Top 5 Fictional Female Style Icons
[ 29 January 2008 ]
Television & movies are overrun with underdressed & badly-styled characters. But what about when the major studios get it right? This is my little homage to who I think are the 5 most stylish female characters.
“Often, what you see with Jenny is not pretty. She’s in love with two people at the same time. She’s one of those people who will just grab experiences because of the holes inside her, and with that, she will leave the casualties in the wake behind her.”
Jenny Schecter is played by Mia Kirshner on The L Word, a television series that revolves around the lifes of a group of lesbian & bisexual women living in Los Angeles. While the character of Jenny was voted “Most Hated” on the show, you can’t deny that the girl can dress. With a penchant for mod dresses, vintage fur coats & sparkly accessories, she plays the part of the tortured artist beautifully.
What she wears:
Ripped black stockings, denim miniskirts & low-cut Converse. A messy bun with sparkly diamanté stud earrings & a camel-coloured trench, worn with knee-high brown boots. Vintage dresses & a super-short haircut. A loose white t-shirt with braces.
What we can learn from Jenny’s style:
Jenny isn’t afraid to portray different sides of her personality through what she wears. As a writer, she is always playing with characters & expression, & this continues through to her wardrobe. Jenny shows us that you don’t have to stick to one style, you can feel free to experiment & be different people if you want to. Some days you might want to be slick, while others you want to be feminine or just plain decadent — & that’s okay. In fact, it’s to be encouraged. Keep ‘em guessing!
4. June Miller
“I’ve done the vilest things… the foulest things. But I’ve done them… superbly.”
While June is not entirely fictional, what I’m actually referring to is her part as played by Uma Thurman in the vastly underrated film Henry & June — an adaptation of the book of same name by Anais Nin. June was married to Henry Miller, but also involved in lesbian relationships with artist Jean Kronski & later, Anais Nin (who had an affair with Henry too).
Uma’s character was dressed by Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle, & in the film, it’s not so much what she wears but how she wears it that really makes her come alive. Her clothing is an exquisite extension of her personality; it serves to make her a richer & more dynamic character. Her trappings are like a marinade that help to bring out her subtle flavours.
What she wears:
Long skirts, dishevelled stockings, a loose bun. A ballerina-wrap cardigan, red nails & kohl around the eyes. Fingerwaves, silver bracelets, a black velvet cloak. A silk slip. Lace-up Oxfords & a scarf on her head. Cigarettes & sheets.
What we can learn from June’s style:
Your clothing can help cultivate a mood — so don’t be afraid to be dramatic! Dress to suit your personality: pull the best parts of yourself out & extend them through coats, skirts & accessories. It is much more mysterious to cover up than to show it all off. Integrate your clothing into your lifestyle — use it to seduce or confuse or bewilder people. Be unashamedly yourself.
Not safe for work! A bit raunchy.
“Do you know what time it is?!”
“A watch doesn’t really go with this outfit, Daddy!”
Cher Horowitz was played by Alicia Silverstone in what is arguably the best teen movie of all time: Clueless. Written by Amy Heckerling, it follows Cher’s transformation from a shallow & selfish girl into one who is, well, a little more mature & well-rounded. Really though, the reason people love Clueless is that the characters are so easy to relate to, the lines are really snappy & it is pretty much the ultimate feel-good movie.
Plus, I have eternal love for anyone who says something like this…
“So okay, I don’t want to be a traitor to my generation & all but I don’t get how guys dress today. I mean, come on, it looks like they just fell out of bed & put on some baggy pants & take their greasy hair — eww — & cover it up with a backwards cap & like, we’re expected to swoon? I don’t think so!”
What she wears:
Cher is a teenager, & she dresses accordingly. She loves miniskirts & short dresses, knee-high socks, cute hats & bags that match her ensemble. Cher is an accessory maniac & thinks way outside the box — in one scene she tote a marabou-topped pen which goes perfectly with what she’s wearing. In another, she snaps yellow bubble gum, which is the exact shade of the rest of her clothing. She doesn’t do “casual” & always looks immaculate.
