I don’t know how many of you have been swept away — as I have — in the Gossip Girl phenomenon. For those of you who have managed to avoid the hysteria, Gossip Girl is a new drama series which trails the life of upper crust teenagers in Manhattan — & a couple of teenagers in Brooklyn, who are, well, I guess, more stale crust than upper crust. Of course, one of these kids from Brooklyn, the sensitive Dan Humphrey, looks set to be one of the heroes of the series.

My point is: the show is fantastic. I love it. I love it so much that it makes me actually squeal aloud at the twists & turns of the cast. I guess I am a bit obsessed with it. But as well as the juicy plot lines, exhilarating writing & good-lookin’ cast, it has another thing going for it.

Gossip Girl is, without a doubt, the most stylish show on television. Don’t believe me?

I think Blair is definitely the most well-dressed girl on the show. I love her preppy chic style, always with a twist. She is often seen wearing headbands, anything with a high neck, pearls & patterned stockings. Her mouth is always immaculately made up in a deep berry or cherry red glossed pout.

Really, the star of Gossip Girl is Serena van der Woodsen, who dresses like a cross between Kate Moss & Sienna Miller… if they went to a prestigious school on the Upper East Side, I guess. I am not totally enamoured of her style, but she definitely has some nice touches. A couple of weeks ago she wore a white Henley t-shirt with a loose black tie & short skirt & it looked pretty good. I love her long socks here, & the cardigan pulled down over her fingers. She is the more reckless & dishevelled of the two girls — as if you couldn’t tell!

This is Chuck. He is a total slimeball & I am in love with him. Sad, but true. In the first episode he wore this scarf with everything. It looked great — his big square scarf draped over suits really made him stand out. It gave him an air of individuality & established him as a prominent character. If you’re a man, having a signature scarf that you wear with most things is a fantastic & simple way to dress up your outfit. Go for something that complements your eyes & is bold enough that it kind of intimidates you — think jade green or aqua. (Having one in wool for winter & one in silk for summer is probably a good call.)

Nate, on the left, is Blair’s beau. He is a looker but a bit of a sap & wears pretty much the same thing all the time. NEXT! Blair, on the other hand, is fantastic. I loooove her dress, I loooove her matching pearl bracelets, I looooove the ribbon on her headband. Her hair is also completely magnificent. Yum.

Isabel & Kati are Blair’s disciples. They dress the same but with different colour accents. It looks brilliant on-screen but please don’t try it with your friends. Anyway, they always look great & I have a sneaking suspicion that they get the best accessories of anyone on the show — colourful knit hats, cool sunglasses, head-wraps & necklaces. I love their faux-dog bags in this picture. Too fabulous.

Another example of Blair’s stellar style. I adore the head-wrap (of course), & the way that it perfectly matches her dress. Again, she’s wearing a high-necked style, which totally suits her. The tie around her waist helps give the dress shape while immaculately off-setting the head-wrap.

Ahhh, now, the pièce de résistance! I actually decided to write this whole thing based on Chuck’s outfit in the latest episode. He looks AMAZING. Purple & white striped tie, champagne-coloured tie with white polka dots, purple pocket square & lightly pinstriped — & immaculately fitting — suit with one button done up. Drool. Seriously. Drool. Whoever styled him last week needs a medal & a big kiss.

Gossip Girl is really fuelling my current lust for preparatory chic. Stay tuned for tips on how to rock prep chic your way!

Extra For Experts:
The official site — includes a “style” section, where you can purchase the items you see on the show!
Full episodes online — US only…
Full episodes online — Canada only…
& may I suggest Livejournal for the rest of us?