The 11 most influential tv characters in fashion, including Villanelle and Fleabag

Here's where to find the best on-screen style inspiration

Wednesday 21 August 2019 15:55 BST

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

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1/11The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Villanelle from <I>Killing Eve</I>

Ever since Killing Eve's Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer, pranced through the streets of Paris in a pink tulle dress designed by Molly Goddard she has become a fashion icon.

Villanelle’s bold looks have taken Pinterest by storm, sparking a 1,060 per cent increase in searches year-on-year.

Meanwhile, Lyst data shows that following the first episode of the second series there have been over 3,000 searches for “Killing Eve pyjamas”.

Alamy Stock Photo

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Sabrina Spellman from <I>Chilling Adventures of Sabrina</I>

Sabrina Spellman’s preppy looks have become a huge source of fashion inspiration for many viewers, especially as the colder months approach with searches up 7,450 per cent on Pinterest.

On Lyst, demand for ribbed sweaters grew by 49 per cent in April following the release of the show’s second season, while views of Fair Isle sweaters also increased by 30 per cent in the same period.

Dean Buscher/Netflix

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Renata Klein from <I>Big Little Lies</I>

Lyst and Pinterest revealed the third most influential TV character when it comes to fashion as Renata Klein, played by Laura Dern, from the hit HBO series Big Little Lies.

Pinterest saves for the character's outfits have grown by 490 per cent year-on-year, while Lyst states that there was an 87 per cent increase in searches for Roland Mouret’s red zodiac gown after it was seen on the character in the first episode of the show’s second season.

Jennifer Clasen/HBO

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Jane Villanueva from <I>Jane the Virgin</I>

When satirical telenovela Jane the Virgin launched in 2014, its main character Jane Villanueva captured the attention of fashion fans who wanted to recreate her wearable looks.

Pinterest data highlights an 85 per cent increase in searches year-on-year for Villanueva, while Lyst shows that the Zimmermann Heathers mini dress she wore was viewed more than 7,000 times in the week following the release of that episode.

CW

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Tan France from <I>Queer Eye</I>

Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye introduced the world to a brand new Fab Five, including British fashion expert Tan France. Known for his love of patterned and striped shirts, France’s style is behind some of this year’s biggest spikes in demand on Lyst.

Following the release of the show’s fourth season in March, searches for men’s 'striped shirt' increased by 39 per cent mont-on-month, while views of men’s suits grew by 11 per cent.

Furthermore, there were over 10,000 searches on Lyst for patterned polo shirts in the first two weeks of March, with over 100 customers specifically searching for a 'Tan shirt'.

Getty Images

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Veronica Lodge from <I>Riverdale</I>

Riverdale’s preppy aesthetic has made it a popular source of fashion inspiration since it first hit our screens in 2017.

But it is the show's resident 'It' girl, Veronica Lodge, that has really driven fashion searches on Lyst.

Worn in the show’s third season, a Topshop checked coat sold out within seven days after appearing on screen.

Meanwhile, Pinterest data shows a 29 per cent increase in searches for pleated dresses, a staple in Lodge's wardrobe.

Netflix

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Fleabag from <I>Fleabag</I>

British comedy-drama Fleabag became a global phenomenon when its second season was released earlier this year.

The black backless jumpsuit worn by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character in the season two premiere sparked a 460 per cent increase in searches on Pinterest in June, with more than 500 people specifically searching for “Fleabag jumpsuit” on Lyst.

Along with a 4,757 per cent increase in searches for Fleabag on Pinterest, Lyst data shows a strong interest in more of the character’s fashion choices with demand for black trench coats and Reformation dresses significantly increasing in April.

BBC

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Eric Effiong from <I>Sex Education</I>

Sex Education’s Eric Effiong, played by Ncuti Gatwa, has been inspiring viewers with his colourful looks ever since the show aired in January 2019.

Since the show's debut, searches for Nike’s PG 2 sneakers grew by 14 per cent between January and March after Eric wore a bright purple pair in an episode. <br
In the same period, demand for matching tracksuits increased by 22 per cent, while his tiger-print sweatshirt sparked a 40 per cent search increase on Lyst.

Netflix

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Zoey Johnson from <I>Grown-ish</I>

Grown-ish’s Zoey Johnson, played by Yara Shahidi, is one of the most stylish college students on television right now.

The show’s second season has been proving particularly inspiring, with searches for the character's outfits up 28 per cent on Pinterest.

According to Lyst, Johnson's Lilo Striped Cat jumper by Zadig & Voltaire became the most wanted animal jumper in June, while views of the Diane von Furstenberg leopard-print shirt spiked 15 per cent after being worn on the show.

Freeform

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Ava Jalali from <I>Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists</I>

It might have been just 10 episodes long but Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists has still managed to become one of the most stylish TV shows of the year.

Fashion student Ava Jalali, played by Sofia Carson, has driven a 9,160 per cent rise in searches on Pinterest, while searches for her ruffled velvet dress increased 37 per cent the week it aired.

Freeform

The 11 most stylish TV characters of all time

Eleven from <I>Stranger Things</I>

The third season of Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things propelled Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, as the ultimate ‘80s style icon thanks to her newfound love for bright bowling shirts, busy prints, dungarees, and scrunchies.

On Pinterest, saves for images of the character have increased by 28 per cent. Meanwhile, on Lyst, searches for rompers were up 57 per cent in the first two weeks of July after the character wore a colorful iteration of the trend.

Netflix

Television characters have long-inspired our fashion choices with audiences wanting to emulate the style of many fictional personalities over the years, including Saved by the Bell's Kelly Kapowski and, of course, Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw.

From BBC thrillers to original Netflix series and even reality shows, more and more popular characters are doubling up as sartorial trendsetters with wardrobes that many viewers could only dream of owning in real life.

But, just who are the most influential TV characters in the world of fashion right now?

To find out, fashion search platform Lyst and visual discovery engine Pinterest crunched both their combined global data sets.

The teams at each organisation analysed searches across a combined pool of 306 million monthly users around the world from January to August to reveal the characters who are having the greatest impact on our style choices this year.

The list includes a host of hit shows which have charmed audiences with their on-screen style, from Netflix’s reboot of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to Big Little Lies, Killing Eve and Queer Eye.

Click through the gallery above to see who has become a fashion icon in their own right.

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