Our Favourite TV Summer Styles!

Summer can feel like a rather long period. Then again, it can all go by in a flash. In any case, you want to make the most of it. With the right styles you can look and feel your best for any occasion so why not take some inspiration from these stars of the small screen. Rosie Spurrier, Susanna Robertson-Sheath and Stella Lau have taken the opportunity to highlight some of their favourite TV summer styles!

Rose Tyler – Doctor Who: Series 2 (2006)

Growing up I was downright obsessed with Doctor Who. My era was the tenure of Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper, as the companion to David Tennant’s ever-exciting heroic tenth Doctor. During play, I would always cast myself as Rose and fully commit to the whole inquisitive, confident, intelligent and in-love-with-the-Doctor-but-playing-it-cool vibe. Rose Tyler became the woman I looked up to and the type of woman I wanted to be when I grew up. Admiring Rose as much as I did, I naturally took an interest in her fashion and style. After all, what more can you do in your quest to become your idol than adopt their fashion?

The look that comes to mind when I think of Rose’s wardrobe is shown only briefly at the end of ‘New Earth’ (Series 2, Episode 1). The Doctor and Rose perform an act of kindness to dying villain Cassandra by allowing her to return to her past in the body of faithful servant Chip and tell herself how beautiful she looks. A particularly emotional scene in which Cassandra (as Chip) collapses mere seconds after telling herself the words that mean so much to her. Rose and the Doctor watch the scene play out, standing to the side of the room.

Billie Piper looks stunning with her curly updo and hoop earrings, paired with her now signature purple T-shirt. 

Another Rose classic is her ensemble worn in Series 2 Episode 2, ‘Tooth and Claw’. In this story Rose wears a short denim pinafore dress with a signature T-shirt. Worn with black tights and high boots, this ensemble is both stylish and perfect for werewolf hunting.

If Rose Tyler’s fashion doesn’t scream 2000’s, then I don’t know what does!

By Rosie Spurrier

 

Kate Wallis’ Red Floral Print Slit Leg Midi Dress – Cruel Summer: Season 1 Episode 1 (2021)

I am going to be completely honest here…Maybe some of you will relate.

Ever been browsing for style inspiration on Pinterest? Ever spotted something right up your street but from a show you had never watched? Ever decided to watch said show on the sole basis of this one outfit and its repeated use in promotional material?

Essentially that is what happened to me here. I had found a few things I liked in the Debenhams – yes, it still exists as an online store – sale and sent a few links to friends to gage their thoughts. A floral dress identical to this was among the selected items. I was already tempted, seeing the pictures of Kate Wallis, played by Olivia Holt, just sealed the deal.

So, I decided to watch the show and I am very glad I did. In only 10 episodes Cruel Summer reveals a small town mystery with various twists, turns and fairly compelling characters. It is set across three summers, 1993, 1994 and 1995, which allows for a different visual style as real-life trends changed and the characters developed. The mystery and fallout leaves its mark however in the 1993 sections of episode 1 everything is essentially in its natural state. Kate Wallis is the beautiful, blonde, popular and rich girl in contrast to the initially awkward, shy and hidden Jeanette Turner, played by Chiara Aurelia.

In contrast to many other depictions of this dynamic, Kate is sweet rather than mean and Jeanette herself does not become popular until after Kate goes missing. You find all of this out in, fittingly, the first episode which brings me back to the dress. There’s a youthfulness to it which is important as this is the first time we meet Kate in the earliest time period. We then see an older, experienced Kate later in the episode. That Kate is meeting 90s trends and, given this is 1993, may even be ahead of some highlights her social position and age, especially when contrasted to her more mature looks in the later 1993 scenes. It is made clear to the audience that Kate is a teenager. She looks stylish but there’s also a practicality and comfort to it with the addition of the trainers and modesty due to the inclusion of the T-Shirt, another popular trend.

Thus, this ensemble is not only a cute outfit for the summer season but it also establishes some ideas about Kate and her role within the narrative. At the end of the day, first impressions are important.

By Susanna Robertson-Sheath

 

The Glory

A global hit hailing from South Korea, The Glory, is a storm of fashion inspiration, especially for those with a more preppy or chic aesthetic. Park Yeon-jin, a weather reporter and one of the main antagonists of the series, is often dressed in smart tweed blazers or elegant, classic dresses, but creates a signature look through her use of bold colours.

One of my favourites, is her Vem-Ver tassel point tweed jacket and mini-skirt in yellow. It’s very cute and preppy, and the bright yellow makes the outfit pop. If you’re looking to dress it down more, you could have the jacket open, and wear an elegant V-neck, strappy top underneath so if you get too hot, you can just pop the jacket off, easy-peasy!

Lee Sa-ra, an abstract artist and part of the group of antagonists in the show, shows off a more laid-back, trendy style by wearing a Louis Vuitton monogram scarf as a top, with tailored, straight-leg black trousers. To accessorise, she wears oversized, thin rectangle earrings and generally keeps it fairly simple. She dresses the monogram scarf with dainty, gold jewellery as it accentuates and emphasise the scarf as a statement piece. Of course, a Louis Vuitton scarf is not essential for the look but the scarf-turned-into-a-bandeau is definitely one for the books.

By Stella Lau

 

Sophie – How I Met Your Father

How I Met Your Father returns with season 2 on Disney + and not only does it bring How I Met Your Mother nostalgia but summer fashion inspiration too, episode after episode.

