Today, Blake Lively is off married to Ryan Reynolds and recently had a baby, but a few years ago she was stealing our attention as Serena van der Woodsen in “Gossip Girl.”
Van der Woodsen was considered the “train wreck” of the show’s main characters. She was always dealing with man drama, family drama or personal drama. She was also the woman other women either hated or wanted to be. Whichever way, she garnered plenty of attention.
Personal issues aside, she never had any trouble putting an outfit together.
Van der Woodsen’s style was just like her personality — attention grabbing. While she started more bohemian in “Gossip Girl,” she quickly evolved to a more eclectic style. This involved mixing fabrics, patterns and colors to create a look that stood out. 
One thing van der Woodsen repeatedly did was the deconstructed pant suit.
She’d take a blazer and tailored pant but not in matching fabrics. Instead, one normally involved embellishments while the other was a bright color. She’d then pair the blazer and pants with a casual t-shirt or tank top in a cotton fabric. Van der Woodsen is also known for her bohemian jewelry and stand-out footwear.
This look is recreated easily. Start with the blazer since it will most likely be the loudest piece of your outfit and you’ll want to style around it. If the blazer involves embellishments or patterns, pick pants in a solid color. The pants’ color should also compliment the blazer, not clash with it.
To take the van der Woodsen look a step further, be more daring and attempt her combination of patterns.
To recreate this ensemble, pick three or four colors that complement each other and find patterns with these color schemes. Afterwards, combine the differing patterns into one look.
For van der Woodsen, that normally included pants or shorts paired with a blouse and numerous accessories varying from scarves to ties to outerwear.
Just try to keep the patterned items to a maximum of four. More than that and the outfit can take on a cluttered, confused look. Ground the multiple patterns with neutral items like your bag or shoes.
While van der Woodsen enjoys piling on the patterns, sometimes she just sticks to one stand-out fabric or embellishment.
However, when she does this, she goes big. This means the one fabric or embellishment is used throughout the entire ensemble. One example is van der Woodsen’s gray, lace dress.
The dress is floor-length and is covered in lace, including the heels.
To recreate this, it’s easily done with a dress made of primarily one material. Pick whatever fabric or pattern that you’re drawn to and go crazy. An all lace or floral gown is striking and will draw in compliments instantly. 
But most importantly, don’t forget van der Woodsen’s confidence. No matter what drama she’s dealing with that day, the woman always left her Upper East Side apartment well-dressed and ready to impress. 

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