What we can learn from Cher’s style:
Play with proportion — knee socks worn with miniskirts & long shirts looks brilliant & attracts the eye. Don’t be afraid to match; it’s easy & looks fantastic. (I think all that “don’t be too matchy-matchy” hype has really skewed & confused people’s style.) Healthy hair is one of the best accessories, & faux fur never goes out of style. Though I would stop at matching my bubble gum to my outfit…
Serena: “How’s your mom doing with the divorce?”
Blair: “Great. So my dad left her for another man… she lost fifteen pounds & got an eye-lift. It’s been good for her.”
Portrayed by Leighton Meester in the show Gossip Girl, Blair is the ultimate preppy icon. While outward appearances secure her place as an upper-class darling, behind that she rules her fellow classmates with an iron fist. She is a girl that you just don’t cross, because she has the power & ability to stomp you into oblivion. She is also painfully well-dressed.
What she wears:
Blair maintains her conservative persona by not letting a lot of skin show — except for when she’s performing a striptease, of course. I think I am yet to see Blair in trousers — she only ever wears skirt or dresses. She is a fan of high-necked garments, elegant detailing, cherry red lips & high heels. She is the Cher Horowitz of the new generation: she loves to match, wear new trends (turban, anyone?) & rock perfection like no other.
What we can learn from Blair’s style:
Dressing in a preppy, sophisticated way doesn’t have to be boring. Use unexpected pops of colour, unusual textures & fabulous accessories to freshen your ensemble. Headbands are always appropriate, & nude lips are sinful. Wear fantastic nightwear. Don’t dress to be sexy, dress to be stylish.
“Here. Swear. Swear on Chanel.”
Carrie is the quintessential style icon for anyone who refuses to be pigeon-holed into a “look”. Her style is ever-changing, evolving, & she expresses herself through what she wears. While some of her looks could be labelled feminine, retro, sleek or street chic, she defies categorisation. A true fashion lover, she is known for saying “shopping is my cardio” & spending $40,000 on shoes.
She was dressed by Patricia Field & Rebecca Weinberg in what I think was one of the great feats of styling. Sex & The City was the kind of show that people would watch just for the clothes, even if they disliked the characters. While a lot of what Carrie wore was way out there, I also like to think that she inspired a new group of women to start dressing up more, & to have fun with their clothes — not to view them as just a necessary evil.
What she wears:
I think “what doesn’t she wear?” is perhaps a better question! She rocks blonde & brunette, with her hair worn wavy, straight, in twin buns or tucked under a hat. She loves high heels, vintage shopping & Oscar de la Renta. She teams a Birkin with a waistcoat, purple with grey & a pop of lime green, high heels with tracksuit pants, a basketball singlet with a straw fedora. She wears a black pleather one-shouldered dress with a huge white flower pinned to it. She dons a Halston trenchcoat with great Jackie O sunglasses. She rocks an oversized white men’s business shirt & belts it around the middle. She wears knee-high argyle socks & high heels. In Los Angeles, she even wears two different coloured shoes…
What we can learn from Carrie’s style:
There are no mistakes, only learning opportunities. As we change, we should allow our wardrobes to evolve with the same ease & grace that we allow ourselves. Keep everything that fits & flatters you, because you’ll never know when you might find something that goes with it perfectly. Dress appropriately but do it with a point of difference. Don’t be afraid of hats, huge earrings, strange bags or vintage shopping — all it takes is a little confidence.
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
Tags: aesthetic,
inspiration,
madame Share this! + Email This + Del.icio.us
+ Facebook
+ Stumbleupon
+ Technorati
Comment
Read more tagged aesthetic...
Dali Atomicus Hair Extensions New Hair! Tarina Tarantino Interview Fashion & Style Predictions: 2008 Fetish Wear Gibbous Things I Love Thursday
Read more tagged inspiration...
