Did you catch the premiere of Gossip Girl on ITV2 last night? How addicted already are we!? It’s a mix of Sex and the City meets The OC by way of Mean Girls. The basic 411 is thus - the show follows the lives of a group of pretty, rich, school-going Upper East Siders in New York, whose every social move (and misdemeanour) is blogged by the mysterious Gossip Girl, the show’s narrator (very Desperate Housewives).
Already big news across the pond, the first episode was as scandalous and fabulously fashionable as we’d been led to expect (our favourite style spots from last night’s episode were a fabulous gold sequined dress, tartan mini skirts – soo next season - and an abundance of over-the-knee socks).
Here we profile the show's main characters (once you’ve seen it, they’re likely to become your surrogate friends over the next 13 weeks) and sum up their individual style…
Serena van der Woodsen (played by Blake Lively)
Beautiful blonde Serena used to be the Queen Bee of the social scene – before she went AWOL without any explanation, that is. Rumour has it she shipped herself off to boarding school. One year later and she re-emerges to find she’s been replaced at the top of the social hierarchy – not that she’s bothered, as she's turned over a new leaf and left all that superficial stuff behind her. Or has she? Turns out her disappearance was down to a rather raunchy episode with her best friend Blair’s boyfriend. Whoopsy.
Serena’s Style – most definitely the Carrie Bradshaw of the show, ‘It’ Girl Serena’s look is eclectic and cool with more than a hint of boho. Think shoe boots, prints and long, tumbling curls.
Blair Waldorf (played by Leighton Meester)
Serena’s former BF prior to her going missing for a year - although their relationship has always been competitive and volatile. In Serena’s absence Blair stepped up and became the leader of the pack, a role she relished, and so she was less than pleased to see Serena reappear – especially when her boyfriend, Nate, confessed to having hooked up with her before she went MIA. Serena is now her arch enemy.
Blair’s Style – Every inch the cool Upper East Side princess, Blair is preppy with a stylish twist – hairbands and pearls a-plenty, but always worn in a fashion-forward way.
Jenny Humphrey (played by Taylor Momsen)
A little younger than the other girls and hailing from Brooklyn (and therefore not quite UES pedigree), Jenny is desperate to fit into the social network and this, along with her naivety, tends to land her in some sticky situations (like last night’s problem with the lecherous Chuck), but her hero brother Dan (who is more than a little keen on Serena - are you keeping up?) is always on hand to save the day.
Jenny’s Style - quirky and individual, her look is fresh and youthful, with trademark pieces including socks, masses of bracelets and sneakers.
Katy Farkas and Isabel Coates (played by Nan Zhang and Nicole Fiscella)
We couldn’t not mention these two fabulous characters. Typical upper class snobs who worship the ground Blair walks on, Katy and Isabel always wear the same outfits just in slightly different colour-ways. The ultimate popular-by-association hangers-on – fabulous.
Gossip Girl is on ITV2 every Thursday at 10pm - set that Sky+ box now, ladies!
Coleen McLoughlin has topped Look magazine's survey to find British women's number one style icon. Beating off stiff competition from some bona fide fashionistas, including Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Sienna Miller, the Liverpudlian lady came in at number one after 1,200 UK women were asked to name their best-dressed celebrity.
