Hello Upper East Siders!
As many of us know, Gossip Girl was rebooted on HBO Max, starring a completely brand new cast. Some aspects of the show remain the same, including the extravagant parties and galas, the intermingling relationships of the main characters, and arguably the fashion.
The “Old” Gossip Girl which premiered in 2007 and concluded in 2012, which most of us adore and love, is very well known for the fashion and style of the show. Gossip Girl acts as a time capsule for many, perfectly preserving the fashion of the early to mid-2000s. At the time of the premiere of the show, Blake Lively and Leighton Meester’s characters Serena Van Der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf were every young girl’s fashion icons.
The original 2007 Gossip Girl understood its audience and not only used fashion to represent the wealth and social status of its characters but also incorporated fashion and fashion history into the plotline and dialogue of the characters. In more than one episode did Gossip Girl have a fashion show, or an event revolving around New York Fashion Week, in fact, Blair Waldorf’s fictional mother on Gossip Girl had her own fashion line- Waldorf Designs, which remains a plot point throughout the show.
However, what makes the show so unique is the signature style each character carried from season one to the season six finale. Chuck’s scarves, Blair’s headbands, Dan’s messenger bags, Jenny’s homemade DIY style dresses, and of course Serena’s low-cut, bohemian style clothing. Each character had an aesthetic that was a quintessential aspect of their character development and personality.
Another large aspect of the show was the school uniforms. And regardless of the uniforms being exactly that each character's personal style is developed and demonstrated through the school uniform. Dan looks disheveled and out of place with his old leather messenger bag and an army jacket, Blair accessories with headbands, designer bags, and capes, while Chuck opts for his signature scarf.
Eventually, as the show gained momentum after season one, designers began to send more samples to be used on the show, the first being Chanel. As season two progresses we see Blair clutching classic bag silhouettes such as the Chanel Boy Bag, the Lady Dior bag, or an occasional Birkin. Of course, Blair’s character was given more iconic and classic silhouettes while Serena was given bags and accessories from more contemporary and bohemian brands which at the time included Chole and Vera Wang.
Furthermore, the influence Chuck Bass’s character had on the menswear world was beyond influential. Chuck was often dressed in high fashion Menswear, and his character’s style became more than just generic T-shirts and jeans.
Looking towards the new style of Gossip Girl, the characters have now ditched the flashy demonstrations of luxury and high fashion, such as Blairs big rhinestone headbands. In place, are more minimalist and streamlined looks. However, the subtle fashion lingo and dialogue have remained in the reboot.
The styling of the reboot is more representative of social media’s biggest influencers such as the “Kar-Jenners”, Hailey Bieber, or Tik Tok influencers such as Addison Rae. Gossip Girl “2.0” represents the contemporary use of high-fashion, making the pieces much more minimalist stylistically, demonstrating a less meticulous approach to fashion, but more of a causal direction to styling high fashion pieces. Which arguably, demonstrates the wealth and status of the characters.
Although the show is much different than the original, the signature pieces and styles of each character remain constant. Julien Calloway's biker shorts to school, Zoya wears black-owned bookstore branded tote bags, and Julia's look is similar to Serena's Bohemian and rebellious style.
The future of the Gossip Girl reboot is bright, especially because fans are getting a product similar to the original. Gossip Girl holds a significant spot in Fashion television history, with its iconic looks, staple styles for its characters, and witty fashion dialogue among the “It-girl” characters. Since the reboot has followed the original's formula so well, we should expect to see more of Gossip Girl in the future.
Sources:
McCall, Tyler. “Reflecting on 10 Years of 'Gossip Girl' with Eric Daman.” Fashionista, Fashionista, 28 Aug. 2017, https://fashionista.com/2017/08/gossip-girl-fashion-style-clothes-eric-daman.
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