50 Ways To Rescue The Worst Day Ever Dali Atomicus Cupcakes, Gala Style! How To Be A Writer Things I Love Thursday Tarina Tarantino Interview DailyOm What To Do: The First Weekend Of 2008
Read more tagged madame...
Athletic Aesthetics Fashion & Style Predictions: 2008 Fetish Wear How To Perform A Striptease! Fabulous New Year's Eve Outfits Tomboy Boot Camp Gala's Christmas Gift Guide! Romancing Yourself
Megan — While I do love Anais, I think June was better styled. & surely it would be cheating to have two people on the list from the one movie!
Love the quotation for June Miller; I’ll have to say that to someone!
Fantastic article, I found myself agreeing with pretty much everything esp. Blair and Cher, (though I’ve never heard of Jenny Schecter).
Lovely article! I never would have thought of Cher as an icon, but some of the things she wears are fabulous. I was expecting some Holly Golightly action!
I’ve never seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or for that matter, anything with Audrey in it. So :D
Cher = my teen idol. I loved Clueless soooo much.
Blair Waldorf is also drop-dead gorgeous.. but I’m going to have to go cliche & say how much I adore Indian actresses – maybe because I’d have more luck pulling off Rani Mukerji’s petite goddess look than Uma Thurman’s tall, blonde look :p
Oh Jenny Schecter… As much as I cannot stand her and complain about her very presence on my beloved L Word, I take a secret pleasure in seeing what she will be wearing next. When I’ve told others that I like her style I’ve been met with a “But it’s Jenny!”. Good to know I’m not alone…
ex oh ex
Might I add Penny Lane from Almost Famous? I love that movie and how she was dressed. But perhaps I’m biased because I have major girl crush on Kate Hudson… Thoughts?
Hales — I’m only up to the start of season 3 so I’m not up with the play in terms of her being a psycho or whatever… When the show started though, she was my favourite character by far.
Magdalena — All I remember about Almost Famous was her coat!
I love this post! Too bad Patrick Wolf is neither fictional nor female, eh?
weily — Unf! Patrick! He might as well be both… he defies categories. Be still my beating heart! He is hot even when he’s sulking (as he did at the Melbourne show). Quite an accomplishment.
Good picks! Jenny is way cool! My top TV style gal is Zoe Brogan from Meadowlands played by Felicity Jones. I got bangs because of her! Plus, her character is super weird/cool, which is how I roll.
Oh! You should watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Sabrina or My Fair Lady… they’re fabulous!
What a great topic!
When I was younger, I would follow every trend Sailor Moon or the Card Captor Sakura would do. Until I was like, 12, I had hair down to my hips and would get my mom to put them up in bunned pig-tails.
(This might be the reason why I can’t stand anime anymore…)
That’s a good dose of Carrie too. I’ve been decided if I want to dye my hair another shade/colour (maybe dark brown), and seeing how Carrie is so fearless makes me want to do something wild. Like, wear all my clothes in my closet…At the same time.
:D
Fantastic article – you are such an accomplished writer, my love!
Breakfast at Tiffany’s . . . I know it’s huge, but it doesn’t really butter my crumpet. I much prefer Audrey’s My Fair Lady wardrobe. AND Julie Andrews’ style in Sound of Music – I don’t know why, but her character’s take on Sixties-style ‘Vienna in the Thirties’ is utterly compelling. And the sneaky Baroness, too!
And this is kind of embarrassing (I hope it’s safe to share!), but I am a great admirer of Ngila Dickson’s LOTR work, especially Eowyn, and I have to admit I am very susceptible to the influences of Cheryl West (Outrageous Fortune) and Elliot Reid (Scrubs).
Yay! Nice list.
I just finished watching “La Vie en Rose” about Edith Piaf. I definitely think you should watch it, if you haven’t seen it already. It made me think of you, so I think you’d like it!
i agree with all but cher, shes creepy. she hooked up with her ex-step brother. lol. my mum has an ex-step brother and ever since seeing that movie i picture them….EWWW... anyhu. she does have a quirky style. Carrie bradshaw would have to be the queen of fictional fashion icons though, of course
I agree with these, really! But the top few were exceptionally predictable from what you’ve written in your blog in the past. Nothing new really.
