New York City has long been known for its creative innovation, fast-paced lifestyle and huge crowds of street walkers. Additionally, it sets the scene for some of our favorite TV shows, including trend-setting characters acting as trailblazers in the fashion world.
Mad Men
Eight years ago, around 1.6 million viewers tuned into AMC on Thursday evening to watch the series premiere of Mad Men. It has since graced our televisions and Netflix screens with true ’60s mod fashion.
Janie Bryant is the Emmy award winning costume designer who brought the decade back to life on Madison Avenue. Plaid, polka dots, the first rompers, Lilly Pulitzer style shift dresses and pant suits were re-inspired.
Betty Draper is presented as the picture perfect housewife. She is focused on how she looks and how others perceive her. She is most often in full skirts with a matching blouse and a silk scarf as her major accessory- definitely a Grace Kelly look.
Peggy, an employee of Donald Draper is more conservative. She wears lots of plaid and button up sweaters much like a school girl uniform. Peggy’s sense of fashion matures after she receives a promotion as a copywriter and gets her very own secretary.
Joan reminds me a lot of Marilyn Monroe. She wears pretty basic pieces in jewel tones that are still worn in the professional scene today. Her outfits form perfectly to her amazing hourglass figure — Bryant is very much aware of Joan’s assets.
Gossip Girl
The ultimate fashion guide for college when it comes to designer and vintage fashion is the TV series ‘Gossip Girl’.
It is the quintessential life of the rich and famous “it girls” of the upper east side. Blair Waldorf and Serena Van Der Woodsen have a natural gift when it comes to personal style. They can be seen in skirts, dresses, cashmere sweaters, over the top hair accessories and of course the most fabulous shoes.
Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald serve as an inspiration for the modern day men. From head to toe these two were always looking their best. Chuck definitely won me over with his iconic purple suit and maybe the plaid scarf in the first season. (Check out this Buzzfeed article of the most memorable outfits from the show.)
Sex and the City
Sex and the City first aired on Television in 1998 and was broadcasted until 2004. It has since inspired two films and a spin off about the early life of Carrie Bradshaw in The Carrie Diaries.
For those who don’t know, Carrie Bradshaw first made her mark on television with her crazy curly hair sporting a blue Fendi coat and what would become her signature look, strappy heels.
Carrie is a New York City newspaper columnist who later becomes a freelance writer for Vogue. Her weekly column for the The New York Star was titled “Sex and the City.” Carrie lives for fashion and had an extreme case of shoe addiction, specifically  Manolo Blahniks.
At one point in the series she had claimed to have spent over $40,000 on shoes alone, meaning her closet was probably stocked full of at least 100 pairs. Carrie was known for her unique vintage looks intertwining haute couture and remains a fashion icon today as “style has no age-limits”.
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