10 Outfits That Prove Blake Lively Is A Fashion Icon & 10 That Make Us Reconsider
Ever since Blake Lively emerged on the Hollywood scene, she has captured America's hearts with her sweet smile, beautiful blonde hair, and killer fashion sense. No matter what era of Hollywood fashion you examine, you can be sure that Blake Lively was always on the best-dressed list.
Perhaps it had to do with Lively's portrayal of Upper East Side socialite Serena Van der Woodsen on The CW's Gossip Girl and the endless amount of couture and designer pieces she would get to wear on a daily basis. But whatever it was, Lively fell in love with style and actually began styling herself, which she revealed in a 2018 interview with Glamour, saying: "I love design and I love fashion, and it's a way to be creative… "
For a while, Lively has been known to take risks with her style, something that a surprising amount of celebrities just don't do. From street style to red carpet looks, Lively is always dressed in something fashion-forward-for the most part. Like any person, Lively is not perfect and has definitely had her fair share of fashion flops and failures like the rest of us, just in a far more public setting. You can't always be perfect, not even if you're Blake Lively.
If you want to see 10 of Blake Lively's outfits that remind us of the true fashion icon she is, and 10 that have us reconsidering that thought, keep on reading.
20 Fab: Pairing Prints Like A Pro
Pairing prints together in an outfit is always a difficult style challenge to complete because there's always the risk that someone may just not understand the style choice and assume you've gotten dressed in the dark.
With this look, though, even the most fashion-inept individuals can appreciate the successful combining of prints Blake managed to pull off in this outfit.
In this monochromatic look, she not only manages to combine her polka dot printed midi skirt and dual-toned chevron faux fur coat with success but adds another layer of print over top with a micro-houndstooth printed coat draped over her shoulders.
Paired with minimal white pointed-toe pumps, a basic black top, and cool round sunglasses, she has essentially become the walking-talking guidebook to mastering the art of mixing prints.
19 Not Fab: Too Tight Texture Clashing
It's always painful to see a style star everyone loves go through a very public outfit fail. In Blake Lively's case, this pattern clashing was not one of her finest fashion moments, but we live and learn… At least we hope that she did!
To be quite honest, there's honestly very little that looks good about this outfit. For starters, her sweater and trousers are a little too tight and don't work in a complimentary way when paired together. Had she have opted for a different, looser trouser and tucked her sweater in at the front, the outcome of this look could have been very different.
18 Fab: Overalls Are So Not Over
When you think of overalls, the first image that may come to mind is an unflattering sea of baggy blue denim. However, in recent years, the overall has been revamped and redesigned to a more flattering silhouette.
Lively is the one to demonstrate how overalls went from unflattering to Fashion Week chic.
The overalls Lively is wearing are a black material rather than blue denim, which give them a more polished and sophisticated feel rather than a casual and relaxed look. Another important element that elevates Lively's overalls is their updated cut, as the garment is noticeably more formfitting and tailored rather than loose and baggy.
17 Not Fab: Going Out On The Town In A Gown
If Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast had an off day exploring New York City, we wouldn't doubt for a second that this is what she would look like. Even though Blake Lively is one of Hollywood's "it" girls, she's not a princess yet, so maybe she should save her gown for the ball.
Lively's outfit is almost reminiscent of toddlers who insist on wearing their princess costumes every day, which is cute when you're three. Though we realize that Lively is free to wear whatever she pleases, wearing a floor-length gown for a day in the city is a little much.
16 Fab: A Mauve Suit Is A Must
There was once a time where women's workwear was seen as bland, consisting of unflattering cuts, stiff fabrics, and lifeless colors. Now, the once boring and dated designs are being swapped for fun and bold pieces that still maintain the same amount of professionalism.
These pieces are also suitable for life outside the office, something that Blake Lively has shown the world of working women with her magnificent mauve suit.
Though it is still a very structured-looking cut, the bold but muted colored suit takes on a more relaxed vibe due to the natural-looking fabric it's made from, as well as the raw, distressed hem on the lapels of the jacket. Lively counters the casual vibe of the actual suit by pairing it with a white button-down shirt to dress it up.
15 Not Fab: Tired Tone On Tone
Any fashionista will tell you to wear a monochrome outfit if you're in a hurry and don't know what to wear. For the most part, wearing one color, or various tones of that color always looks streamlined and polished. But as Blake Lively demonstrates with this outfit, sometimes this fashion tip can be tricky to navigate.
Aside from black, a monochromatic look is one of the hardest outfits to pull off, and Lively really isn't making the feat easier by choosing brown as her color palette. This deep, true brown is not exactly the most flattering color to use for a tone-on-tone outfit.