I absolutely love Blair’s style but I don’t think I would be able to dress like her because it doesn’t go along with my personality.
I am trying to be more adventurous with what I wear and therefore it makes Carrie my role model.
oh i probably agree only on carrie… even tho i didnt like her character that much… i m a samantha jones fan.
my top 5
1)audrey hapburn in breakfast at tiffanys
2)audrey tatou in amelie
3)helena boham carter in harry potter and sweeny todd
4)monica bellucci in Malena
5) shane from L word.
oooh, Blair is just too gorgeous. I can’t stop gogling at her, longing for her perfect outfits =).
By the way, she did wear jeans (once or twice as I remember). In the Hi, Society episode, when she was seeing Nate during his fitting, and another one in episode three when she made up with Serena.
Love your blog!!
Ug writers strike! I want by Gossip Girl!
so glad you put cher on your list! when i first saw clueless when it came out when i was 12 it changed my life. i started dressing like cher and i wanted to be her. she made me think more about clothing as something more than what my mother picked out for me.
i still think her outfits are the bomb and i would rock that yellow plaid outfit any day.
roberta — The reason I’ve mentioned Blair & Carrie before is because they’re stylish, not fashionable. They will continue to be stylish in ten years time, unlike fashion where who is in or out changes every week. This is why I’m not interested in fashion, I’m only interested in style. I like things that stand the test of time.
GALA HAS FABULOUS CHOICES but as with all others i do believe that audrey hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys is so NO.1
i love blair
ohhhh! what a great day to pop in for a lookie!
Jenny from L word… ohh how I swoon with her… that video reminds me a lot of myself in the last few weeks. Big shining eyes..
and Henry and June, stunning as always…
xox
i love this article, particularly because i am in need of some style inspiration. i love blair waldorf and have been considering trying to take parts of her style and mesh them with mine. unfortunately, my budget is very dissimilar to hers.
If only there was a top 6, so I could add Anna (played by Samaire Armstrong) from the OC. I’m sure Audrey agrees! Eeee so cute. Heehee.
x
Aww I knew Carrie Bradshaw would be on the list, she is immaculate.
I nearly died when she managed to look great in shiny gold boots and a skin-tight black dress- and it made me jealous, too.
I don’t really have a style icon, but I do admire anyone who can get away with the kind of things Carrie wears!
At the moment I’m hating everything in my wardrobe and am having a complete crisis, but hopefully it will pass soon.
Keep up the great work, Gala, AND the fabulous wardrobe.
xx
Ohh, sorry to comment twice but I also meant to add- I love Gilmore Girls, but I hate the way Rory and Lorelei are dressed most of the time. It’s disappointing, but one of my favorites anyway.
xx
Absloutly knew that Carrie would be there how could she not
I actully wouldn’t count Holly Gothlightly in my ideal fiction character dressings, even as a massive Audrey Hepburn fan. Due to the fact in nearly every paramont film she made she was actully dressed by Givency and if you notice pretty much dressed the same in those movies. Sooooorry to be a party pooper.
Although I cant pick a particular character, the movie chicago inspires me, the bob hairs cut, finger waves and dark red lips bring me glee!
Oh other than amelie with her floral dress, cardi, combat boots and THAT haircut.
I also agree about Jenny! Why does everyone hate her? (alright she did have the weird bit in season 2) She is just so darn cute. And always has amazing hair.
I thought that all of the outfis Blair wore in the final episode of season one were to die for. Which is surprising because usually I find her a bit to conservative. The last episode brought a little bit of an edge to blair’s style, I loved the red coat she wore toward the end of the episode which you have pictured in the “blair cube”.
Anaphora — Oh yes, TELL me about it. Love that jacket, so major! Especially worn with shocking red stockings, ooh! Fabuleux!
