From Wicked to Queen of Tears, the 10 most stylish characters of 2024 

LOS ANGELES – From emerald-hued enchantresses to racy Regency-era debutantes, the most memorable characters in films and TV series in 2024 also served up a sartorial feast that delighted lovers of fashion and fashion history.

Here are some of the most stylish figures who graced big and small screens this year.

1. A witchy makeover

Musical fantasy film Wicked – an adaptation of the Broadway hit of the same name – was the biggest makeover witches have had in a while.

An origin story inspired by American author L. Frank Baum’s Wizard Of Oz books, the movie, directed by American film-maker Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, 2018), stars British actress Cynthia Erivo and American singer Ariana Grande as witches in training who become unlikely friends.

And they did it while setting a new standard for how witches are depicted on screen.

Instead of the stereotypical shapeless black dress, Erivo’s green-skinned Elphaba – the future Wicked Witch of the West – wears a structured, Victorian-inspired gown with a cinched waist and textured bodice.

And her signature witch’s hat is an intricate, origami-style creation that is almost avant-garde.

In contrast, Grande’s Galinda, who eventually becomes Glinda the Good Witch, prefers the liberal use of pink.

And her princess-style gown – a crystal-encrusted tulle confection that took more than 200 hours to make – sent TikTok into a do-it-yourself frenzy.

The costumes were overshadowed, however, by the outlandish Wicked-themed outfits the two stars wore on their gushy, much-memed press tour, with Erivo’s fingernails and hats seemingly more bizarre with every interview.

But although the pair were teased for this online, the Wicked effect was still undeniable at Halloween, when the ubiquitous low-effort witch costume was upstaged by more Elphabas and Galindas than you could shake a broomstick at.

2. A scandalous glow-up

Period drama Bridgerton (2020 to present) has seen a succession of young aristocrats navigate 19th-century English high society to find love.

In Season 3, it is the turn of wallflower Penelope Featherington, whose alter ego is Lady Whistledown, author of an influential scandal sheet.

But to make headway in the cut-throat marriage market, she needs the kind of metamorphosis audiences are more used to seeing in contemporary romantic comedies such as Pretty Woman (1990) or The Princess Diaries (2001).

Played by Irish actress Nicola Coughlan, Penelope was previously relegated to a supporting role, with her gaudy yellow dresses and tight red curls doing her no favours, especially with the friend she secretly has a crush on, Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

That changes when she decides to find a husband so she can escape her overbearing mother, and shows up at a party clad in a head-turning emerald green dress and see-through black opera gloves, her hair tumbling to her shoulders in loose waves.

Ms Erika Okvist, the show’s hair and make-up designer, says she took inspiration from old-Hollywood sirens such as Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe.

Earlier seasons of Bridgerton did not exactly have the most wearable trends, but Penelope’s new look seems infinitely more translatable. And maybe bringing back the empire-line dress with a more fitted waist is not the worst idea.

The character’s transformation has been so dramatic, however, that online trolls accused the show of photoshopping Coughlan to make her look slimmer.

The leading lady categorically denied this, saying her body simply adapted to the rib-cracking corsets she and her female co-stars wear.

Perhaps Bridgerton can make those mainstream again too.

3. Emily wears the pants

Less charitable members of the French media call her “the overdressed American”.

And there is certainly no denying that the red beret-wearing protagonist of Emily In Paris (2020 to present) is a fashion maximalist.

But her eclectic, explosion-in-a-designer-boutique wardrobe is one of the most fun elements of the hit romantic-comedy series, which follows the titular American marketing executive as she makes a new life for herself in the French capital.

American actress Lily Collins’ alter ego, Emily Cooper, also gets the seal of approval from France’s stylish first lady Brigitte Macron, who made a cameo in Season 4 and declared: “My country loves you, Emily.”

Emily’s personal style blends high fashion, up-and-coming designers and vintage pieces, and costume designer Marylin Fitoussi goes all out to achieve this, reportedly amassing 3,000 pieces of designer jewellery, 2,500 pairs of shoes and 350 bags for this season alone.

But the character’s style has evolved a little, and in Season 4, Emily tempers her love of bright colours and bombastic prints to embrace what Fitoussi describes as a “masculine-feminine” vibe.

Standout looks include an electric-blue blazer-trouser combo with a matching pussy-bow blouse, and a playful red and cream-striped suit worn to the French Open.

