called The Fashion of Clueless. It takes us behind the scenes, look at the creative process. Who developed this individual style of each character? Who? Who did it have been? Who is it? What her name is? The costume designer is Mona May. She wrote the book. Congratulations, Ms. Mona, and joins us in the studio. Congrats. Amazing. We did the yellow wall all in your honor. Thank you so much. It's so beautiful. So let's go back 30 years. You get the script and you write in the book. Number one, the book is fantastic. I love you take us behind the scenes. You get the script and you instantly fall in love and you go, God, I want this job. Because what did you want to do with this character? I wanted to change the world. I mean, everybody was wearing grunge. It was just, you know, sea of just girls and boys looking the same and baggy clothes. And when Emmy wrote, Emmy Heckling wrote the script about Beverly Hills girls dressing to the nines. I mean, they were, they were wearing threads from runaway shows in high school. Nobody dressed like that. So it was the best job as a costume designer and fashion person who studied fashion. It was a dream come true. Yeah. Because you said you wanted it to be aspirational, but relatable and also timeless. Absolutely. Wow. It was amazing to create something to inspire young women to dress differently. I mean, when the movie came out, everybody started dressing feminine and pretty and colorful. So speaking of colorful, the yellow plaid, which surrounds us, which is iconic, it almost wasn't yellow. What happened? What color might it have been? Blue. Because blue looks so good on blondes. I mean, blue plaid. I thought that Alicia Silverstone looks so pretty. You didn't like yellow on blondes? No. I just didn't know. I mean, I like blue sometimes, but that color, I picked up that suit because it was so vibrant. It was so happy. Yes. And when we put the blue suit on Alicia, it just didn't do anything. And she had to be perfect. In the first day of school, she had to be the ray of sunshine. And when we put the yellow, it was it. It popped. And you said that this look, it kind of summed up her ambition, her character's ambition. How so? Well, you know, she was the queen bee. She was the number one in school. She sure was. And, you know, very preppy, very kind of put together. You know, the suit was also very tailored. So it showed kind of how, you know, she was a little bit uptight in some sense, you know. Everything had to be perfect. So tailoring was very important. And it was a little bit of an armor. But it's almost like the costumes in this movie became a character. Back then, the accolades for you just went on and on. They call this one of the most stylish teen movies, putting it in the same category as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Wizard of Oz. And you said, I know, don't you marvel at that, Mona? It's amazing. I mean, truly, you know, to have such an impact on generations, because the mothers who saw the movie, you know, in the 90s, now their daughters love the film. And all the fashionistas and, you know, people, film people, I go to school and talk to the students. They are so inspired. They sometimes tell me, I went into this field because of you, because you inspired me. Thirty years later, here you are sitting here on CBS Morning. Tell us about plaid. I love plaid. Oh, plaid is everything. And it now seems to be current again. Oh. Because didn't it fall out now? It seems to be back, plaid. It's so back. I mean, absolutely. For fall, we should all be wearing plaid. All different colors. And it's tartan. You know, it's so, in a way, classic forever. You know, you can do bikting with plaid, like me in a suit. But you can do a little Burberry. You know, you can do a little headband. I know what I'm wearing tomorrow. Guys, look at how she talks. She goes, you could do. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I'm going to hear her voice as I get dressed tomorrow. But speaking of classic and forever, vintage, you're a big fan of. How can everyday folks out there incorporate vintage into their look? That's a good question. I think it's such an important thing right now for sustainability. And really, you know, being able to maybe experiment. Because you can go to a thrift store and buy things that are cheap. And you know, you don't have to spend a lot of money. And try new fun stuff. You know, try new colors. But I think the key to wearing vintage is to alter it. Because I think this is. To alter it? To alter it. To really go to a tailor and make it fit you. Because this is what I did in a film. I didn't have a lot of money. There was not a big budget movie. Nobody wanted to make a movie about girls at the time. I mean, you know, we got picked up by Paramount. But they were like, okay, here's a little money. Do a movie. We don't know what's going to happen. Right. Yeah. So all the clothes that I got that were from thrift stores were tailored. So they look couture. They do. You wouldn't even know. Yeah. In a film, they're wearing, you know, vintage clothes. Yes. And you take us behind the scenes of the looks and what you were thinking and how it all turned out. And not to mention, 30 years later, people still will be dressing up as Clueless characters for Halloween. Oh, yeah. That's right. Yes. Which really is the mark that your looks are timeless. That's right. And you know what? It's babies in yellow suits. No doubt. It's everyone. So it's fantastic. I tried to find one today. I could not. It's so nice to meet you. Yeah. Great to have you here. Thank you so much. So nice to meet you. Mona May, the name of the book, The Fashion of Clueless is on sale now wherever you like to buy your books. Clueless, as you just heard, was produced by Paramount Pictures, part of our parent company.

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the resumption of nuclear weapons tests for the first time since 1992. A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia had successfully tested a nuclear-powered super torpedo.

Washington

Trump orders nuke tests after Russia tests nuclear-powered torpedo

Sudan and the UAE clash at the UN Security Council—Khartoum accuses Abu Dhabi of funding the RSF amid reports of atrocities.

New York

UN Security Council meeting: Sudan and UAE trade heated accusations

U.S.-China tensions cast a shadow over the APEC summit in South Korea — Leaders debate trade, diplomacy, and the bloc’s mission of free trade.