I love you for loving Jenny!
Her character sort of annoys me, but I just love to WATCH her, so is so captivating and makes everything look so…deliberate and gorgeous. Excellent pick :)
the first picture of Jenny has got the be one of the best scenes shes played. even though she didnt say a word, the expression on her face during the concert of Heart is absolutely amazing. and so is the song!
What a great list! I seriously love all of these. I adore all the Gossip Girl cast wardrobes.
I have so many other faves, but I really also love…
*Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
*Kirsten Dunst in Elizabethtown.
*Katherine Moennig in The L Word.
*The cast of ’8 Women’ with Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart, and Virginie Ledoyen.
great list I adore Blair style, ‘m trying to emulate her…and I think the reason Carrie looks good with the most bizarre clothes is because of her confidence….she always look like she is loving what she is wearing, she is never insecure….the moment you show you are not comfortable you are going to look bad.
Haha, I knew you’d put Blair on there. I LOVE her style. It’s a shame high necklines don’t suit me. Btw, she also wore jeans in the Thanksgiving episode when she was trying to tame a drunk Serena.
Carrie Bradshaw is definitely stylish but I think less so about SJP herself. I think people get confused between the two.
Oh! I don’t know if you watch Neighbours but I think Rebecca (Oliver/Declan’s mother) has good style for someone who is an “older” woman ;P
This is a fantastic idea.
Gala, i am 100% with you for this list! The only character i don’t know is Blair. I haven’t seen the show yet that she is in.
Jenny Schecter is someone i’ve been admiring for awhile. Especially season two – her room? gggggggggggggahhh. Love it!
I’m with you in the not having seen breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Sometime, if you visit LA, if you want to play June i have lots of 30s dresses & slips. I’m sure you’ll drool. And i know i haven’t sent my package yet, but that’s cause i keep finding slips…
gerbera daisies & kashi cereal,
Mary Bee
OH! MY! GOD!
Gala! I never, ever thought I’d come across someone who’d have seen Henry&June (only few have) plus loves June as played by Uma! I’ve been rocking finger waves and that giant fur(esque) mink-tails-by-the-lot wrap ever since I first saw the film. I’m even contemplating a Count Bruga of my own :-))
If you’re into that kind of aesthetic,you might also like superstyle-Soft-Porn Producer Zalman King’s Delta of Venus (inspired by Anais Nin’s book). Especially the gorgeous style of la chanteuse “Leyla” is incredible! The whole film is styled to the max (but mind you,it’s raunchy, just as “Henry & June” is).
firstly, i absolutely love anais nin & the movie henry & june… eventhough someone always walks in during the lesbian brothel scene and i feel like i have something to explain….
secondly, i completely forgot about jenny schecter… i equally love and hate that she is such an unlikable character because of how much she reminds me of me… i have seasons 1 and 2 of the L word… i think i need to dust them off.
Hmm, I’m confused, Gala. I didn’t mention style nor fashion in my comment, did you reply to the wrong one?
roberta — No. Your comment about my list being “predictable” is because I know what I like, & will continue to like the same things into the future! Hence style vs. fashion.
I once bought a DVD purely for the movie’s outfits: About Adam, a little Irish rom com starring Kate Hudson’s clothes. You should rent it!
That montage of Jenny is a little bit disturbing, I think she’s crying in every scene! I would cry all the time if I looked that pretty doing it.
Annabel — Ya, she seems to wear her best outfits when she’s mid-bawl ;D
I always love Jenny. I can’t help it! :( I can’t believe she’s one of the most hated characters. I think her character is SO interesting to watch (unlike Tina, which a lot of people seem to hate as well), and this season she’s been hilarious although I do wish that she would start acting more like S1-3 Jenny.. But yes, she does have great clothes, too. I always admire the things she wears when I watch The L Word.