14 Fab: Feathers Are Forever
When it comes to styling pieces with feathers, it can be quite tricky to keep them looking haute couture rather than high school drama class costume. In today's day and age, if worn in the wrong way, feathers can easily look cheap and gaudy.
But, there are stories of success, and Blake Lively's not only succeeded in styling feathers-she smashed it.
The reason that the feathers on Lively's outfit not only work but actually look good is because they are subtly included on her jacket. The jacket is predominantly a dark navy blue shade, then is color blocked by a stripe of metallic fuchsia and from then on feathers cover the entire bottom half of the jacket. The majority of the feathers are navy blue, the same tone as the pants she's wearing, so they don't stick out, but rather provide a subtle hint of texture while not attracting too much attention.
13 Not Fab: More Hellish Than Angelic
Blake Lively may be an angel in Hollywood's eyes, but we're not quite sure if a white pinstripe suit meets the qualifications to be considered as an angel dressed in white. By fashion's standards, she'd definitely be kicked out of heaven for this ill-fitting, over-the-top, three-piece suit.
Lively is no stranger to a good power suit, but is her eye for selecting them becoming skewed? That must be the case, considering this choice was hellish rather than angelic. The trousers are fine, in fact, they're one of the better parts of the outfit. Where the problem lies is the vest tucked into the trousers. It looks much too tight and, because of the direction of the pinstripes, gives off the illusion that it is one deep breath away from bursting at the seams.
12 Fab: Yellow Is Not Always So Mellow
Wearing a single color monochromatic look is easier said than done, especially if it's in a color as bright as yellow. It takes a great deal of confidence and the will to take a fashion risk, maybe even resulting in failure.
We're here to tell you that for Lively, it was a risk worth taking.
When wearing one color in the same shade from head to toe, it can sometimes be difficult to decipher what's too much and what's not enough. You want the clothes to complement the color while making sure you look streamlined but not boring. For Lively though, every element of her outfit is purposeful and is meant to let the color be the main focus of the look.
11 Not Fab: Slam Dunk? More Like Slam Don't
Fashion grows when its boundaries are pushed, but maybe the athleisure trend is one boundary best left untouched. Blake Lively sure had us scratching our heads with this outfit, leaving us to wonder if she was going to a couture show or courtside at a basketball game.
This haute couture sports look is downright confusing, mostly because of the mix of sport and eveningwear. Typically, mixing different fashion styles results in a super original and eclectic outfit but for this particular one, Lively just looks like she couldn't decide whether to be sporty and comfy or dressy and sophisticated. The long dress coat really throws this look off, more so than the shoes or the bag.
10 Fab: Showing Sherlock Holmes How It's Done
Sherlock Holmes may have brought the checked suit into prominence, but Blake Lively made it iconic. That, and she singlehandedly proved that women can totally wear a checked suit just as well as men can- and maybe even better.
Although this type of check is not as bold of print as many others on the market, it is still pretty daring to wear it from head to toe, and with a matching jacket.
But the way Blake styled her outfit was flawless. She uses the subtle hints of deep purple in the suits as an accent color for her shoes, tie, and handbag. Her shoes nicely compliment the androgynous feel of her look, yet add a subtle hint of femininity with the heel. Her big bag is the perfect size for her outfit and is able to hold its own and stand out amongst all the grey fabric.
9 Not Fab: One Layer Less Would Have Been Best
Layering is a really easy way to take a simple outfit and make it really stylish, a trick you can easily spot on many style gurus. Sometimes though, you need to know what looks best layered and when to draw the line. Unfortunately for Blake Lively, no one seemed to let her know where that line was.
Overall, Lively's outfit is quite chic. Her shoes seem to be the main point of reference when it came to styling the outfit as the colors of both the dress and coat can be found in the shoe. Also, there's some slight print clashing with the shoes and the bag, which makes the outfit a little quirky. Too much contrast makes this outfit confusing though. Even when it comes to layering, less is more.
8 Fab: Slaying In A Sparkly Fringe Skirt
Sparkles are always an easy way to add a little fun to an outfit, but it takes a fine touch and the right styling to ensure that sparkles look classy and not tacky.
Luckily for Blake Lively, she nailed this sparkly ensemble and shone like the style star she is.
Lively's styling of the skirt is very simple, demonstrating that she understands that the first rule of wearing any sort of shimmer, sparkle, or sequin is to let them be the focus. Her skirt has dimension because of the light reflected off of it, as well as movement from the tassels. In order to have the skirt be the focus piece, she paired it with a semi-sheer dark long-sleeved mock neck top with a tank top layered beneath.
