TV Shows that Inspire Fashion
Photo by Craig Blankenhorn | Sex and City 2 Directed by Michael Patrick King
The first episode of The Sex and the City was released on June 6, 1998 and our obsession of fashion intermingled with television was born. Each lead heroine had her own distinct style. Samantha was sensual with her sheer coverups and body con style dresses. Charlotte had florals, ruffles and chiffon. Miranda, mastered the power suit and neutral tones. Lastly, Carrie, the effortless bohemian, mixed patterns and silhouette, tanks and tiered skirts, a Dior sweatshirt with a layered calf length skirt. In The Sex and City, every fashionista could find their style inspirations. Are you a Carrie? Are you a Samantha? Before Pinterest, we cut out magazine clippings of our style inspirations, trying to replicate our own closets to be like that of our inspiration. Thanks to creator Darren Star and costume designer Patricia Field, fashion has become a staple in modern television shows, as an insight to who these characters are. The clothes have as much plot as the characters do.
Here’s a list of our fashion inspirations from tv shows today.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Rachel Brosnahan | Credit: Instagram @maiseltv
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel takes place in the Upper West Side of New York in the late 1950s. At the start of the show, our main heroine, Midge, is a stay at home mother whose father, a professor at Columbia, and mother, an heiress, we later find out, have always given her the best of everything. Her clothing choices are evident of that. Costume designer, Donna Zakowska, makes sure Midge never wears the same dress, hat, coat, gloves, twice. The actress Rachel Brosnahan, playing Midge, is stunning in every look. As Midge builds her comedy act throughout the show, her clothing becomes part of her on stage persona. As an anti-thesis to Jane Lynch’s Sophie Lennon, the other female comic in the show, Midge is the pretty girl. In her acts, she’s often wearing bold jewel tones in satin, cinched at the waist with a full skirt. Midge, also, always accessorizes. We often see her pulling on a pair of gloves before an act or donning a hat, glasses or headband. Within the show, it’s always exciting what Midge will wear next!
Emily in Paris
Lily Collins, Ashley Park, Camille Razat | Credit: Instagram @camillerazat
Where to watch: Netflix
Emily in Paris is Darren Star’s third show, after The Sex and City and Younger, with costume designer Patricia Field. Needless to say, when this show was announced, there were fashion expectations. As seen the title, this show’s setting is Paris, meaning, as viewers, we get to experience and see Parisian culture and fashion. The main character, Emily, played by actress and producer Lily Collins, is a midwest girl from Chicago. A large premise of season 1 is about Emily fitting in. She struggles to find her place at work, in her love life and with learning the language and culture of this new city she’s in. Patricia Field does a great job of showing this disconnect through Emily’s fashion. Emily is often wearing bright colors, mismatched colors and patterns, short layers, and large bomber jackets. Her co-workers often give her side eye in regards to her fashion which are so different from the muted neutral tones and loose layers from Sylvie or the structured suits from Julien.
However, Emily does kindle a friendship early on with Mindy, played by Ashley Park. Mindy was born in Shanghai, went to college in Bloomington, Ind., and in season 1, is a nanny in Paris. Her style infuses these three distinct places. Sometimes she does wear bright layers like Emily, influences of American fashion, but other times she has structured flowing pieces. Another of Emily’s friends, Cami, played by model Camille Razat, gives us viewers a true insight into Parisian fashion. Cami often wears neutral tones. Solid black and white pieces and plaid patterns. She often pairs these looks with loafers or Doc Martens, something that doesn’t have too much of a heel.
The fashion in Emily in Paris can at times seem chaotic, but that’s because Patricia Field is pulling from so many global influences. Perhaps as Emily stays in Paris longer, her style will begin to evolve as well.
Next in Fashion
Tan France, Alexa Chung Credit: Instagram @nextinfashion
Where to watch: Netflix
Next in Fashion is the newest fashion designing competition on tv with hosts,Tan France, of Queer Eye, and model/designer Alexa Chung. (In season 2, model Gigi Hadid replaces Chung). What makes this show unique is that the designer/competitors are not pulled from obscurity, in fact, most of them have had successful careers in fashion in the past. This show acts as a second chance to already talented designers, giving them chance to enhance, rebrand or rejuvenate their brand. One of the most touching parts of season 1 is when winner, Minju Kim from South Korea, admits to wanting to win in order to step out of the shadow of her sister who makes all of the creative decisions in their company. In regards to fashion, Tan France and Alexa Chung brought it every week. Tan, Queer Eye’s resident fashion expert, wears a myriad of structured suits. Alexa Chung, who at the time ran her own fashion label, wore pieces ranging from sequined mini skirts, a structured crop top with pants and Cinderella-esque satin ball gown.
In addition, the competitors were able to show their creativity and passion through their weekly looks. Some standouts were from Minju Kim and Daniel Fletcher. Minju created a bright pink satin gown that crossed in the front resembling a hanbok. Daniel Fletcher showed the importance of fashion sustainability as he reused denim scraps at the bottom of his gown and structured them to resemble a mountain cap. Overall, this show portrayed a truly talented cast. We’re excited to see what Minju Kim will be up to next as season 1’s winner, but to also see the fashion labels of each competitor evolve.
