The people over at Chanel may be turning their noses up at Blake Lively, but when starring on the Gossip Girl screen as Serena van der Woodsen, she's a fashionable force to be reckoned with. In fact, ever since Carrie and the SATC girls kissed television goodbye, Blake and her fellow cast-mates have become the most stylish characters on the small screen. Cue Pretty Little Liars, a teen mystery drama starring four wholesome American girls with wardrobes that would make your average 9th grader roll their eyes with envy. Although it's still only in its second season, the show has begun to gain plot and style momentum, with critics comparing it to a cross between I Know What You Did Last Summer and Gossip Girl.
So do the trust fund kids over at Gossip Girl have anything to worry about? Is Aria Montgomery a match for Serena ven der Woodsen? Let us examine the argument.
The General Gist
Gossip Girl
Rich kids from New York sleep with each other, plot against each other, try to please their parents and occasionally associate and date poor people from the 'wrong side of the track.' A really annoying voice (AKA: Veronica Mars) 'gossips' about all of these events, which acts as the show's narration.
Pretty Little Liars
Four girls from a random American town have their friend and group 'leader' Alison go missing and eventually she is believed to be dead. Later on they all start receiving mysterious text messages from a person who signs off as 'A', who blackmails them with secrets that only Alison would have known about. Can you guess the twist guys? Pretty tricky!
The Highs
Gossip Girl
No one does preppy colour co-ordination better than Gossip Girl. Not even Cher Horowitz was able to dress her friends in pastel and primary tones to compliment her outfit. Even the boys have been known to rock a pastel pink blazer with nonchalant aplomb. The designer bags on the show are a stand out, and the characters' knack for accessorizing a boring school uniform is commendable. Another style highlight was when Blair and Serena went to Paris.
Pretty Little Liars
As the content at hand in Pretty Little Liars is a little dark for a teen show, the rich and textured clothes worn by the characters compliments the blackmail at hand. There's no room for pastels and Missoni brights when you have a friend that has mysteriously gone missing. Quite conveniently, it always seems to be winter in Rosewood, and the characters are continually covered up in dark, jewel toned layers. Elegant coats seem to be the show's strong point. Navy double breasted coats with gold buttons, fur trimmed tweed smock coats, sleek tartan blazers, mulberry cloche hats and black lace tights; the characters of Pretty Little Liars are poster girls for how to dress during the cooler seasons. Another plus is that, much like in early seasons of Gossip Girl they all have really amazing, thick long hair.
The Lows
Gossip Girl
Sometimes the outfits being paraded around on the Upper East Side can be a little too much – particularly when it comes to socks and plaid. Taylor Momsen's character Jenny Humphrey in particular is a serial offender for wearing pointless socks and plaid on plaid. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for an unsubtle sartorial statement (I do love Fran Fine after all) but when in doubt about your outfit, adding pastel socks is not the best option. Probably a good reason that she's gone 'goth' – even though she's never discovered waterproof mascara. Case in point: every time she cries she ends up looking like a gremlin.
Pretty Little Liars
Each character on the show represents a cliched stereotype of Baby Sitters Club proportions – the creative one, the sporty one, the fashionable one. Along with the hollow character traits are equally cringe worthy and amateur outfits e.g Ari is 'alternative' so she wears lace tights and leather jackets.
Featured designers
Gossip Girl
The designer gear the Gossip Girl 'teens' get to prance and scheme in is, for the lack of a better Rachel Zoe phrase, out of control. On Blair you'll find Albertta Ferretti coats Louis Vuitton bags, Christian Dior pre-fall collection dresses, Diane Von Furstenberg and Maxime Simoen dresses, Marc Jacobs and Mui Mui bags and shoes and enough Matthew Williamson to stock out a store, while Serena boasts Pucci dresses, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, Ralph Lauren Black Label evening wear, Max Mara and Burberry coats and Chanel bags.
Pretty Little Liars
The labels on Pretty Little Liars are less impressive, but far more achievable for the average teenage back account. On the show you'll find pieces from Free People, Urban Outfitters, Phillip Lim, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Guess, Bebe, Forever 21 and American Apparel.
Most stylish character
Gossip Girl
It's a battle between Blair and Serena for the best dressed Gossip Girl. Both have their good days and bad, but personally I have to side with team Blair. Her style, with all those bows and cardigans and pearls can be a little sickly sweet at times, but when she gets it right she knocks it out of the park. Sister can wear a matchy-matchy outft – that's all I'm sayin. Also her mother Elenor is freakin amazing! Love me a good, stylish, cold-hearted mother. Oh and Chuck Bass does a pretty smashing job at scrubbing up.
Pretty Little Liars
Spencer Hastings vintage meets preppy style gives Pretty Little Liars a welcome injection of hipster cool. The other characters' closets can er on the side of a K-Mart, actually make that Wallmart, catalogue. Teaming chambray shirts with chocolate blazers and brogues, mulberry felt hats with grey tweed vests and brown leather satchels, Spencer wouldn't look out of place strolling down London's Brick Lane into the lens of The Face Hunter.
The Verdict
On all accounts Gossip Girl trumps Pretty Little Liars. When Gossip Girl is good, its very very good, and when Gossip Girl is bad, its hideous. Pretty Little Liars does show promise, and if and when the show continues, hopefully the characters will be able to develop their own styles more thoroughly. This was the case for Gossip Girl. Just look at the above title photo – Serena's grey jumper and Jenny's gigantic belt aren't exactly the things of ready-to-wear dreams. In the case of these two shows, if Gossip Girl was Vogue, then Pretty Little Liars would be Seventeen. If Gossip Girl was Marc Jacobs, Pretty Little Liars would be Marc by Marc. The two can stylishly co-exist and maybe one day we'll see Serena and Blair in their forties in the Gossip Girl movie (god I hope not), leaving Pretty Little Liars to step up their sartorial swag.