GALA!!! I’m utterly SHOCKED that you haven’t seen ANY frickin’ AUDREY HEPBURN movies!!! tsk tsk tsk…
If you want to see an Audrey movie that almost no one has heard of, watch ‘Charade’ starring her & Cary Grant (swoon).
PS No Amelie?
Oh Gala, I love your work. Thank-you for a wonderful post – I absolutely LOVE Carrie Bradshaw. ‘Sex and the City’ is my favourite show – not only for its wonderful characters, storylines and settings, but for the fashion! Carrie Bradshaw is my style icon – I love how her clothes break the supposed rules, and the ability they have to inspire me to put much more thought into my own wardrobe choices! Her dressing really was like art to me, and to this day I make an effort to play around with my hair, make-up and clothing choices constantly. Carrie, or rather, Patricia Field, taught me the joy in mixing it up and trying new looks, but most importantly, she taught me to never be afraid to try something new and that most importantly, fashion should be FUN!
okay lets see if this time round :-) Okay my absloutly fave fictional fashion character?
Well I have two. One’s not tv though number one? Rachel Green From friends.
Number two? Claudia Kishi from the BSC how could you not love her outfits?
Blair’s my new style icon…
I’ve never seen Jenny Schecter before, but I ADORE her hair! Ahhh! I’ve had my hair that short before, and I loved it.
I don’t think I’ve seen enough films and TV series to compile a list like this (!!), but if I had, Rachel Green from Friends would be on it, along with Akiko Wakabayashi’s character Aki in the 1964 Bond film “You Only Live Twice”. I love Carrie Bradshaw, though.
Gala – thanks for the great article and pics. I must confess that I’d not heard of any of the characters aside from Carrie.
beatiful choices. especially love to see a girl with such short hair…seeing as i cut off all of mine a week and a half ago.
my inspiration was jean seberg in breathless, another amazingly dressed character, helped by the fact that she is stunning. such a lovely range of clothing, from boyish in the tribune tee to the amazing dior dress. swoon
beatiful choices. especially love to see a girl with such short hair…seeing as i cut off all of mine a week and a half ago.
my inspiration was jean seberg in breathless, another amazingly dressed character, helped by the fact that she is stunning. such a lovely range of clothing, from boyish in the tribune tee to the amazing dior dress. swoon
I’m surprised only one other person mentioned Audrey Tatou in Amelie. I love her and that movie, especially her apartment!
Also, Carrie is definitely either a hit or miss, but the fact that her choices are so bold (well, would be if she were a real person) is what makes her wonderful.
Audrey Hepburn
Carrie Bradshaw!
Mylène Farmer
Björk
Amélie Nothomb
me XD
I love the L word and have always felt that I am very similar to Jenny, which probably says something not too nice about me. But she does dress well! I am sad at how hateable they are making her!
So, SO inspiring Gala. Thank you. Whenever I wear “weird” style choices I will think of Carrie! Yay! I hadn’t heard of the first 3 but I really love them now. Yummy!
You´re such a great inspiration to me! And I´m happy you referred to Mia Kirshner. I love her.
When I saw the title of the article my first thought was Nancy Drew. OK, so she’s a little stereotypical and she’s a book character so you never get to see her clothes. Still, her classic looks inspired me as a kid- I wanted to don a trench and red pumps while solving mysteries!
Well, you made me buy “Henry & June” just for the outfits (ok, I’ve loved Anaïs Nin and the 30s for a long time too) and I wasn’t disappointed. Thank you!
I actually squealed in delight when you chose Jenny. Definitely a chic young girl. And choosing Cher? Bloody brilliant, lady!!!
Blair’s totally one of my style icons. I just wish she’d wear jeans more often. And I ah-dore her hair, all the hair wraps and stuff, they definatly suit her
Blair Walforf is a goddess! I love her clothes. And she did wear jeans once, and she was beautiful. It pisses me off that I live in Brazil and it’s just too hot here to wear those amazing coats and everything.
You missed Hillary Swank in “PS I love you”. Her clothes made me :O
Mika Nakashima in Nana is my pick.