Gyeongju-si

APEC summit: U.S.-China rivalry looms over trade and diplomacy

Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet recently reported their quarterly earnings and one thing is certain: the jaw-dropping investments in artificial intelligence are only just getting started. This all comes just days after Nvidia became the world's first-ever $5 trillion company.

California

Meta stock falls over 10% after commitment to raise AI spending

CBS News has confirmed that the Pentagon ordered all state National Guards to form what they're calling "quick reaction forces" available for rapid deployments to address potential civil unrest.

Pentagon orders state National Guards to form rapid response units

Taylor Taranto has been sentenced to time served plus 36 months of supervised release after being convicted of threatening former President Barack Obama. He was also pardoned on Jan. 6 Capitol rioting charges by President Trump earlier this year.

Taylor Taranto sentenced to time served for Obama threat

Authorities have charged five people in connection with the overdose deaths of three 19-year-olds, including Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, the grandson of actor Robert De Niro.

Five arrested over overdose death of Robert De Niro’s grandson

Prince Andrew is being stripped of his royal titles and must move out of his mansion, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday. Andrew has come under intense scrutiny over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

London

Prince Andrew stripped of royal titles over Jeffrey Epstein ties

French police have now detained seven people over the robbery at France's landmark museum on 19 October.

Paris

Louvre heist: Five new suspects arrested as search for jewels continues

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that China has approved a TikTok transfer deal. CBS News White House reporter Willie James Inman has more.

Treasury Secretary Bessent says China approved TikTok transfer deal

As Hurricane Melissa continues its trail of death and devastation through the Caribbean, Jamaica is taking stock. With over 75% of the country without power and $22 billion in damage, experts estimate recovery could take a decade.

Kingston

Jamaica reels as Hurricane Melissa leaves behind devastation

House lawmakers have been told their paychecks will be delayed until Congress passes a new funding bill. CBS News congressional reporter Taurean Small has the latest on the government shutdown.

House lawmakers' paychecks delayed until government reopens

Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas in eastern Gaza on Thursday (October 30), Palestinian residents and witnesses said, a day after Israel said it remained committed to a U.S.-backed ceasefire despite launching more lethal bombardments in the territory.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israel strikes Gaza after asserting commitment to ceasefire

In the Netherlands, the centrist D66 party looks on course to beat the far right in the national election. Exit polls have predicted Rob Jetten's party will claim victory, which could lead him to become the country's youngest ever prime minister.

Amsterdam

Dutch centrist party wins big in election as far right loses support

President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military on Thursday (October 30) to immediately resume testing nuclear weapons after a gap of 33 years, minutes before beginning a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump tells Pentagon to resume testing U.S. nuclear weapons

President Trump said he's reached a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping that could be signed "very soon." Mr. Trump says the U.S. will reduce tariffs on Chinese goods by 10% as China works to reduce the flow of fentanyl.

Global Tariffs

Trump says he's reached a deal with China's Xi

President Trump will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is their first face-to-face since Mr. Trump returned to the White House. Jessi Mitchell anchors this Special Report.

Trump, Xi Jinping meet face-to-face in South Korea over trade

The Bank of Canada made a 25-basis-point cut to its key interest rate while governor Tiff Macklem suggested rates will hold where they are as long as inflation stays in the target range of two per cent.

Ottawa

Bank of Canada cuts key interest rate to 2.25%

After leaving Jamaica with widespread power outages and flooding, Melissa caused fatal flooding in Haiti that has killed 25 people and hit Cuba with a storm surge.

Port-au-Prince

Hurricane Melissa causes floods in Haiti, killing at least 25

Fentanyl production tops the agenda as the U.S. and China discuss curbing exports tied to the deadly opioid crisis.

Fentanyl crackdown central in U.S.-China talks

APEC members face economic uncertainty amid rising US-China rivalry—South Korea prepares for potential fallout from high-stakes talks.

U.S.-China trade tensions leave South Korea navigating APEC fallout

President Putin announced that the Poseidon super torpedo was successfully tested and cannot be intercepted, marking a new stage in Russia’s naval capabilities.

Moscow

Russia says its successfully tested nuclear-capable underwater drone

The Justice Department has put D.C. prosecutors on leave after they submitted a court memo describing those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021 as "rioters." The filing was in a case involving Taylor Taranto, who was part of the Capitol riot and is currently facing unrelated weapons charges.

DOJ sidelines prosecutors over Jan. 6 'rioters' court filing

Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff's deputy who shot and killed Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, was found guilty of second-degree murder.

Illinois

Ex-officer found guilty of murder in Sonya Massey shooting

President Donald Trump is sending America's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean to help stop small boats he says are transporting drugs to the U.S. Trump says the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with Venezuelan drug cartels.

U.S. masses more naval forces off coast of Venezuela

The U.S. Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will lower its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points in its second straight cut.

Fed lowers interest rates by 0.25 percentage points

The police operation was one of the most violent in Brazil’s recent history, with human rights organizations calling for investigations into the deaths.

Rio de Janeiro

Raid on Rio drug trafficking gang leaves at least 64 dead

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday after ripping through Jamaica. CBS News' Jarred Hill has more details.

Havana

Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Cuba after slamming Jamaica

U.S. President Donald Trump landed in South Korea on Wednesday (October 29) for the final leg of his Asia trip, optimistic about striking a trade war truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping after summit talks with South Korea's Lee Jae Myung.

Busan

Trump lands in South Korea, hopes to strike deal with China's Xi

The U.S. Embassy in Mali is urging all American citizens to leave the country immediately, warning of rising terror threats and a worsening fuel crisis caused by a jihadi blockade.

Breakdown