It seems when one fashionable show ends, another one begins. We start taking on new fashion ideals and aspirations. New aesthetics rise and fall. Here is a timeline of the most fashionable television shows every decade.
The 80s – Dynasty
Dynasty was THE fashion show of the 80s. Before Dynasty, TV, while it had its cool costume moments, wasn’t really an outlet for fashion. Actors were even known for wearing their own clothes to reduce budget costs because TV had far less money than movies. However, Dynasty was one of the first TV shows to make an impact on fashion. Dynasty was known for the big, flashy, glamorous, luxurious, and flamboyant, much like 80s fashion itself. Staples of Dynasty were huge shoulder details, metallics, dress suits, black and white combinations and red carpet looks as daywear. It was the first show to implore fantasy through fashion, rather than realism. This provided glamorous escapism, rather than cathartic relatability.
The 90s – Beverly Hills, 90210
Speaking of relatability, that’s what the fashion of the first true teen drama Beverly Hills, 90210, was all about in terms of costume. Part of the media youthquake in the 90s began to show a glimpse of how big of an impact teen television and media can have on how audiences dress, consume, and style, foreshadowing even the undeniable impacts of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and Euphoria. 90210 made perfect sense as the 90s fashion TV show. Since the 1920s, youth has been what drives pop culture and therefore drives what is cool and trendy. The show also took place in a trendy location that has a lot of tourism and that is aspirational because many viewers have the goal of someday moving there. Therefore, the “It” teen show on air would impact fashion in the same way. However, unlike Euphoria and Gossip Girl which relish in fantasy and aspiration, 90210 is realistic and relatable. Brenda, Donna and Kelly wore clothes from the mainstream store Express and mixed them with designer clothes. Pretty Little Liars would later use this same formula but with the added development of social media (more on this later).
Y2K – Friends
The only sitcom on this list, Friends made casual stylish. It also was one of the first shows to distinctly define their female characters with their wardrobe. Rachel was sophisticated and also dressed up more than the other characters. Monica was more down-to-Earth and tomboy-ish. Phoebe was the bohemian hippie. Rachel even offered great advertising for huge 90s designer brands like Ralph Lauren, Bloomingdale’s and Louis Vuitton.
The Early 2000s – Sex And The City
Sex and The City had a huge impact on fashion in the 2000s. Brands generously featured on the show like Manolo Blahnik, Fendi and John Galliano saw peaks that were directly linked to the show. Costume designer Patricia Fields’ maximalist approach to costume design became a full-fledged trend in the 2000s. It was also the first time the female wardrobe was extremely distinctive on television. The first aesthetics, if you will. You were a sophisticated Charlotte, boyish Miranda, bold Samantha or inventive Carrie. This was the first time something like this had ever happened. This distinctive characterization through wardrobe design has also been used on Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Euphoria, and Riverdale.
The Late 2000s – Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl’s impact on the fashion industry was undeniable and was by far the television show with the biggest and most long-lasting impact on the fashion industry. Up-and-coming New York designers like Nanette Lepore, Jennifer Behr, and Abigail Lorick got amazing advertising. Brands like Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Marc Jacobs were given new life with young audiences. Designers were taking inspiration from the New York prep school aesthetic. Full-out fashion trends were started like headbands, tights, and capes. There were even Gossip Girl-themed fashion collections from Henri Bendel, Anna Sui and even more recently Alice + Olivia’s Fall 2021 collection, which was also a collaboration with the show’s costume designer Eric Daman. Gossip Girl made high fashion cool again, with unique styling and an aspirational take that is still used for inspiration on Pinterest and felt in the industry today.
The 2010s – Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars almost immediately succeeded Gossip Girl as the “It” show for fashion in the 2010s. Like Gossip Girl’s classic Blair, tossed Serena, bohemian Vanessa and rocker Jenny, Mandi Line, PLL’s costume designer, also did a fabulous job at making each girl distinctive and memorable. Aria’s vintage edge, Spencer’s costumey sophistication, Hanna’s (at least, for the time period) uber-trend looks, and Emily’s athletic turned 90s grunge-esque style could also categorize the popular aesthetics of the 2010s like hipsters, Twee, Neon Love Culture (aka the entire The Duff movie) and Tumblr girls. American Eagle even had a collection inspired by the fashion on the show. Pretty Little Liars was very unique too because they expertly mixed designer and affordable brands. Tory Burch, Chanel, and Rag & Bone were used and mixed with pieces from Express, Nordstrom, and American Eagle. It was equally accessible and aspirational.
The 2020s – Euphoria
Euphoria is undeniably already having a huge impact on the fashion and beauty industry with only two seasons. Between iconic costume designer Heidi Bivens and makeup artist Doniella Davy, they are almost single-handedly styling Gen Z themselves. Like Sex and The City, Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars before them, each character, especially the women, is very defined. Maddy is the rebellious style icon, Rue’s the gender-bending relaxed girl, Jules is colorful and imaginative, Kat is edgy and dreamy in more ways than one, Cassie is girly and basic (literally), and Lexi is cute and preppy. Unlike their predecessors, their makeup is also highly distinctive with Maddy’s razor-sharp wings, Rue’s smudgy eyes, Jules’ use of color and shape, Kat’s dreamscape approach, Cassie’s pretty girl approach, and Lexi’s Twiggy-esque inspiration. Between the internet and social media, there is no shortage of Euphoria-inspired fashion and beauty articles either. Like Gossip Girl, it values fantasy over reality in terms of design, providing endless inspiration for years to come.