Nothing gives us the Thanksgiving feels like a cherished holiday episode from our favorite show. While Gossip Girl was known for their holiday episodes each season, nothing tops Season 1's Thanksgiving flashbacks: a merrily intoxicated-yet-fashionable Serena stumbles through lower Manhattan in her festive best! The outfit screams late aughts, and we are here for every second of it! We love Serena van der Woodsen fashion and couldn't resist sharing this vintage outfit.
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THE LOOK
The original outfit seen on Blake Lively's character was more accessible and mainstream than we came to expect from later seasons of the show, including a leopard print coat from Forever21, green shift dress by Alice + Olivia, and blue suede booties from Payless.
In an interview with Fashionista in 2017, Gossip Girl's Costume Designer Eric Daman looked back at the evolving relationship between the show and fashion designers:
"It was like night and day. Doing Season One was like pulling teeth to get anything. We'd get some of the downtown designers that I knew from when I was styling to give us stuff, but overall, designers didn't want to lend to television at all. It's not like editorial; we have to hold onto this stuff for three to four weeks while we're shooting and the episode gets locked. It's not on a two-day turnaround, so it's hard to have samples out for that long.
The kids weren't known in the beginning, so it was definitely a challenge, Season One, that we didn't have many designers participating. Then I feel like something happened between Season One and Season Two, over that break where there was the writer's strike. The CW did a big push of advertising and there was this tipping point; all of a sudden, the kids were in People magazine; Blake and Leighton are on the covers of Vogue — they were just everywhere.
At that moment when we came back, bigger designers were very interested in working with us. Once we got one bigger designer to say yes, it's like letting the flood gates open, and early on, Chanel said yes. All of a sudden, everybody wanted to be a part of it. Because there was so much paparazzi and the girls were constantly getting shot on the street holding their Chanel bag or their Fendi bag or their Chloé boots and they were getting editorial attention from that, everyone jumped on the bandwagon."
Boutique Finds
While the original items seen on Serena haven't been in stores in nearly 15 years, we did find a few (nearly vintage!) listings available on Poshmark:
A MODERN TAKE
For a modern version of Serena's Thanksgiving style, we rounded up similar options for the coat, dress and shoes that are currently available in stores! (Please note, any listed prices reflect the full selling price at the time this article was published. Price adjustments and sales are very common throughout the holiday season, so please visit the retailer's link for the most up-to-date pricing and inventory information!)
Leopard Coat
Although it was styled to appear having an open-front design, Serena's original leopard print coat was actually belted. So we found both options for you: trench-style and open front! (Hover over image for retailer and price info).
Green Dress
Serena's pleated shift dress was flowy and comfortable, which is exactly what you want for the holiday season. We found some similar styles that will pair perfectly with tights for any of your seasonal style needs!
Booties
These beautiful navy suede booties are perfect nearly year-round thanks to their rich hue and fun metal accents. Whether styled like Serena or for a classic look with jeans, these boots are are both versatile AND affordable (all under $100 at Amazon!)
Looking for more TV Fashion content? Download our mobile app "Look the Part" to shop the wardrobes of your favorite television characters! Featuring closets for Emily in Paris, Euphoria, The White Lotus, Selling Sunset, and more!
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