The Most Iconic Outfits in Modern TV History

Throughout time, fictional characters connect with fans for a variety of reasons. Watching a character develop over time on a television show is a different experience than a movie. Television shows are comprised of at least 10 episodes per season, with more depending on the show. Each episode is between 20 and 60 minutes, allowing a deeper insight into the background of a character and their evolution. In live-action shows, fans see characters in different outfits during each episode. Some outfits are more memorable than others.

In "Game of Thrones" Daenerys Targaryen went from being somewhat timid to the ultimate destroyer by the end of the series. In one unforgettable scene, she's shown wearing a beautiful white winter coat. The elegance and grace she showcased, while still not letting anything get in her way between her and the iron throne, is second to none. The white coat is a status symbol for Daenerys.

Animated TV shows offer iconic outfits as well. The programs that have been on for multiple seasons contain the characters and outfits that fans are most familiar with. In "Family Guy," many people recognize Peter Griffin for the white shirt and green pants he always wears. Peter constantly gets into trouble and often finds himself destroying his clothes. However, he always has another pair on deck.

To compile this list of the most iconic outfits in TV history, 24/7 Tempo consulted entertainment-related sources. These include IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Screen Rant. (For more TV content click here to read about the most-watched TV series finales of all time.)

"The Office" took what felt like everyday moments from people working in an office and turned them into one of the greatest television shows ever. The dry comedy and lack of audience laughter enhanced the jokes told during the show. Fans fell in love with the cast and their stories as they grew into new job titles and new relationships. One person fans adored was Pam Beasley.

Pam and Jim Halpert's love story has consumed multiple generations. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, though. During the first two seasons, Pam was in a relationship with another man who worked in the warehouse. Jim still wanted to shoot his shot with Pam in the episode titled "Casino Night." He kissed Pam while she wore an elegant blue dress. The moment remains etched in the minds of those who have watched "The Office."

High school can be challenging for a lot of people. Students are trying to fit in and become friends with the popular kids. One way someone on "Gossip Girl" attempts to fit in is by posting gossip tidbits about the most popular kids at their Upper East Side high school in New York City. By tearing down the popular kids, the person behind the Gossip Girl blog added themselves to the mix. Blair Waldorf was already one of the popular girls when the blog first started.

While she was in high school, Waldorf accessorized her school uniform as much as she could. Her iconic bow on her head made most of her daily outfits come together. Even though it was considered a school uniform, tons of girls around the United States mimicked Waldorf's style. When she went to college, Waldorf's school outfits changed on a daily basis. Few characters have had the same influence as Waldorf when it comes to television.

Fans never knew what to expect when watching the memorable show "Game of Thrones." Multiple people were clamoring to be the winner to take over the Iron Throne. Countless battles were fought and thousands of lives were lost. Audiences saw characters who seemed to be pure-hearted at first turn into vicious killers out for power. Daenerys Targaryen was a character who fit the mold perfectly.

At first, Targaryen went to battle for the iron throne to appease her brother and husband. Once both were out of the way, she figured out how powerful she truly was. She could control dragons, while nobody else could. During a scene where Daenerys was walking with Tyrion Lannister, she wore a beautiful white winter coat. The coat symbolized a certain elegance that she had, while still being vicious and willing to do whatever it took to sit on the throne.

"Breaking Bad" tells the story of a high school chemistry teacher working with one of his former students to become the most feared drug dealers in the United States. Walter White was diagnosed with a form of lung cancer that nobody thought he'd be able to defeat. Rather than leave his family behind with debt and financial stress, Walt took matters into his own hands and started cooking meth. With the help of his former student, Jesse Pinkman, the duo flourished in their business.

Cooking meth is a dangerous task to complete. Walt knew that and ensured that both he and Jesse were always dressed safely. One of the most iconic TV outfits the two wore were yellow hazmat suits. The image of Walt and Jesse preparing to cook (while taking extreme precautions) is considered one of the most memorable to come from television. Once the duo finished cooking, they started to sell.

One fear plenty of people have is their past coming back to haunt them. When Piper Chapman was younger, she dated a woman who asked her to do things no partner should ask them to do. Piper helped her girlfriend smuggle drugs internationally in her 20s. Even though she got away with it at the time, she was exposed and sentenced to jail in the future. When she got to jail, Chapman was given an orange jumpsuit, like any other inmate would wear.

Chapman's orange jumpsuit is instantly recognized by almost everyone who's watched the show. Chapman tried her best to make the outfit look fashionable when she first got to prison because she wasn't accustomed to looking unattractive. However, after putting forth her best effort to make the outfit look good, Chapman gave up and just continued to wear the jumpsuit for the remainder of season one and then again later on in the program.

