10 Most Stylish Fictional Characters

Cinema is never only about storytelling and acting — some of the muses that grace our screens even have such impeccable style that they stay in our imaginations, long after the credits have rolled. The stellar costume designers are behind these sartorially perfect fictional characters, but audiences will always associate that green dress, or that tailored tail coat to the character themselves.

From Villanelle to Holly Golightly to Tyler Durden, cinema has given birth to the most iconic style icons over the years. Here’s the crème de la crème of the many fictional universes of feature films, sitcoms, and television dramas that took the fashion world by storm.

10 Villanelle – Killing Eve

In the midst of exotic locations, murderous teenagers, brutal golf sessions, and dreamy apartments, Killing Eve‘s Villanelle doesn’t forget to look her most stylish self in the best outfits. The international assassin had an enviable wardrobe, full of Gucci tartans, swinging seventies Halpern suits, and equestrian Chloe ensembles.

Villanelle’s specialty was her ability to surprise audiences with delightfully paradoxical fashion choices. She could appear in a frothy pink dress in one moment while going to a psych evaluation, and in a leather over shirt while staking out a potential kill in the next.

9 Andy Sachs – The Devil Wears Prada

Who doesn’t love a transformation from frumpy to fashionable, and nobody did the movie trope better than Andrea Sachs. The journalism graduate thought she was too good for fashion, till the time she wasn’t, then out came the Chanel boots, the chic layering, and the polished silhouettes.

Runway’s favorite assistant went from worst to best dressed in seconds — her all white winter ensemble, newsboy hat, black mini dress and knee high boots were some of the highlights of Andy’s new and improved closet.

8 Tyler Durden – Fight Club

The eccentric and chaotic Tyler Durden wasn’t just a messiah of anti-capitalism, but also a fashion icon in his own right. Grungy yet laidback, his colorful tropical shirts and vibrant t-shirts clashed so much with the omnipresent crimson leather jacket that it actually looked really good.

Brad Pitt’s effortless look went against the hyper-masculine grain of the nineties, which was a bold choice to make for the time, and one that resulted in a timeless aesthetic. We don’t mind the popped collars and red sunglasses either.

7 Cruella De Vil – Cruella

Punk, military, grunge princess, and evening elegance — Cruella’s style is hard to compartmentalize into any one box. Cruella’s outfits were second to none, and she’s perhaps the most recent style icon to top fashion lists. Sweet Estella herself had some understated yet chic looks, but her outing as Cruella unleashed the fashion genius in her.

Think geometric shapes in unlikely fabrics like leather, vintage accessories like lace chokers and gloves, voluminous gowns with trains made of newspaper print, baroque masks, punk rock chains and buttons pulled together by that black and white hairdo.

6 Blair Waldorf – Gossip Girl

It’s no secret that Blair Waldorf wore some of the best outfits in Gossip Girl, if not the history of television series. Her classic rich-girl style didn’t look put on, but elegant and polished. From preppy sailor girl dresses, to slinky silk negligee dresses, this Upper East Side teen could do it all.

The most distinctive aspect of Blair’s aesthetic was that it was completely original. She drew inspiration from her idol Audrey Hepburn, but every headband, every preppy dress, and every structured coat screamed authenticity and sophistication.

5 Vivian Ward – Pretty Woman

Vivian Ward captured Edward’s heart with her lively personality, but audiences fell head over heels with her fashion, and not just after she gets Edward’s credit card. Right from the latex dress with cutouts on Rodeo drive and tall boots, to the dainty feminine dresses she bought during her shopping spree, Vivian slayed the scene with her aesthetic.

Her red ball gown and brown polka dot derby look were highlights, but nothing was more satisfying than when she told off the snobbish salesgirl at the shop that had thrown her out unceremoniously previously for being an escort.

4 Holly Golightly – Breakfast At Tiffany’s

The most highly emulated icon, Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly is a fashion doyenne. Her most recognized look is the black Givenchy sheath, replete with a cluster of pearls at her neck, cat-eye shades, and that quintessential fringe.

Apart from her window-gazing ensemble at Tiffany’s, Holly’s blazing pink birthday dress, her white nightshirt with the turquoise eye mask, and trench coat outfit when she looks for Cat have been etched in the collective memory of fashionistas worldwide.

3 Rachel Green – Friends

With the resurgence of nineties fashion in public consciousness, Rachel Green’s fashion is even more important today than ever before. Flirty slip dresses, form-fitted ribbed crop tops, sweetheart blouses, plaid skirts, and bright coats – you name it, and Rachel’s rocked the outfit on Friends.

Combined with that emblematic haircut, Rachel aced hair and beauty along with her style sense. Most of her outfits are on their way back into our closets, proving that fashion is truly cyclical, and Rachel Green, as Taylor Swift once said, will never go out of style.

2 Tommy Shelby – Peaky Blinders

This Kingpin from Birmingham may have had humble beginnings, but wealth does not determine sartorial sense. Tommy Shelby teaches audiences the art of everyday dressing, but with élan.

The twenties, for Tommy, were full of sharply cut suits, well-fit waist coats, heavy overcoats, dress shirts, and lapel pins which added that final finishing touch. His wardrobe didn’t differ much everyday, but the textures and neutrals would change from time to time.

1 Serena Van Der Woodsen – Gossip Girl

If fans didn’t identify with Blair’s preppy style, they were drawn to this It Girl’s freewheeling, Bohemian wardrobe. Billowing gowns, swinging tassels, swathes of gold and hobo bags dominated this fashionista’s everyday wear, but usually from big name designers.

Everything about Serena was memorable, especially the little details. Her school uniform reflected her spirited personality best, and no one can forget that one time she braided her graduation cap’s tassel into her hair, instead of wearing the hat. Legendary.

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