What Would They Wear Now?
And What Will I Talk About Next?
Originally published on Substack 6/10/2021
In 2017, Fashionista asked Gossip Girl’s head costume designer, Eric Daman, what current runway looks he thought the show’s characters would wear. He replied:
I was just going to say, I feel like Serena would be wearing the Manolo x Vetements boots. . . . I feel like they’d be more grown-up versions of themselves. I feel like she’d wear that with a Tom Ford silk cashmere sweater and Mother jeans, maybe wearing Lily’s Pomellato earrings with it to give it a ladylike edge. But I think there’s definitely that downtown element where she would be drawn to Vetements.
Recently, I saw some things at Rosie Assoulin that I thought were very Blair Waldorf. It just felt so feminine, but also so adult. If I was doing it right now, she’d definitely be wearing Rosie Assoulin, and then maybe mixing it with Prada or Fendi. Again, mixing with these newer designers and capping it with some of the more established.
While working on my profiles, I also considered what these characters would wear if the show premiered today. (Soon enough, I might have an answer: the reboot is premiering on July 8, and based on the descriptions I’ve read, the writers seem to be drawing parallels between the original and reboot characters.) I doubt my thought experiments for the original characters are what Daman would pick, but I hope they’re a fun capper to my profiles—a graduation, if you will. This is the last post in volume one, but volume two is coming this fall (scroll down to find out which show I’ll be covering!).
What Would They Wear Now?
Honestly, some characters’ outfits then would look pretty similar to their outfits now. Lily van der Woodsen, for example. That woman will be wearing tasteful day dresses and statement earrings until the day she dies and leaves one of her children out of her will. That being said, after I finished the Cut profile of the Olsen twin brand The Row, I kept thinking about this quote: “If you’re a super-wealthy woman in New York? The way we go to Uniqlo—they go to The Row.” So maybe Lily would own a drawer of “casual” $1,000 tops from The Row—just for the house, of course.
Blair Waldorf would probably still favor preppy uniforms and feminine, romantic dresses. Her fashion icons—Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy—never quite go out of style, nor does preppy fashion. (Thus is the staying power of wealthy white people.) Blair would still worship the runway, though she would likely, as Daman pointed out, try new designers, like Rosie Assoulin. She would also be immediately dismissive (and secretly jealous) of Ariana Grande’s Audrey-inspired wedding gown.
And Nate Archibald—I think his mother would still be buying the same blue Brooks Brothers button-downs and slacks, his uniform still rumpled and untucked. His Bieber bangs, however, would be traded for nineties/early aughts hair curtains, à la Dean Forester. I see a lot of white teen boys with hair curtains now, and bless their hearts, it makes me smile.
Other characters might look different—Vanessa Abrams, hopefully. As the only main character of color, Vanessa became the catchall for vaguely “ethnic” prints and designs; I’d love to see her rooted in the specificity and creativity of New York–based, Black-owned brands like Telfar and Royal Jelly Harlem. The show once referenced Vanessa’s thrifting experience, and I’d like to think she’s still scouring thrift stores and vintage shops—even if the competition is a little more fierce now.
Jenny Humphrey, too, would be thriving in a world of Poshmark and Depop and The RealReal, where she could buy all the designer fashions she needs to fit in at school. Her younger, candy-colored wardrobe would be perfectly complemented by accessories from Susan Alexandra. I can picture Jenny spending hours beading a Susan Alexandra–inspired bag, only for a strap to break in the school courtyard—beads spilling everywhere. (I say this as someone who spent six months last year beading a bag with somewhat questionable integrity.)
As she got older, Jenny traded her cutesy wardrobe for a rocker-inspired one. While teenage rebellion will never go out of style, I imagine a modern-day Jenny evolving into a more witchy, almost fairy tale–like wardrobe—maybe a dash of cottagecore. The brand The Vampire’s Wife would fit this intersection perfectly.
Rufus Humphrey is a grunge-y former rock star, but if the show premiered today, his early nineties timeline would no longer work. Rather, I love the idea of Rufus as a washed-up boy band member who landed in Brooklyn just in time for his Man of the Woods phase. The knit hats, sheepskin-collared jackets, and flannels wouldn’t stray too far from his 2007 wardrobe and would fit perfectly with the hipster Brooklyn dads. Oh, and his kids would call him “Papa.”
Like his sister, Jenny, Dan Humphrey would do well with a popular internet aesthetic. After all, aesthetics are a more attainable form of style; you don’t need all designer pieces to interpret dark academia. Dan’s original wardrobe did have an academic, writerly touch, but I can see a modern interpretation of his style embracing wool sweaters and tweed pants and trench coats in brown and gray and forest green. Maybe in this universe, the writers would actually plan for him to be Gossip Girl. . . .
And what of Dan’s on-and-off girlfriend, Serena van der Woodsen? Her early wardrobe was inspired by models-off-duty like Kate Moss, so it’s only fitting that she’d look like today’s top models. I thought of Serena when I watched these “7 Days, 7 Looks” videos from Hailey Bieber and Kaia Gerber: a little sporty and oversized, lots of simple blazers and coats, heeled boots or sneakers, and high-waisted jeans.
Her stepbrother, Chuck Bass, would keep pushing sartorial boundaries (and, fingers crossed, be more aware of personal boundaries). When the show premiered in 2007, Chuck’s colorful suiting was considered very adventurous and fashion forward for a cis straight teenage boy. Today, his outfits look almost boring next to Harry Styles’s or Billy Porter’s red carpet and cover looks. I’d like to think Chuck would embrace gender-bending fashion, throwing on feather boas, printed suits, and sweeping gowns.
(What do you think they’d wear now? Let me know in the comments!)
And What Will I Talk About Next?
Back in February, I asked you all to choose the subject for volume two, and the clear winner, with 55 percent of the votes, was Veronica Mars. (Blessed to have so many Marshmallows in my life.) Thank you to those who voted, and if you weren’t a subscriber at the time, don’t worry—I’ll likely do another poll for volume three!
For Veronica, I’ll focus on the original three seasons, perhaps with a detour into the movie and the much-maligned fourth season. It’s been a couple years since I’ve seen the show, so I’ll be taking the summer to rewatch and assemble my thoughts. If you haven’t seen the show, or if you haven’t seen it in a while, I hope you’ll watch along with me! (It’s all streaming on Hulu.) I’ve also found a few options for a new platform, so I’ll be moving to whichever allows me to transfer my old content and subscribers most easily. Wherever I end up, I’ll be back the Thursday after Labor Day, 9/9.
As for the structure of volume two, that will be determined by the show. Gossip Girl is a very character-driven show (and I had a lot of thoughts on those characters!), so season-by-season character profiles were a natural choice. Those individual profiles took a while for me to write (and likely a while for you to read), so I’ll be switching up the format and length for Veronica. Perhaps I’ll focus on the groups within the Veronica universe (09ers, PCHers, etc.); perhaps I’ll delve into the history of costume design in noirs. Maybe both! And yeah, maybe I’ll write a post on the Gossip Girl reboot after it drops. Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in!!
I’ve had a lot of fun writing volume one, and I’m forever delighted that anyone reads this newsletter. Thank you for your support over the past six months! If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’ll consider liking and sharing your favorite post from volume one. Your feedback helps me figure out which posts you like and find more subscribers.
See you in September! XOXO.