The show "Dexter" told the story of a man who worked in the criminal investigations unit of the Miami Police Department. The catch is that Dexter Morgan was also a serial killer who had the same urges as the people he tracked during his job. Rather than act on the impulses he constantly was fighting off, Morgan went after people he knew were guilty without jail sentences based on a lack of evidence. Once Morgan got his hands on these people, it was all over for them.

Like many serial killers, Morgan had a routine he liked to do during his murders. One thing he always kept the same was the butcher outfit he wore when he killed someone. After the butchering was complete, Morgan knew exactly how to clean the surface he laid the person on and clean the weapon that he used. He also took a souvenir from each person he killed, another trait that's common for serial killers to have. The end of "Dexter" is considered a failure and part of the reason the show came back on air with a reboot.

Those who watch "South Park" have heard some of the crudest jokes ever said on television. Ironically, the show is praised for its ability to call out different things like racism and homophobia. "South Park" takes place in a small Colorado town named South Park and follows a group of boys, their friends, and their families as they navigate life. One character, Eric Cartman, has become known for his insensitive jokes and inability to be a good person.

Because it's an animated show, Cartman wears the same blue hat and red jacket in nearly every episode. The reason he wears warm things is because the writers of the program make fun of the fact that Colorado is seemingly always cold. Fans loved watching "South Park" because it was a show that you could enjoy without needing to know what happened in previous episodes. In recent seasons, the show has made fun of current events live as they're happening, meaning viewers are forced to stay up to date with each individual episode.

Most men want to provide for their families in any way possible. Bob Belcher does this by running his restaurant in the television show, "Bob's Burgers." His restaurant is routinely empty and the food served typically wouldn't cut it for most people. However, Bob and his family show up daily to make sure the restaurant continues to stay open. He tries his best regardless of the shenanigans his family pulls while working with him.

Bob's uniform with grease stains all over it has become a symbol for those who work in the food industry. He's always ready to serve up a meal to whoever walks through the door. Bob always seems to have an upbeat and positive attitude, regardless of what's going on in each episode. He dreams that his children will one day learn to run the restaurant and wants to give them all the tips he's learned over the years while running it.

One trope movies and television shows often use is the "mean girl" cheerleader in high school. "Glee" was no different in their approach. The show that followed a group of students who were part of the Glee Club featured characters like Santana Lopez, the school's head cheerleader and main bully. Santana bullied students as a way to release her anger at the fact that she was lesbian. This wasn't something she wanted for herself and she even tried to hook up with as many guys as she could to convince herself that she was straight.

The cheerleading outfit Santana wore was one of the most iconic in television history. Whenever viewers saw the outfit appear on screen, they knew to get their popcorn ready. Even though she was a bully, Santana was still part of the club and tried her best to fit in with the other members of it. The actress who played her, Naya Rivera, died in 2020 after drowning while saving her young son while they were boating.

Students in college are always searching for a solid group to hang out with. For many people, this is the first time they're away from their families and living in a new place. In "How to Get Away With Murder," a group of college students and a professor bond over the fact that they're aware of a murder on campus. Rather than report it, everyone in the group decides to have each other's backs in an attempt to get away with it.

The professor and main character of the show is Annalise Keating. During the program, she wore a red dress outfit that's become an iconic symbol of the TV show and everything that goes on in it. The dress was featured on billboards advertising the show. From 2014 to 2020, viewers were on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what was going to happen next to the group. "How to Get Away With Murder" won countless awards during its run, as did Viola Davis, the actress who played Annalise.

Few television programs are as well-known as "Family Guy." The show follows Peter Griffin, his friends, and his family in their day-to-day life. Each episode features moments where viewers feel guilty for laughing at jokes that shouldn't be laughed at. Peter's white top and green pants have become a fashion staple for those dressing up on Halloween. Because Peter is written as a character who doesn't know any better, fans let his crude remarks slide more than they should.

Other characters like Quagmire know exactly what they're doing and become hard to root for whenever they make a mistake. With a cult-like following, it doesn't appear that "Family Guy" will be off the air anytime in the near future. Seth MacFarlane, the man behind "Family Guy," is always looking to come up with new shows and material for fans to watch.

Shows like "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" don't come around too often. It follows a group of friends who run a bar in downtown Philadelphia. The group always seems to get into some sort of trouble or issue. They make fun of each other often and each episode is full of enough chaos to prevent viewers from predicting what's going to happen next. One of the main characters in the show is Charlie Kelly, a man with a crush on a waitress who is completely uninterested.

To impress her, Charlie puts on a show called "The Nightman Cometh." He thinks that putting on this play will help the waitress fall for him. During the performance, Charlie wears an all-yellow suit and yellow hat to stand out from everyone else on stage. The plan falls through and the waitress continues to ignore him. Something fans of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" love is that the actor who plays Charlie and the actress who plays the waitress are married in real life. (For more TV content, click here to read about the 23 classic sitcoms every American should watch at least once.)