When I say Fashion Icon, who do you think of? Safreen AC discusses the undeniable impact fictional characters have had on fashion through the years.
Throughout the course of pop-culture history, film and television have influenced fashion and beauty trends. From Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Shiv Roy in Succession, characters across the big and small screen have cemented their place in the annals of fashion history.
Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw is a name synonymous with fictional style icons. Her closet is home to many iconic pieces — the opening credits tutu, the naked dress, her red Oscar de la Renta piece — the list goes on. Few dresses are as instantly recognizable as her Dior newspaper dress, which continues to inspire fashion cycles as retailers put out their own takes on the newsprint pattern. Carrie’s influence isn’t limited to her designer closet either. Her outfits popularized a variety of trends including print-mixing, cropped vests, mule sandals, and throwback accessories like corsages, embellished belts, and eclectic bandanas.
Although Carrie is a fashion icon in and of herself, she is part of a larger group of characters whose style has seen a resurgence as part of broader ‘90s revival trends. Friends character Rachel Green serves as inspiration for many 90s staples, including her iconic layered haircut and a wardrobe filled with overalls, slip dresses, baby tees, and an endless collection of chokers. For the slightly more adventurous, The Nanny’s Fran Fine and Moesha’s Moesha Mitchell stand out. The former’s mini-skirts and flashy rainbow coloured outfits and the latter’s matching sets, bold prints, tube tops, and layered skirts go in and out of the trend cycles on a regular basis. And of course, Cher Horowitz and Dionne Davenport from Clueless, with their matching skirt, dress, and jacket combos may as well be one of the best dressed fashion duos of all time.
Buffy Summers, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, started as a ‘90s woman and later characterized the evolution of fashion into the new millennium. Her classic full-leather outfits, sequined and cropped camisoles, and knee high boots are fixtures of a transitional period in fashion. More than 20 years later, Buffy is still one of the key inspirations for the 90s aesthetic. In the Post-Buffy era, Summer Roberts and Marissa Cooper on The OC took over as trendsetters, driving consumers towards low cut tank tops, headscarves, peasant skirts, and of course, the extremely low-waisted jeans. On the other end of the spectrum of ‘00s and ‘10s fashion however was the ultimate it-girl of the Upper East Side – Blair Waldorf. Her chunky, bright bedazzled headbands were everywhere, and became so popular that the brand Jennifer Behr re-released a limited edition of the crystal headband originally designed for the Gossip Girl character. From colored tights and headbands, to plaid skirts and preppy dresses, some of the biggest trends we associate with the 2007-2012 period were popularized by Blair on Gossip Girl.
While the 90s and 00s characters have seen a resurgence, fashion icons aren’t defined by decade alone. When it comes to seasonal wear, nothing says Autumn like When Harry Met Sally. Sally Albright’s chunky knit sweaters, corduroy outerwear, and velvety dresses are the ultimate Autumn uniform, and almost every year there’s an article with affiliate links that guide readers on how to recreate her fits. Harry Burns’ most iconic look pops up on most every fall fashion inspiration list and features a cream fisherman’s sweater, medium-wash blue jeans, and slightly worn white sneakers.
More recently, characters emblematic of luxury or power-outfit trends have taken over the conversation. Although it could be argued that Shiv Roy doesn’t always know how to dress herself, her take on the power-suit and turtleneck combination has served as inspiration for a muted formal style. Scandal’s Olivia Pope has similarly cemented her place in the list of fictional fashion greats in her tailored pants, formal blouses, and well-cut coats.
Although women do tend to take up the majority of spots on the list of ‘most fashionable fictional characters’, Harry Burns isn’t the only fashionable man to grace our screens. Tom Cruise’s Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and his classic bomber jacket and aviator combo have never really gone out of fashion since the first Top Gun film came out in 1986. Immediately following the release of both movies in the Top Gun franchise, Ray-Ban saw major boosts in sales of their classic aviators. The impeccably dressed Thomas “Tommy” Shelby has inspired many “how to dress like a Peaky Blinder” guides, and contributed to an increased sale of flat caps between 2016 and 2017. Other honorable mentions include Patrick Swayze’s Johnny Castle, the many incarnations of James Bond, and Don Draper in Mad Men, among others.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but one thing remains clear: Fictional characters have and continue to be trendsetters when it comes to fashion in the real world.