Yet, the character retains her preppiness even as she ascends to new girl-bossing heights – which might be the show’s unique contribution to “corp-core”, or the trend of semi-casual but elevated workwear.

Never one to shy from a cultural cliche or trope, this season also has Emily travelling to Rome and channelling the late British actress Audrey Hepburn from the classic 1950s romantic comedy Roman Holiday.

The white blouse, full skirts and cat-eyed sunglasses are so on the nose, it is almost cosplay, but delightful nevertheless.

4. Dystopian chic

Who says you cannot look good while fighting to the death for a giant cash prize?

The creators of Squid Game, the South Korean survivalist drama that blew away all Netflix viewing records when it debuted in September 2021, probably never imagined the series would make old-school tracksuits trendy.

But the teal-green athletic gear worn by contestants like protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) – also known as Player 456 in this dystopian tale, which pits people against one another in lethal children’s games – proved to be one of its most viral elements.

Online searches for retro tracksuits surged after the release of the first season, as did the popularity of the white Vans slip-on shoes worn by the competitors, especially in the run-up to Halloween that year.

Primark and Pull & Bear, two European clothing retailers, also launched their own collections inspired by the show.

And the long-awaited second season, which debuts on Netflix on Dec 26, may reignite that trend.

But retailers are ready this time, and green tracksuits will be much easier to come by.

Squid Game 2 has already collaborated with sportswear brand Puma, which tweaked some of its classic designs to celebrate the popular show.

Called the Puma x Netflix Squid Game collection, it includes Puma’s velour T7 Track Jacket ($129) and T7 Track Pants ($109), which feature an all-over staircase print to echo the sinister stair room in the show.

There is also a backpack ($149) and a cap ($75) depicting the creepy doll from the Red Light, Green Light game, another viral moment from Season 1.

And the Easy Rider, a red-and-green sneaker ($169), features a hologram on the heel that turns from red to green.

These and other items are available from Puma stores at 313@somerset, Ion Orchard, VivoCity, United Square, Bugis+ and OG People’s Park, as well as several of its limited-edition stores.

5. Serving looks on and off court

American actress Zendaya single-handedly revived “tenniscore” in 2024 with her sexually charged sports drama Challengers.

Her tennis champ character Tashi Duncan is at the centre of a love triangle with two other players – one of whom she dates and then dumps before marrying the second and becoming his coach.

Italian director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, 2017) had Irish fashion designer Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe, come up with costumes for the film.

And the “quiet luxury” trend he is associated with is evident, from Tashi’s form-fitting powder-blue tennis dress to the 1950s housewife-style shirtdress she wears while watching husband Art (Mike Faist) and former boyfriend Patrick (Josh O’Connor) face off on the court.

But the costumes in the movie pale in comparison to the memorable looks Zendaya served up while promoting it.

Her red-carpet attire – dresses with sporty pleats and custom-made Loewe pumps with tennis balls for heels – was a masterclass in how to keep reminding everyone what your film is about.

And the outfits prompted countless fashion magazine features and social media posts that made tennis-inspired apparel a summer must-have.

6. One-woman fashion show

A romantic drama starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, It Ends With Us was a hard-hitting exploration of domestic abuse and emotional manipulation.

But the film and its publicity blitz also occasionally felt like a one-woman floral-themed fashion and beauty showcase by the American actress, a self-confessed clothes horse.

This has added to the growing list of controversies faced by the film.

Lively was criticised for not sufficiently discussing the story’s more serious themes, instead using the press tour to promote her haircare line and other products.

She and Baldoni, an American actor who directed the movie too, have also fallen out spectacularly, dividing fans.

Lively recently filed a sexual harassment complaint against him, and a lawyer for his production company has fired back, accusing her of merely trying to salvage her reputation.

But just like her character Lily Bloom, Lively always manages to look beautiful no matter how ugly the context.

It barely seems to matter that her aesthetic on- and off-screen is all over the place.

Lively reportedly raided her own closet – and that of Canadian actor-husband Ryan Reynolds – to supplement Lily’s wardrobe.

And it shows, with the character rocking a bohemian outfit with clashing prints one minute, and a sequinned evening gown under a men’s work jacket the next.

The idea is, presumably, to illustrate her free-spirited nature – and while this may not necessarily work, it gives fashion lovers plenty of shiny objects to gawk at.

