Beyond Sex and the City: Other fashionable women on TV

We get it! Sex and the City is a cultural phenomenon responsible for a total fashion movement around the world. To this date, it is still considered the single most fashionable show in television history. While thousands of women have longed to raid the fictitious closets of Samantha Jones, Charlotte York, Miranda Hobbes, and Carrie Bradshaw, let’s not forget there’s still a world of stylish inspirations to be gleaned from other TV divas. Here’s a couple of the chicest gals whose wardrobes will just make you want to camp out in front of the TV for the hemlines rather than storylines.

Gossip Girl

What’s a best-dressed TV characters list this decade without the fabulous, trendsetting and catty females of Gossip Girl? A teen drama series based on the bestselling series of novels written by Cecily von Ziegesar, most of its settings are in the affluent Upper East Side of Manhattan. Rich and haughty private school girls rule the roost, and it’s a never-ending game of feminine wiles and shaking up skeletons in the closet. While schemes and betrayals are inescapable, there’s still one thing these gossip girls know well: cat claws are best sharpened when sheathed in couture and designer wear.

Eric Daman is the Emmy-award winning costume set stylist for GG, and wouldn’t you know, he has previously worked as assistant to Patricia Field in the Sex and the City series as well. There are four major standout girls in this show, namely:

Serena Van Der Woodsen

With her tousled, golden locks and rebellious streak, her aesthetic has always been effortless chic. She’s often seen in slinky tank tops which she layers with embellished blazers or urbanite scarves, or laidback skinny jeans paired with knee high boots when she’s not in school girl mode. Daman compares Serena’s early style to that of Kate Moss—throwing whatever on, but still managing to look enviably fantastic, whether it be a casual dress, romper or her clubbing get-ups. In later seasons, however, she grows bolder and sexier in her clothing, reflecting her character’s want for attention during the tumultuous events in this period of her life.

Vanessa Abrams

With her exotic coloring and beautiful, smart eyes, this girl brings the haute in hippie flair. She’s often in ethnic and tribal prints, with large accessories to match. Throw in some denim, and she’s all set. Her clothes may not be the high-end labels that the girls who go to Constance Billard School possess, but no one can deny she’s got her own eye-catching moments on screen.

Jenny Humphrey

Little J’s style goes through several evolutions, owing to her character’s struggle to fit in with the crowd of Upper East side girls and eventually, learning to find her own voice as well as personal style. In the beginning of the series, she couldn’t afford designer labels so she made her own clothes and did her best with what she had. And what she had, though she may not have been content with it, is nothing short of inspirational. Her clothes are youthful, vibrant and stylish, though in the beginning, she seems to have a taste for Blair Waldorf’s sense of fashion and Queen Bee status with a touch of herself thrown in. She dons girly frocks, colorful tights and scene-stopping headpieces when at school, but outside she mixes vintage casual dresses with her own brand of styling and layering. Later on she embraces black and gray, adopting a seriously hard-edged punk and rocker chic vibe with leather and fishnet, though sometimes bordering on Serena party mode ensembles. Jenny does party hard and even rebels in her attempt to catch up with Blair and Serena’s lifestyle and be part of the cool crowd. Thus, her style is somewhat reflective of the two girls at different points in her life, but with an undeniable Jenny attitude that bridges her Brooklyn style with her inner Upper East side girl. Stylist Eric Daman says that he often took inspiration for Jenny’s aesthetic from the '90s such as Courtney Love and the movie Pretty in Pink.

Blair Waldorf

A favorite fashion fixture both in reel and real life, this Queen Bee has often been cited as the culprit who brought back schoolgirl chic with her ultra-feminine dresses, tailored frocks, pleated skirts, lace tights and—dare we forget?—the ever-present bows on everything, particularly on headbands that had hordes of girls wearing this resurrected relic from the '80s and early '90s (when you wouldn’t have caught them dead wearing it just five years ago). It wasn’t so long ago that teenagers solely opted for the funky and edgy accessories this decade, but Blair Waldorf layering her pearls made high school girls envious of her impeccable appearance and her classy, sophisticated style that goes perfectly with her ball-busting confidence. In an interview for The CW, Eric Daman describes her style thus: “Blair Waldorf embodies old-world fashion and contemporary, Upper East side chic. She loves Audrey Hepburn and emulates Anna Wintour. She’s the best of both worlds.”

