When the third season of Gossip Girl first started, I heard that Blair would not be working her epic headbands much longer. I wondered how she was going to keep her iconic style without her headbands or her Constance uniform. The third season Blair is still true to herself in style, but she has just taken it to a more mature level. Gone are the ensembles in red, white and blue sporting layers upon layers of ribbons, frills, bows, lace, and more. In its place, clean cut pencil skirts, sleek sheath dresses, and sharp trench coats emerge. Blair's new style is very professionally eclectic. She dresses like a polished secretary, but make no mistake, this girl is your future boss (or Queen).
Elements of Blair Waldorf's Style:
Everyone has their go-to uniform that they rely on to get dressed in the morning. Blair's go-to look is a high waisted curve-hugging pencil skirt paired with an airy feminine blouse. This girl is always about showing off a slim ladylike figure. The skirt shows off her small waist while the blouse lends some flair. She usually works a solid colored skirt with a printed blouse that either has ruffles or a bow near the collar. This ensemble is a way for Blair to appear put together and chic while still retaining a delicate feminine feel.
If Blair wants to reach for something a little more simple and sleek, she reaches for a sheath dress. Body conscious without looking too tight or skanky, a sheath dress is modest but still shows off her narrow figure. It covers up her cleavage and shoulders, so Blair looks like she knows what she's talking about. It also nips in at the waist and hips to show off her hourglass shape. This dress is the epitome of the new Blair; clean cut, dramatic, and powerful.
On occasions when a little skin is necessary, Blair rocks a lower cut V-neck styled dress. The dress has a nipped in waist, highlighting her most slender point, and flairs out into a full skirt. The wrap neckline shows off a little cleavage, but the straps over the shoulders are still broad enough to remain modest. These dresses allow Blair work a flirty 50's silhouette and still retain her ladylike poise.
Although I have repeated this many times already, showing off her slim ladylike physique, is a key part of Blair's style. All of her dresses, no matter what the style, are cut to flatter her narrow figure. She doesn't have bombshell curves like Serena or endless legs like Jenny, so body-conscious clothes don't appear trashy on her and her hemlines stay at a respectable length. Essentially Blair's clothes reflect her dainty yet powerful persona.
This is where old-school-Constance-Blair kicks in. Blair loves different prints and materials in her wardrobe. For prints, she usually has something with a floral print in her outfit, highlighting her feminine side. Sometimes she ventures into a houndstooth pattern or a brocade. The textures Blair incorporates usually comes from a tone on tone fabric or from her hosiery. While at Constance, she worked solid bold brightly colored tights, Blair has now grown up into sheer zigzag or lacy textured tights.
In replacement of the headbands, Blair wears many different hats throughout the third season. All of them are old fashioned shapes such as the cloche hat that many women wore during the 20's. I feel like this is the perfect hat for Blair because the 20's was a era of women gaining power in society while remaining glamorous and dramatic. Occasionally Blair will wear a bucket hat that has a similar short downward brim. Her hats always compliment her outfit and accentuate her dark curled hair.
At Constance, the classic Blair Waldorf shoe was the sassy and coy Mary-Jane. Upon beginning college, Blair has now graduated into a more sharp and clever Oxford shoe. Inspired by menswear, the Oxford heel gives a sense of masculine power, while still revealing a hint of feminine sex appeal. The perfect representation of Blair. Her Oxfords usually have a wingtip, lace up the front, and sport at least a 4 inch heel. She keeps it playful by experimenting with peep toe styles, different colors, and various textures.
Most of the time the term statement necklace in fashion is used to describe huge, almost breastplate like necklaces. In this case however, it just portrays a necklace that has a bold look to it. Blair tends to wear chunky necklaces that compliment her outfit and draw the eye up to her face. She avoids mixing various smaller necklaces together and instead opts for one single dramatic piece.
With bags, like with all the other aspects of her life, Blair prefers some structure. This girl always carries a purse with a defined ladylike shape. All with very sharp rectangular forms, Blair's bags vary in textures such as croc, leather, and quilted and range in a number of different colors. Her purses are as clean cut, polished, and no-fuss as she is.
Previously on Gossip Girl, Blair's makeup was much more dramatic and apparent. While attending Constance, she always had red glossy lips and pink rosy cheeks. The amount of precise lipstick and blush she wore made her appear like a delicate porcelain doll. Now though, Blair has toned down the severeness of her makeup. She's all about a soft naturally pretty palette of taupe eyeshadows, faintly peach blush, and berry lips. Her makeup is about flattering the features she already has. Her makeup is very minimal and almost unnoticeable, but gives her a girly fresh feel.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Hope you liked this little segment. Till next time!
xoxo Fashion Girl
