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Here Is What We Know About Quiet Luxury from Serena van der Woodsen
Ever since Sofia Richie’s wedding in the summer, quiet luxury has been trending on social media. Not only is social media obsessing over how to adapt their closets to the trend, but we’re also seeing the cancelled Gossip Girl re-boot series add fuel to the fire. Just because the re-boot series didn’t kick off in the way HBO expected, it doesn’t mean links are absent. Especially when we consider Serena van der Woodsen from the original series.
Some of you may know of the original six characters: Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen, Chuck Bass, Nate Archibald, Dan Humphrey and Jenny Humphrey. As the series was based in Manhattan, New York, we were used to seeing flaunted wealth. The only time wealth wasn’t flaunted was when a scene was set in Brooklyn for the Humphreys. Even then, the characters were always running uptown because that’s where the crowd was.
Trendy style has evolved since the early 2000s, but we can learn much from these characters when thinking about quiet luxury. For example, a giant tell-tale sign that someone doesn’t have an offshore inheritance is their love of logos. In the luxury world, wearing logos is a no-go. No matter the name we’ve associated with the characters, be it old money or quiet luxury, their spending habits aren’t quiet at all.
Serena van der Woodsen
Let’s begin with one of the main characters aforementioned, Serena van der Woodsen. Serena is a fun blonde and party girl with a heart of gold. Even though she may sleep with your boyfriend and the boy selling your little sister some drugs, she is always a mood-booster. Her style is based on Kate Moss and Sienna Miller, who had a boho rocker chic style popular in 2007.
Serena van der Woodsen is the bubbly best friend of Blair Waldorf, who is also the recipient of a large inheritance. However, their styles couldn’t be less identical. Serena technically has more money in her inheritance than Blair due to her mother’s multiple divorces. Blair’s inheritance comes from her mother’s fashion line, with her father figures being successful lawyers. Serena’s hair is much messier than Blair’s, and she prefers dresses that hug her shape to highlight her figure.
Serena regularly wears skinny jeans with high-heeled boots or very mini dresses. Serena can periodically be seen wearing prints, unlike many of her friends. There are no boundaries regarding what Serena wears as she has a “woke up like this aura” to all her outfits. This is a stark contrast to most other girls in her circle as they often stick to the preppy style, made fashionable by St. Judes during her school days.
In comparison to Serena’s very messy yet effortless style, Blair Waldorf’s looks are always controlled. Then again, Blair was never as promiscuous as Serena, as she always modelled herself after Audrey Hepburn. When in doubt, Blair would also ask, “What would Audrey do?” Serena’s style matches her very aloof yet charming personality.
On the show Style
Something everyone can relate to is how your environment affects the way you dress. For example, have you noticed how a celebrity’s style may change depending on who they’re dating? Serena is known for changing her style for the men she dates. She enjoys morphing into who she is dating and wanting to impress them. For example, when she was dating Dan, she would wear many layers with little embellishments. Compared to her style when dating Nate, it is like night and day. With Nate, she wore clothes that accentuated her chest and thick (presumably good quality) jumpers.
In the pilot episode, Serena is at Grand Central wearing skinny jeans with a black and white striped long-sleeve top. That was tucked under a brown jacket over it with black knee-high boots and a hobo bag. At first glance, it seems very simple when looking at the outfit, but that is the appeal of Serena. Very down-to-earth and effortless.
Serena’s style raises eyebrows amongst the upper elite because her attitude is often reflected in her clothes. Serena doesn’t care about her inherited wealth (how ironic), which, therefore, gives her the license to push the boundaries regarding her makeup and fashion. Even her school uniform is a show of rebellion when she untucks her shirt and wears her skirt inches shorter than her classmates.
Toned-down
As the show progresses and Serena gets older, her style changes. Serena’s style becomes mature, and her makeup becomes regimented. Regarding her fashion, Serena isn’t concerned with overtly showcasing her assets anymore. What she tones down in showing flesh, she turns up with glamour. Serena has become accustomed to wearing statement necklaces, midi-dresses and killer heels.
Quiet luxury dressing mainly centres around quality over quantity. It’s about wearing quality fabrics to the touch that most will need help recognising and shopping at obscure brands. Serena van der Woodsen would be a street style icon in today’s world because her outfits are easily imitated by high-street and fast fashion brands. Additionally, she doesn’t shy away from sequin blazers or patterns and pastels, which makes it easier to discover luxury brands. Serena is the type of girl to tag where she gets her clothes from.
How to dress like Serena van der Woodsen
So, if you’ve made it this far, you probably want a deeper breakdown of how you can dress like Serena van der Woodsen. You’ll first want to begin with sequins, metallics and animal prints. Serena loves oversized bags and long necklaces to complete her look, too. Always remember the gold for more formal occasions, as she is a massive fan of that.
Secondly, mix and match patterns and throw things together that may not work at first glance, as that is part of the effortless chic that Serena exudes. If you’re familiar with Blair’s style, you’re in luck. Serena’s style is more straightforward to recreate because it is casual wear with a twist. Try taking basics and adding bold accessories to elevate the outfit. A jacket is a part of the look. Bandage dresses are a must for dressing like Serena. If you think bandage dresses are so out of season, you’re overthinking like Blair. You’re Serena. She doesn’t care about what others think, so neither should you.
Remember to dress like your boyfriend. In the later half of season one, her colour palette is much more subdued once she starts dating down to match Dan’s colour palettes, such as browns and blacks. For all of you wannabe Manhattan babes, ditch the Starbucks and opt for oversized grey cardigans. Just ensure you have a sexy, bustier dress in the back of the closet in case you break up with him and get with a Nate Archibald look-alike.
Lastly, you have to make them jealous. When getting revenge on Dan in season two, Serena wore a lilac and eggplant geometric-shaped bandage low-cut dress. Make them remember what they’re missing.
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