This blog needs some fun times and I'm here to provide to bring it! I know it's been a hot minute (I’ve been busy and lazy, ok!) so I thought I'd come back with a bang of fun and confetti in the form of a frivolous and indulgent Top 8 countdown. I say frivolous and indulgent, but I propose too, that it is important and relevant! Besides it being Halloween soon, I also just need to get these thoughts out! So here I am sharing with you my favourite, best dressed characters from TV shows. This all started in my mission for a Halloween costume. Being the specific person I am and with the specific style I like to think I have, I’m not about to wear something silly and ridiculous, even if it is in the name of fun – although, silliness and ridiculousness here, is all relative. It’s a perfect excuse to pay homage to your favourite anything in a fashionable way – to commit, represent, make it special, make it original and not turn up as your favourite Teletubby. Basically, what I’m saying is seize the opportunity on Halloween. And in life.
Beyond this though, I just wanted to share my list of the best dressed, pop culture TV characters I’ve come across in my life. Besides best dressed, I’m gonna go ahead and say that in the context of TV and my head, they are style icons, because their looks are each bold and powerful. Their characters are enhanced by their style and because of this, they are not easily forgotten. Also, because it’s fun and because Serena and Blair are not the first well-dressed characters on TV. Hope these bring back some good memories and provide some kind of inspiration!
#8 Wilma Flinstone, The Flinstones
To start off, I chose the famous Mrs Flinstone. I feel like people overlook her simplistic elegance just because she lives in Stone Age and is surrounded by dinosaurs. Sure, she only has one outfit, but what a good one it is! Understated and elegant. Whether she is cleaning the house, shopping or at the drive-in, she always looks like she is ready for a cocktail party in her one-shoulder dress and red lips. Her “pearls” too communicate an idea of maturity and social standing. She’s fun and social yet intelligent and responsible, and her styling exemplifies this. She be reppin’ the little white dress, from back in the day! Literally!
#7 Hilary Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
At number 7, I chose one of the underrated characters from one of my favourite shows : Hilary Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She’s the spoilt, lazy, ditz of the family – but my God is she funny! I never appreciated her character growing up, because of all these negative connotations, but also, because I associated them with hot, popular, stupid girl in the awesome clothes (dear old American pop culture conditioning). So the clothes had lost their meaning to me. Watching episodes today though, she makes me laugh the most and besides that, she has mad style! As the rich, hot girl she expectedly wears cool clothes, but her styling is daring, clean and fresh. She’s preppy, she’s structured, she’s sexy and she always looks like she’s ready to rule the world. Ironically. Because she’s not. But she pulls the look of immaculately. She’s chic and adorable and I want all her jackets. Next time the show’s on, check out what she’s wearing and you’ll be all like, “Damn girl!” You’ll see.
#6 Ariel’s sisters, The Little Mermaid
Ariaaaal!!! (In Sebastian the Lobster’s accent). This movie pretty much made my childhood. Ariel is so beautiful, even though she’s just a drawing. She’s got this bold and reckless beauty that I adore. However, the reason I think that her sisters are style icons, is because of the lesson in style they inadvertently provide. They are 6 sisters, all princesses, all different, yet they are able to represent parts of their personality through something very specific – accessories. Attina, who is next in line for the throne has the boldest crown; Aquata, has pearls in her hair and is a graceful dancer with feminine characteristics; Andrina is sarcastic and witty and has pink decorations in her short blonde hair; Arista is a little ditzy and has long blonde hair with red pearl decorations; Adella has green fins and is boy crazy; and Alana is the glamorous, beauty queen with a pink tiara-like crown.
What I’m saying is that style is made up of who you are and how you express that. Clearly, these mermaids express their individuality through colour, hair style and accessories – and it works. We are not clones and our individuality should be celebrated and expressed. Herein lies the power of the accessory, illustrated by mermaids. Unexpected, I know.
#5 Peggy Bundy, Married With Children
"Love and Marriage, Love and Marriage, Go together like a horse and carriage...”. I know you love that show...
Peggy Bundy is the hot mama in Married With Children, who does not cook or clean, and is obnoxious and a little self-absorbed. Her personality is maintained through her style and I can respect that. She’s into leopard print, stilettos, shoulder pads and big, red, hair that is so high, it is close to God. She maintains who she is through her loud, sexy and unapologetic dress sense, along with with a cigarette constantly on her lips for that extra attitude. Also, she only ever wears heels. All. The Time. My kind of girl! Her daughter may have been the hot one in the cast, but this mama was definitely the best dressed.
