After hearing hype all first season, I finally tuned in this month to the second season of the hit CW series Gossip Girl.  I must say, I'm still not terribly impressed with the slow-moving storylines and vapid characters and I would definitely choose Sex and the City reruns if they were on at the same time.  That said, one thing I have noticed about GG is how underrated the fashion is.  Not the fashion as a whole - there are tons of blogs praising the New York schoolgirl style of Blair & Serena - but the fashion of one character in particular:  Vanessa Abrams.

I don't honestly know a lot about Vanessa's character (played by Jessica Szohr) other than she doesn't get enough screen time.  It's no surprise that I instantly relate to her character the most - Szohr says of the role, "In the book, Vanessa was very gothic, always in black, with piercings, and when we started the show, they wanted to make her kind of Lower East Side - tight skinny jeans, high-tops, and things like that."

I wouldn't have minded seeing her character a little more gothic, but I'm very much a fan of her style.  My own style is a bit darker and more muted-chic, but Vanessa definitely leaves us with some great style cues.  I adore her skinnies, dark tights, and stand-out jewelry.

Proof that she is underrated (Even Gala left her out): I was only able to find a small handful of photos of V.  I love the look at left, which combines great trends of mixing prints with a hot chunky bangle & long chain necklace.  While I would have done it with pumps or pointed flats (Unfortunately, I'm too short to wear hi-tops in my opinion), her look at right is very basic and topped with a letterman jacket.  A bomber jacket is a great piece for fall and looks more intentional & polished than your average hoodie or zip-up.  I'm also always a fan of large hoop earrings.

Follow-up reading:  Guide to dressing like Vanessa on College Fashion.

photos from:
fanpop