7. The spy who looked sharp

Donald Glover’s character in the action dramedy Mr & Mrs Smith – where he and American actress Maya Erskine are spies forced to play husband and wife – proves that hipsters can be assassins for hire too.

The American actor is known for creating, directing and starring in the acclaimed comedy series Atlanta (2016 to 2022), and playing Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).

But the fashion-conscious star – who is also a Grammy-winning rapper-musician who goes by the moniker Childish Gambino – is famous for being a bit of a modern-day dandy as well.

So it is not surprising that some of his bold personal style – which includes a penchant for unconventional suiting and floral silk pajamas – trickled into this show.

While James Bond would take the safe route when it comes to fashion, Glover’s spy John Smith looks like he reads men’s magazine GQ cover to cover.

Think snazzy peacoats, sleek black mock-necks, too-small hipster shirts and head-to-toe layers of white.

A GQ article describes Glover’s effortless Mr Smith look as the embodiment of “aspirational millennial dressing” – “exactly what you want to wear when you’ve made it to adulthood”.

8. The classic English gent

A spin-off of English director Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name, the action comedy series The Gentlemen stars English actor Theo James as Eddie Horniman, an aristocrat who discovers a secret cannabis operation on his sprawling estate.

Determined to make things work with the crime family behind it, the newly minted duke – who leapfrogs big brother Freddy (Daniel Ings) to inherit the title – is drawn into a dangerous underworld of hustlers, murderers and gangsters.

In the heightened reality of Ritchie gangster flicks – including the crime comedy Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998) – you always see a broad swath of British society, with each character dressed for the part.

For Eddie, that means the uniform of the landed aristocracy: three-piece wool suits, tweed blazers and waxed jackets, much of it supplied by iconic British brands such as Cordings and Barbour.

Female characters are also suited and booted.

Eddie’s mother Sabrina Horniman (Joely Richardson) looks every inch the lady of the manor, while crime boss Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) rocks a more cosmopolitan, femme fatale wardrobe, with trench coats, velvet capes and pinstripe suits.

Like other Ritchie hits, The Gentlemen has revitalised interest in these very British looks.

9. Chaebol heiress style

Hit K-drama Queen Of Tears tracks the roller-coaster marriage of chaebol heiress Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) and husband Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun).

While Hyun-woo has a humble background as the son of farmers, Hae-in was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and dresses accordingly.

As the ambitious chief executive of a conglomerate’s flagship department store, this ice queen takes power dressing seriously, wearing elegant designer pieces including a black cutout dress by Alexander McQueen and a Chanel tweed jacket-and-shorts set.

Her wardrobe is luxe and understated, with tasteful blazers and pantsuits, although she occasionally mixes it up with a sparkly little black dress.

But when she receives a sudden, life-threatening diagnosis, Hae-in’s sharp edges begin to soften – and so does her sense of style, although it comes roaring back to life when she learns of Hyun-woo’s plan to divorce her.

One of the biggest K-drama hits of 2024, the romantic dramedy series left a big impression on viewers in South Korea, where it triggered a wave of aspirationalism and copycat styles.

10. Feudal fashion from Japan

The critically adored Japanese period drama Shogun swept the Emmys earlier in 2024 with 18 wins, including for Outstanding Drama Series.

It also won two Creative Arts Emmys for Outstanding Period Costumes and Period Hairstyling, which transported viewers to a meticulously recreated 16th-century Japan.

Based on James Clavell’s 1975 historical fiction novel Shogun, the series follows English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) as he is shipwrecked in Japan.

To survive, he forms a risky alliance with Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a powerful warlord, and Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai), the noblewoman who becomes their interpreter.

The Japanese-Hollywood co-production, which featured dialogue in both Japanese and English, insisted on a high level of historical accuracy for every aspect of the show.

The team led by costume designer Carlos Rosario studied historical documents and paintings from the Sengoku era of the 1600s, when feudal disputes often turned violent.

They then constructed hundreds of costumes and hairstyles for each character, from courtesans to samurai to Jesuit missionaries – obsessing over every last detail and its historical or symbolic meaning.

With their exquisite detailing and almost architectural lines, Lady Mariko’s elegant kimonos and Lord Toranaga’s elaborate uniforms have also boosted interest in evergreen Japanese styles such as obi sash belts and skirt-like hakama pants, which are still worn today.