Gilmore Girls Fall: How the Shows of the Season Shape our Style
Photo by Mitchell Haddad/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
The Rorys and Lorelais on Campus
Freshman Ella Hyland walks to Elliott in her oversized brown blazer because of her connection with the show.
“Gilmore Girls is my favorite show… wearing that blazer makes me feel very connected to both Rory and Lorelai,” she shared.
Ella explained to me that she channels the intelligence of Rory at Yale and professionalism of Lorelai at the Independence Inn when styling a blazer.
Another fall trend that encapsulates the coziness of Stars Hollow is chunky-knit sweaters.
When shopping for fall basics, Cici Pierson was inspired by Rory’s iconic white, oversized sweater, as she found the perfect replica at H&M.
Even across the Potomac, Angel Baliton at George Mason University sports henleys and three-quarter-sleeved shirts inspired by Lorelai.
“The weather being cold again reminds of me settling in to watch Gilmore Girls with my friends. Henleys, sweaters, and bootcut jeans all give the Gilmore Girls aesthetic,” Angel remarks.
The Flip Side of Fall TV
While Gilmore Girls acts as a style influence for a cozy, Stars Hollow fall, other popular shows also help welcome the season into our wardrobe on the other end of the style spectrum.
Shows like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina inspire turtlenecks, short pencil skirts, and trench coats, encapsulating a sort of dark academia feel to get us through midterm season and into Halloween. Sabrina’s iconic black headband and lace shirt collar make us feel classy and studious, despite not studying the dark arts of the show.
The Vampire Diaries acts as an intersection between the darkness of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and the early 2000s style of Gilmore Girls.
With characters like Elena flaunting leather jackets over low cut henleys paired with flared skinny jeans, The Vampire Diaries is another show that influences fall fashion in Foggy Bottom.
The CW
Written by Brooke Shapiro
As the weather creeps below 60º in Foggy Bottom, all around campus college kids are cozying up in their Twin XL beds for their annual fall rewatch of Gilmore Girls. The quaintness of the fictional Stars Hollow, Connecticut welcomes autumn like no other, and sparks a certain sense of comfort amidst the chaos and stress of midterms.
Anyone who has seen the 7-season show can appreciate the iconic early 2000s fashion that main characters Rory and Lorelai Gilmore sported. As it is no surprise that pop culture influences style, the yearly fall resurgence of Gilmore Girls produces GW’s own Rory and Lorelai Gilmores. Especially with this style of ‘y2k’ clothes trending in 2022, Gilmore Girls gives us inspiration on how to bring the trend into our fall wardrobe.
What Makes Fall So Special?
Although TV inspiring seasonal wardrobe is not exclusive to fall, there’s something about the season that makes it the coziest.
While Summer 2020 gave us Outer Banks in conjunction with its baggy dad shirts over tiny tank tops and shell-necklaces, there’s no denying that the chunky sweaters and jeans of fall are not only a more comfortable option, but also a more accessible one. Fall fashion trends offer more modest options that make it more inclusive to everybody, regardless of level of comfort and modesty. Additionally, fall fashion allows for more layering, which subsequently allows for more expression.
So although pop culture influences style trends year-round, the combination of comfort, accessibility, and purely having iconic TV shows associated with it, makes fall all the more comforting when choosing our clothes. It’s the Rory and Lorelais, Sabrinas, and Elenas that make Foggy Bottom feel like our own Stars Hollows, Greendales, and Mystic Falls to get us through this midterm season. ☾
