Blair Waldorf: Fashion icon. Powerful woman. One side of the S-B gold coin. Blair is an amazingly well-written character who imprinted on an entire generation of young girls.

I’d have to say Blair is my favourite character of Gossip Girl, even though I heavily disliked her at the start. Her introduction into the series was not the most favourable, but her character was definitely one of the most interesting and complex. But even if B’s antics weren’t for you, you have to admit that her outfits left no one indifferent.

Queen B’s hallmarks are not only Marc Jacobs dresses and Roger Vivier shoes – a price tag doesn’t save you from a fashion disaster. Blair’s style is carefully crafted, classy, risky, and beautifully elegant. By combining and harmonising colours, patterns, cuts, and textures, B achieves outfits fit for a princess, whilst retaining an intrinsic glamour that prevents her from ever looking boring or plain.

Of course, achieving the Blair Waldorf style does not only consist of perfect outfits, hair, and makeup. One of the things that make Blair a powerful woman is her personality. She embodies grace, and carries herself with poise and pride. She is eloquent and well-read, smart and witty. Blair not only belongs to the Upper East Side, she is the Upper East Side, and is one of its most prominent pseudo-royals. That said, she is far from perfect. Henry VIII would’ve had a run for his money against Queen B; she can be ice cold, scheming, conniving, and craves revenge like a normal person craves a KitKat. Nonetheless, she is loyal to her friends, and that’s why we love her.

Since I’ve just finished the last season of Gossip Girl, my first post will be in honour of the queen of Manhattan (My GG Idols don’t stop here though, this show is a goldmine for good taste). So, let’s get into it!

You are living proof a person can’t buy class.

B.W.

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Above are examples of Blair’s iconic outfits. Pushing aside the fact that all of her clothes are designer (Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Louboutin… sigh), her wardrobe essentials are as follows:

• Clothing: patterned dresses/skirts, blouses, cardigans (cashmere, fine-knit), capes and knee-length coats (wool, tweed), coloured and lace tights.
• Shoes: stiletto heels (closed and peep toes), stiletto ankle boots, kitten heels.
• Accessories: headbands, waist belts, berets.

Key points:

1. Stock up on tights. For the colder weather, Blair is always wearing tights. Don’t be afraid to try new colours and patterns; B can be seen wearing red, white, and black tights; as well as having an assortment of beautiful sheer lace ones.
2. Emphasise your waist. When Blair wears a dress/skirt-blouse combo, her waist is always emphasised. So, wear plenty of belts of all shapes and sizes, and buy dresses/skirts (and even coats) that tighten up that region.
3. Follow a color scheme. It is essential to know how to mix colours, and Blair does this like a pro. Her outfits follow general colour schemes, such as yellows and oranges, blues, greens and golds, mustards and greys, etc. Once you find a scheme, stick to it, including your shoes and accessories. That said, if your scheme is on the more monochrome side, and the colours may come across as dull, choose a vibrant bag or pair of shoes of a completely different colour to brighten up the outfit.
4. Couple up strong colours. Blair is known for wearing bright, seemingly-clashing colours and still looking good. Don’t be afraid to mix bright, strong colours together (I’ll have a post on colour theory soon to help out with this).
5. Heels, heels, and more heels. What is a queen that can’t tower over her subjects? Ok, I get it; realistically, we can’t all wear 9-inch heels on the daily (if you can, I’m impressed). But if you would like to recreate her style try to invest in a good pair of heels. Designer shoes may be expensive, but you’re paying for exceptional quality, and your feet will thank you in the long run. If you’d rather go for a more toned down approach, wear kitten heels.
6. Headwear. Spice up your looks with a girly beret, headbands, cloche hats, and pamelas.
7. Play with patterns. This is a tricky one. Blair masters the art of pattern-matching. This buzzfeed article is a good start if you are new to combining patterns (or don’t believe it could actually work): https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/maitlandquitmeyer/ways-to-mix-match-and-clash-prints-like-a-pro
8. Dresses and skirts galore. Rarely does Blair ever go for pants, leggings, or shorts. Stock up with dresses and skirts of all patterns, shapes, and sizes. Girly vibes FTW.
9. It’s all in the shapes. Create contrasts in order to create balance. Blair doesn’t always go for form-fitting clothing. Take her capes, for example. The key is to contrast the large, shapeless top half with tight bottoms, i.e. tights, leggings, etc.
10. Alternatives: Leggings and pants should be neutral and give protagonism to the rest of the outfit. For summer, shorts should be girly and classy, i.e. stick to a a paper-bag short style as opposed to skin-tight. You can go for any color and pattern as they essentially have the same function as a skirt. Not too fond of the stilettos piercing into the heel of your foot? Try wedges. Way more comfy. Lastly, if you think handbags are inconvenient, simply buy those cute (faux) leather fashion backpacks instead.

Your methods of inquiry must be as tired as your hair.

B.W.

B’s outfits may be over-the-top, but in contrast, her makeup and hair are on the simpler side.

Makeup: go natural. Blair’s foundation looks lightweight and matches perfectly the rest of her skin, so choose a suitable BB cream and blend it in well. Powder to avoid greasy shine, and add a bit of blush. As for eyeshadow, she opts for brown and orange-toned colours for the crease, and a lighter, white/skin-coloured shadow for the rest of the lid. This is to brighten up her eyes whilst giving them depth. Keep the eyeliner subtle-to-nonexistent, and add mascara. Make sure your eyebrows look well-kept, and pencil them in if you need to unify the color, but avoid sharp angles and immaculate shapes. Lastly, always wear lipstick/gloss, but stick to nudes and reds.

Hair: Blair will usually wear her hair down, and liven it up with accessories such as headbands and hats. Her hair is naturally wavy, but she wears it straight as well. That said, just make sure your hair always looks polished and untangled, whatever hairstyle you choose!

Blair always looks flawless, no matter what she’s doing or where she’s going. If you want to channel your inner Queen B, just remind yourself of the importance of looking and feeling your best.

But most importantly, B’s style isn’t about any specific items (no need to bin all your hoodies!). Her outfits are hard to pull off in our everyday lives, but her style can be easily achieved. The clothes don’t make the girl, Blair will be Blair even in an I❤️NY t-shirt.

So, in true Waldorf style, just be classy, elegant, and confident, and you’ll nail her look in no time!