As signficant aspects of culture, fashion and television are inextricably intertwined. What characters wear allow us to know something about them before they even speak. While fashion has a place in all TV shows, some stand out and even inspire their own clothing lines and trends. Having outstanding costumes can add to a show’s credibility and success. Here are the five best fashion TV shows of recent years.
1. Sex and the City
This show inspired a generation of women. And looking back, the fashion may be way too trendy to still have clout today, there’s no denying the influence Carrie Bradshaw had on the early 2000s. There was something fearless and admirable about how she wholeheartedly embraced every trend and microtrend. And with the main characters’ diverse styles, the most important question could be applied to fashion, too – are you a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, or Miranda?
2. Gossip Girl
Even when the storyline wanted, Gossip Girl could never disappoint with its fashion. Whether it was Chuck in his bow ties, Serena in her too-short skirts, or Blair in her headbands, those Upper East Siders knew how to dress. Who could forget Blair’s prom dress or the Oscar de la Renta gown she wore in that Paris reunion with Chuck? Gossip Girl’s relationship with fashion was emphasized by Eleanor Waldorf and Jenny Humphrey’s roles as designers and the homage it paid to great style moments of the past. In the words of Blair, “Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It’s movement, design, and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we’d like to be.”
3. Mad Men
The sixties were a decade of change and upheaval and nothing reflected this more than fashion. That’s why Mad Men was such a dream sartorially. From Betty’s early sixties dresses to Megan Draper’s swinging sixties mini-skirts, Mad Men’s fashion ran the gamut. The best indicator as to what year at the beginning of each season, even the men’s fashion was fun by the end. The costumes on Mad Men were especially significant with Peggy’s confidence within herself reflecting in her bold dress. The clothes on Mad Men were almost as juicy as Don’s affairs.
4. Downton Abbey
Another show documenting a period of fashion change, Downton Abbey begins during the Edwardian Era and follows dress into the Roaring Twenties. The period is known for the democratization fashion as advances in technology allow for mass production of clothing. The Crawley family struggles with the changes in the elite that took place during the period, but they keep up sartorially as Sybil tries pants in the early episodes and Lady Mary bobs her hair in the fifth season. The family’s wealth allow for the most beautiful period dresses in a decade with groundbreaking styles.
5. Scandal
Any show with a fashion line based on it deserves merit from the fashion world. Scandal is no exception. Last year, The Limited made a line of work-appropriate clothing based on Olivia Pope’s closet. Dreamy coats in dusted pastels and sheath dresses abounded and we sighed with longing. Scandal is in good company: Banana Republic launched a line based on Mad Men in its heyday.