With the end of "Gossip Girl" in 2012 came months of heartache and agony over the realization that I would never watch a new episode of the glamorous, scandalous lives of everyone’s favorite Upper East Siders. Most devastatingly, I would never get to see Blair Waldorf in any new romantic, academic or career-based situation.
To this day, I have re-watched each season countless times and, fortunately, though unsurprisingly, I have not grown tired or bored of any of it. This is largely due to my girl crush on Blair Waldorf - the stylish, sophisticated, unapologetic female lead of the show.
There is little doubt or question that Blair is, for lack of a better word, a bitch. But it is this feature that makes her my favorite character and someone I look up to in real life. First of all, she is well aware of her less-than-sugary personality. She is a fighter, and determined in all that she does, and she never pretends to be someone she’s not. People get frustrated and offended by her snarky attitude, but she consistently stands up for what she believes in and always gets what she wants in the end.
Blair also doesn’t break promises. Most would have balked and stayed home rather than leave with Prince Louis for Monaco after he revealed his true colors. But Blair knows she made a promise to her husband and intended to keep it - and she did. Despite the begging of her family and her best friends, one of whom (Chuck, obviously) vowed to pay her dowry, she leaves to fulfill what she said she would and returns a stronger, smarter person because of it. In the process, she also gets to live out every girl’s dream, no matter short-lived it was, to be a princess.
Blair’s planning and organizational skills are also noteworthy. The ways she puts together an event, from glamorous galas to wild parties, is quite remarkable, and she pays attention to every single detail one could possibly think of. She doesn’t just work behind the scenes at these New York City soirees- she knows how to party at them too.
Under the rough exterior, she’s sensitive and, therefore, relatable, too. When Chuck cannot initially tell her he loves her, she doesn’t pretend to be fine to maintain her image. She noticeably crumbles and experience heartbreak, as so many of us can relate to. It is often torturous to watch their love pan out and to see how much Blair loves him and what she would do for him -- #TBT to the time she offered to sleep with his uncle so he could keep his hotel. That’s #dedication if I’ve ever seen it. Thank god Queen B eventually gets the happy ending she deserves.
It cannot be easy being best friends with the blonde bombshell Serena van der Woodsen, who is constantly garnering attention for her beauty and antics, but Blair does the job exceedingly well. While many could easily get lost in Serena’s willowy shadow, Blair manages to stand out and create a name for herself completely separate from her closest acquaintance.
Blair’s style is beyond classy and preppy, and, though I know I could never pull off half the ensembles she composes, she does it flawlessly. Not only does she look like she’s walked out of a magazine every single day, no matter what she’s doing, but she also makes headbands look like the most glamorous accessory in the world, rather than a middle-school staple.
Blair Waldorf is the epitome of elegance and grace and fighting for what you believe in no matter what. Obstacles are simply small bumps in the road for her and she perseveres in the face of countless hardships that come her way. I’ll end with one of her best quotes, which encompasses both her humor and skill in giving advice and is something everyone should follow in their everyday life: “Have a little faith, and if that doesn’t work, have a lot of mimosas.”
