Fictional Fashionistas: Eight Characters to Inspire Your Outfits

The world of fashion can be a complicated one. With so many options available to us, sometimes it’s difficult to decide exactly what suits us. How do we choose between a skirt and flared trousers, a tote bag and rucksack, or a green blouse and blue dress?

Technically, you should wear whatever you want to wear, whenever you want to wear it, regardless of whether it ‘suits’ you.

Whether you want to stamp out the stereotypes or stick to what’s ‘right’ for you, so much fashion inspiration can be drawn from fictional film and television characters. Let’s explore them here!

Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)

First published as a novel in 1925, The Great Gatsby encompasses everything stylish and thrilling about the 1920s. If you’d like to watch the film adaptation for inspiration you have five to choose from, but perhaps the most widely recognised is the 1974 film starring Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby, and the 2013 version starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Gatsby’s fashion sense is smart, fabulous, and indicative of his enormous wealth. To capture his sense of fashion, dress in suits that are typically light in colour with wide lapels, and don’t forget the boater hat and statement solid or bow tie.

Cookie Lyon (Empire)

Empire was one of the most-watched television shows on Fox during its 2015 to 2019 run, with the character Cookie Lyon often stealing the show with her wild outfits. Played by Taraji P. Henson, Lyon’s fashion can be described as ‘street meets runway’, meaning her outfits wouldn’t look out of place on a public bus in the Bronx nor at New York Fashion Week.

To capture her awesome style, you need garments with bright colours, bold patterns, and large handbags. Adopting this fashion sense wouldn’t be the best idea for someone who’s naturally quite timid and unwitting of attention, but if you want to express yourself in this way, we say go for it!

Tommy Shelby (Peaky Blinders)

“I don’t pay for my suits. The suits are on the house, or the house burns down.” One of Tommy Shelby’s most famous quotes. While you absolutely should not adopt that mentality when it comes to clothes, you can purchase (yes, purchase!) and style your own suits to match his iconic sophistication.

Peaky Blinders, set in early 1900s Birmingham, quickly became famous for its gripping plot, strong characters, clever one-liners, and, of course, fashion choices. To dress like Tommy and the rest of the Shelby clan, choose suits with high-waisted, pleated trousers and two-button jackets with short lapels and matching waistcoats. Don’t forget the iconic flat cap!

Rachel Green (Friends)

When we think of fashion in the 90s, we likely think of Rachel Green from the sitcom phenomenon Friends. Rachel was an undeniable style icon, so much so that there are multiple web pages dedicated to helping you mirror her style – 28 years after the first episode aired!

Many of her staple fashion items can be purchased today from high street retailers, so you don’t have to worry about searching too hard to embrace her style. Think knee-high boots, shoulder bags, platform sandals, and slim-fit roll necks. You won’t want to go on a break with these outfits…

Eric Effiong (Sex Education)

Eric Effiong is perhaps the best-dressed, trendiest character in the Netflix hit Sex Education. Ncuti Gatwa plays the openly gay character very well, perfectly portraying his loud, fun, and bright personality – all of which can be found in his choice of outfits.

If you also want to be brave and bold with your fashion decisions, turn to him for inspiration. From bright orange raincoats to tropical printed shirts and funky bandanas to colourful scarves, Eric Effiong can teach you a thing or two about channelling personality into clothing items.

Elle Woods (Legally Blonde)

Legally Blonde, starring Reese Witherspoon, features perhaps the most iconic character from films released in the 2000s – Elle Woods! A fashion student and typical sorority girl, Elle follows her boyfriend to Harvard Law School after he breaks up with her because she isn’t “serious” enough for him and the life he wants to lead. In this plot, she’s perhaps most admired for female empowerment and challenging stereotypes in a heavy environment.

If you want to take inspiration from Elle Woods’ wardrobe, purchasing anything pink in colour is a good place to start. Pink dresses, pink sparkling bikinis, pink leather jackets, pink fur coats… Pink, pink, pink! As well as these pink staples, you could accessorise with scarves, a chunky heart necklace, sunglasses, and even a yellow flower behind the ear. A true cultural icon who will be remembered for many more decades to come.

Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

The first rule of Fight Club is: you must tell us how we can dress like Tyler Durden! What started as a novel first published in 1996 soon turned into a 1999 movie that became a cult classic. Soap salesman Durden, played by the one and only Brad Pitt, spends most of this film in enviable, eccentric clothes that represent his wild, carefree nature.

Fancy some of the same? To seize Durden’s style, experiment with loafer shoes, a red or orange leather jacket, funky T-shirts, and distressed denim. This is the perfect opportunity to turn some heads, if that’s what you’d like to do.

Olivia Pope (Scandal)

Name a better office wardrobe than that of Olivia Pope’s…we’ll wait. Scandal, which ran from 2012 to 2018, followed the life of Olivia Pope, a former media consultant to the President of the United States. Pope is played by Kerry Washington, and all seven seasons deliver in terms of impeccable fashion choices.

Pope oozes stylish sophistication and her outfits are appropriate for the office, a fancy lunch date, or wherever you want simply just because! Choose garments in neutral colours such as white, beige, and grey, and fill your wardrobe with capes, trench coats, and blazer jackets. There were so many scandals in this television show, but her fashion sense wasn’t one of them.

It’s time for a shopping spree

With a healthy variety of fictional characters explored above, you’re bound to find one with a wardrobe that most relates to your preferences and tastes. If not, maybe this is a sign to completely shake things up, step out of your comfort zone, and experiment with new colours and materials.