Best use of vintage styling: Princess Margaret in The Crown
Safe to say, Vanessa Kirby’s Princess Margaret steals the fashion show in the second series of the Netflix hit. Entering the swinging sixties, the sovereign’s sister rejects the stuffy, buttoned-up silhouettes of old and embraces the emancipated spirit of the decade with short and sheer layers, authentically executed by the show’s costume designer, Jane Petrie. Major props go to the recreated Norman Hartnell wedding dress, an exact replica of the original. SC
Best positioning of collar: Roz Huntley in Line of Duty
A standout feature from the excellent Line of Duty was the purposeful way in which Thandie Newton’s DCI Huntley turned up her collar. Shirt or blazer, the object itself was immaterial. As the series went on, her collar grew like the tower of Babel, like Eudon Choi AW17, becoming semaphore for her being superior, hot and bent. When tragedy struck, her collars were quickly folded down or replaced by neat little T-shirts. Popped collars, it seems, are impossible to wear with a sling. MF
Most progressively post-hipster: Aziz Ansari as Dev
There’s something heartening about watching Dev’s wardrobe mirror his life progression; slowly graduating from the thoughtless choices of his 20s into the more considered decisions of undeniable adulthood – however reluctant both may be. Recent wardrobe additions for season two read like the credits of a GQ shoot; Saint Laurent, Maison Kitsuné, and Ami. Hey cutie. SC
Best reason to revive Hedi Slimane for Dior Homme: Nick from The Handmaid’s Tale
Commenting on the handmaids’ wardrobes feels problematic, but in a post-Weinstein world, what the TV show’s men wore is fair game. Take resident softboy, Nick. Does he have feelings? Does he feel compromised? Who cares. When not topless, his black, ultra-slim-fitting driver uniform was a tidy bit of 00s styling and a reassuring throwback to the golden age of Hedi Slimane. Frankly, we’re all for objectifying him in the name of fashion. MF
Most on-trend sea creature: the whale shark
This might seem like a stretch, but the parallels between Chalayan and Cotweiller, and the whale shark in Blue Planet II are off the charts. The shades of navy, the flecks of white, even the way the models walked in the show – glacially, quietly, with presence – resonated with anyone who watched the new series. Majestic stuff. MF
Best use of Ikea in a TV show, Jon Snow in GoT
2017 was the year in which Ikea tackled and, in some cases, beat fashion. From Balenciaga homages to Virgil Abloh’s rumoured collaboration, few labels were immune to its aesthetic. Then came news that Jon Snow et al were apparently wearing a shaggy coat fashioned from an Ikea rug and, well, the internet buckled under interest in the LUDDE Sheepskin rug. Expect to see an army wearing Kvistbro helmets come the new series. MF
Debbie from Mindhunter: best algorithm of 1977
Your Spotify playlist and Amazon recommendations are already plagued by algorithms, so why not your fashion references? Debbie Mitford, the sociologist student in Netflix’s Mindhunter, has a wardrobe as if the phrase “1977” was typed into a costume designer’s database, sending love beads, floaty blouses, faded denim and long wavy hair spewing out. Just like those Spotify tracks and Amazon recommendations, they’re annoyingly appealing. Succumb to Mitford’s take on the 70s – you know you want to. LC
Most accidentally on-trend: Margaret from Howards End
You don’t imagine Howards End’s Margaret had much time for keeping up with fashion – it’s bourgeois, the territory of the Wilcoxes. It makes sense, then, that her rise to fashion icon is entirely unwitting. The style-inclined watching the adaptation of EM Forster classic would have been distracted from the fate of the Schlegels by Margaret’s striped blouses with puffed sleeves and coats buttoned to the floor. To get the look for 2018 rather than 1910, google London designer Rejina Pyo. LC
Sweater hero: Celeste from Big Little Lies
Ok, so Celeste has bigger things on her mind than knitwear but her sweaters were – not to overthink it or anything – a triumph in the face of adversity. The caramel-coloured roll neck, worn with a khaki mac, quietly wowed the people of Monterey. It beat Reese Witherspoon’s alpha preppy outfits and even Zöe Kravitz’s Camden-by-the-way-of-Bergdorfs look without even trying. The sweater-based element of the Kidmanaissance is set to continue into 2018 too – with a second series of Big Little Lies confirmed this week. LC
Worst reinvention of 2017: the boys from Love Island in white jeans
Love Island this year gave us many things – the personalised water bottle, the word “muggy” and a series of loved-up couples who have quietly split up since the series ended. The one moment burnt into the retina of anyone who watched the ITV show? Young men wearing tight, white jeans, rolled up at the ankle with no socks. This trend has now spread to the high streets of our great nation. Thanks very much, Chris and Kem. Your bromance may be over but this denim trend is here to stay. LC
Best TV Titian: Stranger Things 2’s Max
It has been a big year for gingers. Prince Harry has got engaged. We have our own emojis. The icing on the cake is Stranger Things’ Max (Sadie Sink). Her straight-cut jeans are the 1990s vintage dream. Her zip-up tracksuit tops are like the £1,000 ones on Chloé’s SS16 catwalk, only better. Even more importantly, her russet waves ripple in the breeze every time she powers down the pavement on her skateboard. HM
Most hackneyed headgear: Tommy from Peaky Blinders
Cheekbones can be very deceiving. Yes, Cillian Murphy looks handsome and mysterious in this newsboy cap – of course he does, with that magnificent face – but as to the hat itself? Nah. That style is oh-vah, as we say in fashion. It has been seen on far too many heads for the past couple of years – from Harry Styles’ to Bella Hadid’s to Jeremy Corbyn’s “Leninist” take – to have any remaining style currency. Also, it doesn’t keep your ears warm. HM
Best T-shirt collection: Issa Rae
Insecure is such great TV. But are its T-shirts even better? Whether making political statements (“The Last Poets”), giving us glimpse into Issa’s psyche (“Wrecked”) or simply underlining her excellent taste (“De la soul; Public Enemy) this is the wardrobe of someone with an enviable record collection and an awful lot to say. I want the Prince Doves one. Lawrence’s jumpers aren’t too shabby either. HM