Ugly Betty

Adapted from the popular Spanish TV show Yo soy Betty La Fea, Ugly Betty comes with an array of drool-worthy ensembles. And rightly so for two major reasons: first, it’s set in a fashion magazine office with an assistant in the lead role. The Devil Wears Prada, anyone? Second, the similarities don’t just end there, as this show shares the same costume designer as the aforementioned movie: the famed Patricia Field.

Betty Suarez, the main character, may seem an unlikely style icon. After all, she was hired on the basis of her unattractiveness, and her over-the-top colors, grandma blouses and clashing prints are ridiculed everyday by her coworkers at MODE. Due to Betty’s affiliation with the fashion magazine, Field envisions that she does possess knowledge of trends, but by her own interpretation. Thus, Field styles her character with a hodge-podge of designer labels and vintage store finds, with the possibility of showing that donning labels doesn’t mean instant style. However, many fans of the show find that Betty’s quirky, eccentric approach to dressing is endearing, fun and actually quite liberating. Her signature red-rimmed eyeglasses were originally Patricia Field’s own (until America Ferrera borrowed it and the stylist thought it looked good for her character), and her B necklace is a replica of Anne Boleyn’s.

What’s a fashion-inspired series without the bitchy receptionist? Amanda Tanen Sommers has been a constant thorn in Betty’s side from day one. When she’s not laughing at Betty’s comic ensembles, she’s layering modern, tailored pieces that are nothing short of fierce. She often looks like she’s ready to strut down the runway instead of filing her nails behind her desk.

Meanwhile, Wilhelmina Slater is definitely the show’s resident fashion maven. She’s the Creative Director of MODE, who’s out to seize the editor-in-chief position from Betty’s boss, the womanizing Daniel Meade. Her appearance is always immaculate, but sharp and tailored without being too classic. She favors mostly neutral colors such as black and white and accessorizes with luxurious coats and jewelry.

Desperate Housewives

Cate Adair is at the helm of costume design in the comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives. These married women residing on Wisteria Lane are anything but dull, least of all their fashion sense. Two women in this Emmy-nominated series for costume design make it to our best-dressed list:

breevandekamp

Bree Van de Kamp (née Mason, and later, Hodge) is, by all appearances, the perfect wife and mother. Often compared to Martha Stewart, she is unparalleled in domestic tasks such as keeping a house spotlessly clean and making dinner an organized gourmet feast every night. Her obsession for perfection (which borders on scary every now and then) also translates to her sense of style. You will never see her in anything that’s not elegant and proper, not even when she’s in the kitchen wearing a prim apron. She’s always perfectly coiffed, sophisticated and classic.

gabrielle_solis

Gabrielle Solis is the beautiful but spoiled, vain and materialistic ex-model wife of the wealthy Carlos Solis. She is very conscious of her shape and beauty, and spends well to preserve both. She’s always smoking hot at any time of the day that men of any age usually fall for her charms. In the beginning of the series, Gaby is always seen in short body-con dresses that accentuate her tiny but curvaceous body. Eventually, though, she begins wearing more casual clothes which is reflective of her character’s changes in lifestyle and emotional upheavals.

Joan Holloway from Mad Men

Janie Bryant has garnered critical praise for her rich and well-researched costume design for the AMC TV Series Mad Men. Set in 1960s, Joan Holloway represented the woman who was in between the changing times for women. She aspires to be well-off and married but is also frightened of the possibility of becoming a bored housewife. In the office, she is regarded as a sassy spitfire and a role model for the other women in the office who are mostly secretaries. Always in modish looks and dresses that contour well to her voluptuous body, she never seems to have a hair out of place and even the littlest details of her ensemble contributes to her overall sophistication.

Charlotte “Chuck” Charles from Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies was much lauded for its visual design, having storybook-inspired aesthetics that prominently featured highly saturated backdrops, loud pops of color and conflicting patterns. Robert Blackman, who won a Costume Designers Guild Award and an Emmy for his work in the show, went along with this concept and dressed Chuck in '50s to '60s retro garb and pretty vintage florals with scarves, matching eyewear, and at times, the most adorable hats. Her style is Zoey Deschanel meets Amelie with a touch of Greta Garbo styling.

Photos from The CW, Ugly is In, Sharetv.org, LouLou Magazine.