by Cassie Lipp
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| Offbeat Chic: Top 3 TV Style Icons and How to Dress Like Them |
My favorite part of watching shows has always been the TV
style icons that appear throughout pop culture history. Because what’s more
legendary, the character Rachel Green or her haircut? I’m always interested to
see what characters are going to be wearing in the next scene, and I like to
imagine what the costume designer was thinking when they added each piece to
the wardrobe.
I’ve compiled a list of my three favorite TV style icons.
Though there’s many more, I chose the most current three:
1. Sophia Marlowe, Girlboss
The first of these TV style icons is, unfortunately, the
type of millennial that gives millennials a bad name. Her selfishness and
desire to get everything she wants without doing much more than lifting a
finger (or nodding at a student ID) is enough to make viewers turn Girlboss off. I know I wanted to, but
there was something that kept me interested in the show.
That would be Sophia’s personal style and the clothes she
picked out to sell on her eBay store, Nasty Gal Vintage. I got a few episodes
into the first season before fast-forwarding through the rest of the season,
stopping just to see what Sophia is wearing that day or selling on eBay.
Watching
her strut down the streets of San Francisco, Sophia’s style makes it easy to
forget that the show is actually set in 2006, not 1976. My favorite piece she
wears is a denim jumpsuit—casual, comfy and not too flashy, yet it stands out
because it’s not too often you see anyone sporting a jumpsuit. The tie at the
waist keeps Sophia from looking square in a solid color.
To fit her ‘70s vibe, Sophia wears a lot of flared jeans,
crop tops, rocker tees and bomber jackets. She also has that ability Jamie Lynn
Spears pulls off in Zoey 101 to turn
an ugly item of clothing into something amazing with only a pair of scissors.
Watch this happen in “Thank You San Francisco” when she transforms a shapeless floral maxi dress into a Stevie
Nicks-inspired duster by simply cutting the sleeves a little shorter and
vertically slicing the dress down the middle. Moments like this make it worth
watching Girlboss—what makes the show
is the clothes.
If you’d like to emulate Sophia’s style, stray away from her
shoplifting and instead wear anything that looks like it could’ve fit right in
during the ‘70s.
2. Cece Parekh, New
Girl
Zooey Deschanel is such a style icon for sundress-sporting
bookish girls that it’s easy to overlook her New Girl costar, Hannah Simone, as a TV style icon. Simone’s
character Cece dresses like a supermodel (because she is) for much of New Girl, with bodycon dresses, leather
miniskirts and tight jeans. However, Cece’s style shifts to a more boho feel as
she gets older and retires from modeling.
Cece’s boho style never looks too done-up, because one
statement piece is really all she needs to pull off each look, such as a flowy
shawl, printed cardigan or cute dress. The unique patterns on Cece’s clothes
are what makes her outfits stand out, such as the lotus flower print
long-sleeve dress she wears in “The Hike” and the black dress with colorful
embroidery she wears in “Rumspringa.”
Just throw on a flowy, knee-length dress or romper in any
kind of standout print and you’re ready to party (or chill out) like Cece. For
standout patterns, don’t think polka dots or stripes (they’re more Jess’s
thing). Think geometric patterns, zigzags, or floral print.
My favorite thing Cece wears during New Girl is her wedding dress because it captures Cece’s style
perfectly. The poofy, light-up dress covered in mirrored panels that Cece and
Winston drunkenly bought and couldn’t return was a major roadblock to the
wedding planning until Jess discovered she could turn the dress inside out and
work with a blank slate. (How she didn’t realize this 20 minutes earlier in the
episode, I don’t know).
The end result after Jess alters the dress has Cece walking
down the aisle (with Schmidt MIA) in a strapless white A-line dress covered in
a gold lace pattern with an added train. The way the spacing of the striking
gold pattern varies to draw attention to
the bust and bottom of the skirt adds a new dimension to the dress. I will also
never understand how Jess managed to complete this project in three months.
I’m glad I got to see the dress again in “Operation: Bobcat”
when Nick is called to bring Cece and Scmidt some clothes, and, being Nick
Miller, digs deep enough in their closet to find Schmidt’s fat clothes and
Cece’s wedding dress instead of their everyday attire.
3. Mickey Dobbs, Love
Mickey is another unlikeable character, yet her effortlessly
cool style puts her on the TV style icons list. Though I could complain all day
about how fickle she is with Gus and overreacts to nearly everything, I’d
rather talk about those stackable rings you can spot hear wearing in every
episode.
With silver rings of all shapes and sizes covering every finger, it’s
like a collection Mickey can constantly show off. They easily dress up whatever
she’s wearing, even if it’s just a t-shirt and denim day. To emulate this look,
mix some dainty silver rings with larger ones like a spoon ring or your class
ring.
Her casual look usually involves a tank top or band tee
tucked into high-waisted jeans. On one occasion she swaps the jeans out for a
button-down miniskirt. It looks sweet and chic, even if she is wearing it while
showing up unannounced to the place Gus works and yelling at him.
The dressier attire Mickey wears to work and formal get-togethers has a vibe that says “fine, I’ll dress up—but I’m doing it my way.”
This makes sense because it’s a totally Mickey statement to make. The white
button-down shirt with black polka dots she wears to work is to die for because
it looks like the polka dots were hand-drawn on the fabric. She keeps it
laid-back by rolling up the sleeves. Yet by tucking it into a skirt, she also
keeps it professional. Mickey’s style seems to be all about pieces that could
easily be transformed by swapping out the various pieces they are paired with,
like the bomber and varsity jackets she throws over dresses.
To dress like Mickey, skip creating unnecessary drama in
your relationship and opt for pieces that you’ve always thought to pair
together, but your mom may have said you couldn’t leave the house like that.
While not everyone can pull of wearing a one-piece bathing suit as shirt under
an open plaid button-down and jeans, you can take baby steps by putting on your
favorite go-to outfit. Swap one item with something that you normally wouldn’t
wear with that outfit. Why wear jeggings when you can bring back the ol’ skirt
with jeans combo? Or, try a concert tee with a flowy maxi skirt. The
possibilities are endless.
Photo Credits:
Sophia: All
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