It’s hard to not be a little bit jealous of Sophie’s big city life and her outfits don’t help the matter either. From gorgeous cocktail dresses to smart casual jeans with a tucked in floral top, this woman knows how to dress and I for one am taking notes ahead of summer 2023.

First up we have a simple black body con dress with a statement cropped floral ensemble over the top. A lot happened in the final episode but for me this piece was the key takeaway and I instantly wanted to make one for myself. The crop accessory features penny-sized clear discs with pressed flowers in the centre. I can only assume each delicate circle is held together by some kind of metal clip. It’s a beautiful and elegant statement piece that would go with 9/10 outfits and occasions. One of which being a festival. Excuse me whilst I look up ticket prices for Coachella.

The second, more casual, summer outfit is a red and white basketball top with a lightweight red check jacket. Jeans optional but swapped perfectly with denim shorts for hot summer days. There’s something about the basketball jersey giving the off-to-a-basketball-game aesthetic and ‘places to go, people to see’ vibe that yells summer fun.

Hilary Duff: inspiring my outfits since the 00’s.

By Rosie Spurrier

 

Peri Brown – Doctor Who: ‘Planet of Fire’ and ‘The Caves of Androzani’ (1984)

Funnily enough, the two Doctor Who stories I most associate with summer, ‘Planet of Fire’ (1984) and ‘The Two Doctors’ (1985), feature Peri Brown, played by Nicola Bryant. A companion to the Fifth and Sixth Doctors, she is one of the lesser known stars of the show as even fans of the classic series tend to think of Sarah Jane Smith, Jo Grant and even Ace first and foremost. However, Peri has always been a favourite of mine.

‘Planet of Fire’ was Peri’s introductory story. It introduces her as a young American student begging her stepfather to let her go travelling. Her own introduction to the Tardis is somewhat of a Doctor Who-meets-Baywatch but five years before that show would debut. We begin the story with a uniquely male-only Tardis team as outgoing (spoiler) companion Turlough, played by Mark Strickson, saves Peri from drowning.

The story benefits from being both filmed, and briefly set, in Lanzarote, the first non-European filming location for the iconic sci-fi show. This enabled the warm and exotic setting to be more than just a background set piece. The cast were appropriately dressed for the warm weather, something Peri did not always benefit from. Poor Nicola Bryant would often find herself running around in heels, short and tight bodysuits when they filmed around London…in January. The comparison to Rose Tyler’s stylish but sensible outfits is rather jarring.

Nonetheless, Peri’s debut outfit, worn for her first two stories, is rather nice. Although her costumes, across her entire run, do not relate much to the stories or her characterization. The colour of her shorts, bikini and shirt compliment each other well and create a nice silhouette which would not look totally out of place today. It also means that she compliments the Doctor, played by Peter Davison, and Turlough rather well despite that likely being coincidental.

‘Planet of Fire’ also happened to have been the story that prompted Doctor Who’s infamous James Bond photoshoot. For whatever reason, I doubt they would commission something quite like this today.

By Susanna Robertson-Sheath

 

Succession

Season 4 spoilers will be lurking in this section so read ahead with caution!

Succession offers a host of summer looks, especially from the Season 3 Tuscan wedding, courtesy of the family’s matriarch, Caroline Collingwood, played by Dame Harriet Walter.

Aspiring playwright and Connor’s wife, Willa Ferreyra shows us that floral prints are always in style. She is one of the most traditionally fashionable characters in the show and her summer wardrobe is to die for. Sporting dresses from Sandro Paris, Fab’rik and Ba&sh, Willa wears a mix of bohemian-style dresses that are flowy with billowing sleeves and skirts that play a lot with patterns, and florally straight-cut dresses that are sleeveless and accentuate her tall figure.

One of my favourite dresses she wears is the Ba&sh Oriane V-Neck Crepe Midi wrap dress, styling her blonde hair in loose waves to complement it. Wrap dresses are the perfect summer dress, giving that extra room and freedom that regular fitted dresses don’t usually give. With the bigger sleeves and long skirt, and the patchwork-esque floral print, this is a dress that can suit both day and night-time looks.

If you prefer wearing pants, Willa also sports a sleeveless jumpsuit by Sandro Paris in a light red floral print, and you can pair this with sandals to dress it down or some strappy heels if you want to dress it up for a night on the town. With a more regular-fit, the jumpsuit gives a chicer look and if you’re not a floral girl, you can try wearing lighter block colours to keep it bright and summery!

Shiv Roy, played by Sarah Snook, a former political advisor and now vying for a place at the top of Waystar Royco, is another summer fashion inspiration. Wearing a Chiara Boni La Petite Roos Floral Halterneck cocktail dress in peony cerulean, the halterneck accentuates her glamourous neckline and back, and the cerulean compliments her blue eyes and ginger hair. A favourite of mine, this look is both easy to dress up for the night and more relaxed for the daytime – so easy in fact, that with the addition of a wide brimmed, beige sun hat, the outfit was already perfect for a stroll through the gardens or along a beach. If you’re looking to get a little tanning in the summer sun, or to show off your shoulders, a halterneck dress is the way to go.

And last but not least, is Naomi Pierce, played by Annabelle Dexter-Jones. From the second episode of Season 4 which is currently airing, this Proenza Schouler twist-back crepe knit black tank and wide-leg pant look, paired with sunnies and statement pearl earrings is simple and chic. For those who are looking for something more sleek and lowkey, Naomi’s style is perfect for you. She usually wears boxier, and straight-cut clothes which are timeless and give you more options to mix and match your wardrobe.

By Stella Lau