7 Not Fab: Picnic Blanket Power Suit
There are those who are afraid of anything that's not neutral, and those who love it so much that they try to wear all the colors at once. Though that may look good depending on how you wear it, in Blake Lively's case, it's not really a success.
Other than the fact that her suit looks like it's been made by stitching various colored picnic blankets together, it's a downright eyesore. There is so much going on at the same time that your eye is not sure what to focus on first. The only moment of peace is provided by her pale blue button-down shirt she has tucked in her trousers, but even that is fleeting because of the textured blue tie she's added, with a pink sparkly brooch pinned to it. Your annual family picnic is nothing compared to the chaos caused by this outfit.
6 Fab: Queen Of Our Style Hearts
Anyone who knows of Disney's Alice In Wonderland knows of the cruel and selfish Queen of Hearts. Not only is her signature color red but also, her signature emblem is that of a heart. Well, Blake Lively is not only robbing her of her status as Queen of Hearts but adding on Queen of Style as well.
Lively looked like a modern-day royal with a rocker edge in this red vinyl trench coat dress.
The bright, true red color not only looks incredible on Lively but also nicely contrasts the white button-down shirt and tie she's wearing beneath her dress. Her outfit is quite simple, mostly because of the fact that the vinyl commands most of the outfit's attention. But, she does have a little fun with her shoe choice, which is a gorgeous pair of white pointed-toe pumps complete with a red heart on the toe.
5 Not Fab: Too Close To Clash
As we have already established, pattern matching is an art that Blake Lively has pretty much mastered at this point. But with this particular ensemble, can it really be considered as meshing if the two patterns are almost the same? That is the big question.
In terms of the print, it's almost reminiscent of a quilt that would have been made in the Victorian era. But aside from the dated pattern, the outfit doesn't necessarily look bad. It's not like her outfit doesn't match, it just doesn't harmoniously clash either. It's floating in this awkward middle ground of the two prints being paired together, simply looking tolerable.
4 Fab: Relaxed Rosy Florals
Blake Lively seems to be living “La Vie En Rose," so much so, that she chooses to incorporate actual roses in her outfit on her more casual days.
Even when she relaxing, she manages to make her outfit look put together, wearing her heart on her sleeve and roses on her shirt.
The rose print on Lively's shirt is one that can look old and dated if not styled correctly. Luckily, she avoided early retirement by tying up the end of the shirt into a knot, exposing an appropriate but fun amount of skin. To keep in the theme of the more modern styling of the shirt, she darkened up the look with black high waisted skinny jeans. However, she did play up the vintage pattern of the shirt by including some black patent oxford shoes. She counteracted the masculine vibe of the shoes with a girly pink and red tote bag. Sweet meets dark-chic-we love it!
3 Not Fab: Major Mother-Of-The-Bride Vibes
Although Blake Lively is a mother of two adorable children, we're sure that neither of them are old enough to get married. Why are we wondering, you ask? Well, we're simply looking for an explanation as to why she's dressed looking like the mother of a bride.
Don't get us wrong, Lively looks amazing overall in this bodycon dress, but the cut is a little bit old looking for the young mother. The shallow V neckline and half sleeves make the dress look better suited for a woman who's much older. Also, her hair is pulled back into an updo, which ages the overall look as well. Leaving her hair down in messy curls would have perhaps given the outfit a more youthful energy that the dress failed to provide.
2 Fab: White Is Not Just For Your Wedding Day
While wearing a completely white outfit is not exclusively reserved for your wedding day, it's not exactly one that you casually throw on to pick up some milk from the grocery store.
But for those special days during the summer, you can actually get away with wearing all white, just like Blake Lively did on the pink carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards in 2018.
Lively opted for an incredibly angelic yet masculine-looking white ensemble complete with billowy wide-legged trousers, a very structured and fitted white jacket, and a white tuxedo shirt beneath. Not only is her look bright and eye-catching because of the fact that she's wearing white from head to toe, but is also very minimal and streamlined. The exaggerated shoulders of the jacket work nicely with the extreme width of the trousers and give a sense of structure to the outfit.
1 Not Fab: Printed In Pink
While Aztec print may have been all the rage in 2010, it really should have been left there when it faded out and was welcomed to the deceased trend graveyard. Unfortunately, Blake Lively tried to play Frankenstein and bring it back to life, which was not the greatest idea.
As if the Aztec print on her bright pink dress wasn't bad enough, there are also bold black and coral stripes as well as pinstripes, covering the rest of the dress. The only flattering aspect of the look is that the dress is a wrap style, but even that makes it difficult to look past the dated-looking prints.
References: Glamour.com, Imdb.com, Hercampus.com