#4 Romy and Michelle, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion
I’m not embarrassed to admit that this is one of my favourite movies ever! Romy and Michelle are two best friends with their own self-created style that they are proud to show off and live by. What I love about them in the movie is that they wear what THEY think is cool, and not what others think is cool – the way it should be. They don’t conform to any kind of fashion trends, and define the rules themselves. They make their own clothes, they wear pleather and heels to the spinning class, and they dressed up as Madonna to the prom instead of as some poofed up cupcakes (it was the 80s). They don’t curr, they define their own style. It’s more important to them to be true to themselves, no matter how conventional or silly they may look. And when they are true to themselves aesthetically, they are confident, and shine in many other ways. They want to be more than some unemployed, underestimated, California girls. They want to be special and they want to be remembered. They achieved this by being themselves, inside and out. Awwww.
#3 Morticia Addams, The Addams Family
The original pop culture, Goth girl. Which I LOVE. But besides that, Morticia makes my list because her style, although a little eerie, is sleek, bold and timeless. Her long, straight black her coupled with her long, tight, structured black dress is so smoky and smooth, and it speaks volumes about the kind of character she portrays – dark, sarcastic and amusing. She embodies a look that will never grow old or not suit her because of how it effortlessly ties in with who she specifically is. I also think that fact that she is a bit creepy not only adds more intrigue to her look but represents her as strong woman that others would be intimidated by, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that! I also adore how she is dark and glamorous at the same time. Her look is hard, but she always has beautiful glowing make up, bright red lips and long red nails – features of a more feminine woman. She applies this to traditional element to her look and it gives it a new meaning of dark elegance. She walks the walk, talks the talk, and wears that black dress like no other. I think she’s very cool. Effortlessly and authentically so.
#2 Cruella DeVille, 101 Dalmatians
I know she’s an evil and crazy lady... but Cruella’s style (minus the potentially dead Dalmatian fur coat) is, quite frankly, high-fashion, bad-assery. This can be broken down to three main elements. Firstly, her eccentricity, her glamour and her use of only 3 colours in her dressing. Firstly, her crazy and slightly demented personality defines a lot of her eccentric style, particularly seen in her kind of punk-inspired, two-tone hair and of course the crazy look in her eyes. But this is a villain who indulges in style and glamour. She wears over-sized fur coats and long satin gloves, smokes her cigarettes through a long cigarette holder, and always wears a dark red lipstick and red long nails. Another defining feature of her style is that she only ever wears black, white and red, a bold and iconic combination. She is strong, glamorous, rich, eccentric bad-ass who values her purposefully constructed appearance and the messages it sends. She is evil in the most iconic and stylish way, that makes me want to be evil too. Just a little.
#1 Jem and the Holograms, Jem and the Holograms
If you did not watch Jem and The Holograms as a kid, I feel like you definitely missed out. I would be lying if I didn’t say that till today, I am madly in love with Jem and The Holograms and sometimes I wish they were a real band that would make real music videos, win MTV awards, cover the pages of Vogue, start a clothing line and then come and tour in South Africa, where I would be their #1 groupie. I think I can actually also say without a doubt that Jem and The Holograms are responsible for my love of the rock n' roll girl.
Let me tell you about Jem. Her real name is Jerrica and she owns a music company but has an alter-rock star-ego, Jem, and together with her sister and friends have a rock band called Jem and The Holograms. Sometimes I think that Jem and The Holograms all went solo and changed their names to Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj. Beside the fact that they are in an ALL GIRL ROCK BAND, they all have amazing style, defined by big colourful hair, crazy make up, bold signature pieces of clothing, edgy accessories and an overall rock and roll frame, with a soft side. They are a rock band, who are stylised by their music, by the culture of their punk-rock sound and by their femininity. Most importantly, they are cool – they are endlessly hip and fashionable, because they exist in a culture of music that influences who they are and how they look and they exist in this realm, as it is with all self-created, authentic and original music stars. They are an explosion of a fantasy girl, punk rock style. I’m obsessed with Jem and The Holograms, a secret I am now letting out, and I wish I could wear a candyfloss pink wig every day and have magic earrings that turn me into a rock star. Don’t you?
What did you think?
Also, I'm calling dibs on Cruella for Halloween!
Peace and Love
Nx
