Binge Worthy Fashion: Blair Waldorf from “Gossip Girl”

Hey Upper East Siders. Gossip Girl here. And I have the biggest news ever. One of my many sources, Melanie91, sends us this: “Spotted: Blair Waldorf doing quarantine in style, acting like she doesn’t wear sweatpants to class like the rest of us.” Think she’s quarantining in her Fifth Avenue penthouse with Chuck Bass? The scandal… All I know is that she’s definitely missing sitting on the steps of the Met with the Serena Van der Woodsen.

The Show

If you haven’t caught on yet from the snooty intro to this blog post (or the title—duh), today’s Binge Worthy Fashion post is featuring Blair Waldorf from “Gossip Girl”. Of course I had to include a “Gossip Girl” character in this series since the trust-fund babies of the show are the epitome of designer style.

“Gossip Girl” originally aired from 2007 to 2012, and now all six seasons are available on Netflix! I also hear there might be a reboot coming in the near future (?). Starring Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, among others (like the creepy guy who plays Joe from the show “You”), the series follows a bunch of rich and snooty teenagers from the Upper East Side of New York City as the infamous Gossip Girl sends nasty texts to spread rumors about their lives.

I was way behind the curve for watching “Gossip Girl” since I only just binged the series during my freshman year of college. But before that, I had heard about the show, seen pop culture references, and not surprisingly, pinned some of the characters’ outfits on Pinterest. One time I even wore a headband to high school and someone commented that I looked “just like Blair Waldorf.” At the time I didn’t understand the compliment, but it’s safe to say I can now participate in all the juicy “Gossip Girl” references. Even though the show is completely ridiculous and very dramatic, I absolutely love it and the glamour of their rich lives—the lavish parties, the gowns, the penthouses… It’s definitely a dream world! The drama of the show sure adds a little vicarious excitement to life during this quarantine. And yes, I swoon over Chuck Bass (although not so much his teeth). In fact, just talking about the show makes me want to rewatch it! You think anyone will judge me if I dress up in a fancy gown and do my hair and makeup to binge the show? Seems like something the characters would do…

The Style

Blair Waldorf has a very ladylike, mature, feminine style. And she always dresses up! Something that I love and to which I can relate. Blair’s outfits are very preppy, and she styles a lot of blazers, tweed, luxe fabrics, and classic pieces. Like the other characters I’ve talked about in this blogging series, Blair often wears dresses or skirts rather than pants. She loves wearing boldly colored or patterned tights, and she never shies away from a great overcoat or even a sassy lil’ cape. Blair accessorizes her outfits with headbands or other hair pieces (she would be insanely on-trend right now!), high heels, a great handbag, and glossy lips. Sometimes Blair’s outfits are very busy and over-the-top, but she always manages to look put-together and ready to take on the Big Apple!

The Re-Creation

I wanted to recreate one of Blair’s more dramatic outfits, so I started by selecting the most expensive-looking and feminine pieces from my closet. I thought this brown tweed blazer (styled in last Thursday’s Thrift Shopping Haul) seemed like something Blair would wear, but I didn’t have a lot of Blair-like dresses or skirts to pair with it. This floral ruffle chiffon dress also seemed like something Blair might wear, but I thought for sure the dress would look stupid paired with the blazer. I wasn’t even planning on trying the combo on, but for some reason I decided to see how the pairing looked… And while I wasn’t sold at first, once I defined the waistline of the dress with a belt and added some pearl necklaces, I fell in love with this look! It was so unexpected, but the juxtaposition of the tweed blazer and the chiffon dress seemed like the kind of over-the-top pairing Blair would wear. I finished the outfit with some light pink tights a la Blair and of course, a purple beaded headband (couldn’t even make it through these photos before having a screaming headache. This very old headband will definitely be added to the donate pile!). I also borrowed a vintage Gucci bag, which was the perfect designer addition to this otherwise affordable look. I would never own a Gucci bag myself (too expensive and Gucci usually isn’t my favorite), but it was fun to style this brown purse for a day. It’s actually a very pretty bag, despite my dislike for Gucci, and it was the perfect purse for this outfit. Unfortunately, I do not own any shoes that are Blair-worthy, so I had to settle on these sparkly beige flats to wear with this outfit. However, I think brown pumps would look way better with this look.

To recreate Blair’s style yourself, I recommend finding a dress or skirt that pairs well with a blazer. Blair loves to mix textures, so try to pick pieces that are made from different fabrics. If you have patterned or textured tights, you can throw those on for the chillier days and rock a pair of heels (although I would definitely choose a block style over a stiletto, personally). And of course, you can’t forget Blair’s signature headband! I used to have quite the headband collection (today’s purple one included), but ever since my head has grown to an outlandish size, I’ve opted for “soft headbands” instead. The hard ones just pinch my head too much.

Minus the shoes, I would absolutely wear this outfit! It was so much fun for me to discover something SO Blair while also creating an outfit I never thought would go together. Man, I love fashion! And private fashion shows in my closet to discover new outfit combos are the perfect way to pass the quaran-time… Just sayin’, maybe you should try it.

Have you watched “Gossip Girl”? Who’s your favorite character, and do you think Blair would wear this outfit? Would YOU wear this outfit? I’d love to know! Blair doesn’t seem to smile very much in the show, so I tried to look all sultry and pouty in these photos. The result? Over a hundred pics of me just looking constipated. Once again, it’s safe to say I could never be a model.

You can check out the links below for the other blog posts in my Binge Worthy Fashion series, and stay tuned for one final character re-creation coming next Monday!

Binge Worthy Fashion: Mindy Lahiri from “The Mindy Project”

Binge Worthy Fashion: Jessica Day from “New Girl”

Binge Worthy Fashion: Jane Sloan from “The Bold Type”

Binge Worthy Fashion: The Ladies of “Riverdale”

Have a great start to your week! And tune back later for more details into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite… You know you love me.

XOXO,

Gossip Girl

Light Pink Ruffle Dress: JCPenney, $16 // Tweed Blazer: Thrift store, $9 // Pink Tights: Amazon, $8 // Gucci Bag: borrowed // Beige Flats: Nordstrom Rack, $40 // Brown Belt: Cabi, $76