How 'House Of Gucci' And 'Bridgerton' Influenced How We Dressed In 2021
From Squid Game to Bridgerton and Halston, what we watched influenced what we wore this year.
Fashion shopping platform Lyst, which monitors online customer searches to identify trends, released its end-of-year report in November, and among its highlights were the top shows in terms of fashion influence.
Retailers copied and updated the '80s wardrobe of the Princess of Wales – played by English actress Emma Corrin – as seen in the third and fourth seasons of The Crown.
In particular, Netflix appeared to be driving fashion trends with hits such as K-drama Squid Game (2021), which became a pop-culture phenomenon; and period series Bridgerton (2020 to present), which saw the rise of a style known as Regencycore.
Regencycore has become a part of our fashion lexicon today thanks to the popularity of Bridgerton.
Other Netflix shows, such as Halston (2021), The Crown (2016 to present), Sex Education (2019 to present) and The Serpent (2021), as well as this year's highly anticipated film House Of Gucci and the reboot of Gossip Girl, were also mentioned in the Lyst report.
Rebecca Dayan played the jewellery designer Elsa Peretti in Netflix's Halston.
Brenda Otero, Lyst's cultural insights manager told fashion trade journal Women's Wear Daily last month: "Now, it's all about cultural relevance and community. Fashion lovers don't need to look at Instagram influencers anymore. They prefer to layer different styles and mix influences from digital-born trends, Netflix, musicians or video games."
Scroll on to see the shows that shaped how we dress in the past year.
The hit Netflix series Bridgerton, set during the Regency period, kicked off a craze for 19th-century fashion, dubbed Regencycore by Lyst. Think corsets, gloves, pearls, lace and pastel hues, but updated for this century.
Less than a week after the steamy show started streaming, online searches for corsets went up 23 per cent, while the term Regencycore generated more than 105,000 social mentions this year.
While the eminently eligible bachelor Duke of Hastings, played by English actor Rege-Jean Page in a breakthrough role, may have had bosoms heaving, the dizzying array of gowns worn by the actresses was also breathtaking.
English actress Phoebe Dynevor, who played debutante Daphne Bridgerton (pictured), had a total of 104 costume changes in eight episodes of the soapy, gossipy drama. One of the top Netflix shows of the year, Bridgerton was watched by 82 million people within the first 28 days of its release on Christmas last year.
With a second season coming next year, Regencycore shows no signs of becoming old-fashioned.
High fashion meets high drama in the ultra-hyped House Of Gucci movie, opening in cinemas here on December 30, which generated lots of talk even before it began filming.
From the first time lead actress Lady Gaga shared a look from the set in March, all eyes were on the fabulously over-the-top outfits and jewellery such as those by Bvlgari (pictured) worn by the cast, which includes American actors Adam Driver, Jared Leto and Al Pacino.
After American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga was photographed wearing a Gucci printed scarf on set, there was a 67 per cent jump in searches for the item from the Italian label.
Gucci saw a 173 per cent surge in searches when the official trailer dropped in August, and page views for polka-dot and lace dresses, as seen on Lady Gaga, increased by 100 per cent, according to Lyst. The Gucci aviator glasses worn by Driver has also seen steady interest.
The sensational story, which spans the '80s and '90s, follows fashion heir Maurizio Gucci (Driver) and his wife Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) as her ambitions to be part of a world of extreme wealth and power lead her to order a hitman to kill her husband in 1995.
Green tracksuits, white slip-on sneakers and red boiler suits were the hottest items for Halloween this year, thanks to Squid Game.
Netflix's biggest series, about a group of desperados playing a series of deadly childhood games for a vast amount of cash, has become a major source of fashion inspiration since its release in September.
It captured the world's collective cultural consciousness, and searches for the show's by-now iconic wardrobe spiked, according to Lyst.
In particular, the white slip-on sneakers from Vans, worn by all 456 players in the show, have seen a huge jump of 7,800 per cent in searches, according to British retailer The Sole Supplier.
Even generic white slip-ons have seen a 97 per cent surge in searches, which can be attributed only to the Squid Game effect.
Besides sparking a wave of interest in nostalgic and minimalist retro fashion, the show also made fashion icons of its South Korean stars.
Model-turned-actress Jung Ho-Yeon, a breakout star in her acting debut, was named French label Louis Vuitton's global ambassador in October. A month later, lead actor Lee Jung-Jae traded his green tracksuit for a teal velvet suit to become Gucci's global ambassador.
The '70s called. They want their style back. Two Netflix series set in the '70s – The Serpent and Halston – brought the decade's fashion to the forefront.
British crime drama The Serpent, set largely in the hippie trail in Asia, made bell bottoms, halter tops, headscarves and aviator shades look boho chic. Based on the true story of charismatic French con artist and murderer Charles Sobhraj (played by French actor Tahar Rahim), who preyed on backpackers, the eight-parter evoked the psychedelic counterculture of the time through its retro set design and costumes.
The many outfits donned by Monique, Sobhraj's enigmatic girlfriend and reluctant partner in crime (portrayed by English actress Jenna Coleman), prompted viewers to search for similar items.
According to Lyst, the teal suit worn by Monique (pictured) caused a 66 per cent increase in searches for similar styles after the show's release in April.
Another '70s series, Halston, transported viewers to the disco era. Starring Scottish actor Ewan McGregor as the legendary American fashion designer, the fabulous fashion of the period was on full display as the biographical drama unfolded.
Known for its halter-neck dresses, toga tops, clever drapes and column silhouettes, the Halston brand saw an increase of 550 per cent in searches after the show was released in May. More than 10,000 Lyst users also searched for halter-neck dresses.
The British royal family was under much scrutiny this year.
Hit Netflix series The Crown and the movie Spencer (2021), starring American actress Kristen Stewart, led to a revival of all things Princess Diana.
English actress Emma Corrin, who played the late Princess of Wales in The Crown's third and fourth season, brought back puff sleeves and shoulder pads, with retailers copying and updating the '80s style.
One of the iconic outfits in season four, featuring a red sweater with sheep all over, including a lone black one, even prompted its re-release by its maker, British brand Warm & Wonderful, 24 years after the princess' death.
The upcoming season five, which has Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki taking over the role, further fuelled interest in the princess and all her fashion moments.
Debicki was spotted filming a scene last month wearing a black off-shoulder dress with a sweetheart neckline, famously dubbed the "revenge dress". Princess Diana wore it to a dinner in 1994, on the night Prince Charles publicly admitted to cheating on her, and it even has its own Wikipedia page.
A version of this article first appeared in The Straits Times