From 'The Bear' to 'Twilight,' Shop These TV and Movie-Approved Closet Essentials

We often look to our favorite TV shows and movies for outfit inspiration. Typically it's the out-there, eccentric looks that become trendy, like the hot pink femme aesthetic in the Barbie movie or the grungy black outfits rocked by Wednesday Addams. But, one surprisingly effective type of style to find from what you watch is actually the most basic essentials, which often become viral moments as viewers scramble to find replicas for their own. 

Take the viral white T-shirt from season one of The Bear in 2022. This simple white tee that fans found out was $95 from Merz B. Schwanen soon became a viral moment in men’s fashion. While a heavy price tag for such a simple wardrobe basic, fans loved this shirt for its ability to look so everyday and wearable while maintaining style and quality, all Carmy approved.

Celebrities are usually the best influencers, and it makes sense that the outfits their characters wear become such hot commodities. Whether looking for a new basic or hoping to emulate your favorite character, keep scrolling for more TV and movie-approved fashion essentials. 

When talking about viral menswear from TV and movie-approved fashion essentials, we couldn’t leave out the iconic cable knit sweater worn by Chris Evans in the film Knives Out. Who can forget the way the sweater perfectly fit him, exuding leisure and calmness in a pivotal part of the movie. The simple sweater essential soon became viral thanks to Evans and his irresistible charm. Movie theaters hosted screenings with a chunky knit dress code and the movie’s official Twitter even changed its name to Chris Evans’ Sweater Stan Account. Maybe it’s the murder mystery, maybe it's the bad boy who’s wearing it, but suddenly a cable knit sweater seems so dangerous and sexy.

While costume designer Jenny Eagan does not remember who made the sweater, plenty of knitwear retailers are happy to take part in the frenzy. Irish retailer Blarney Woollen Mills saw a 150 percent increase in sales of its Honeycomb Stitch Aran Sweater since the film’s release, and countless other stores have sold out of their own versions of the ivory-hued sweater. 

When the trailer for Marvel’s The Marvels released, it wasn’t the compelling plot or strong female cast that stole the show. Instead, it was Brie Larson wearing that high-neck white tank top. Women everywhere were quick to notice that the lines of her bra under the top were completely invisible, perfectly supporting her figure while blending in. Once the screengrab made its way to Twitter in a post with over 33 million views, it was a quick race to discover what made the top look so good.

Larson herself set the record straight and also directed fans to the perfect essential everyday bra. She replied to the tweet, “It was a whole team effort: @ChantelleUS t-shirt bra (with an extra strap stitched in). Basically… we need new scientific breakthroughs to make this easier. Shoutout to Rebecca Higgins for engineering the beauty we see on screen!”

There’s something about a troubled, murderous man in a sweater. For another TV-approved fashion essential, look to none other than the first season of American Horror Story, where Evan Peter’s character Tate Langdon wears a simple navy and dark green striped sweater. While the first season, Murder House, aired in 2011, girls online everywhere are still documenting their search for the perfect replica.

From styling to shopping suggestions to users even documenting when they see the unmistakable sweater in the wild like a celebrity sighting, the sweater remains an essential for anyone hoping to attain the effortless ease of the totally toxic but undoubtedly adorable Tate Langdon. 

Taking it to jewelry, one of the most recognizable TV- approved fashion essentials is the always-iconic Carrie Bradshaw’s gold nameplate necklace. A signature staple, the necklace was with Carrie for all of her important moments, and she even feels lost when she momentarily loses it in one of the final episodes of the series. The necklace even makes its way into the first season of HBO’s revival And Just Like That.

On the 25th anniversary of this show this past June, Sarah Jessica Parker took to Instagram to commemorate the occasion with a photo of the golden Carrie necklace. The post reads, “It’s our silver anniversary but the memories will always be gold. X, SJ.”

If you’re still feeling a bit of that nostalgia and are looking for another movie-approved fashion essential to add to your wardrobe, look no further than the sunglasses worn by Tom Cruise’s character in the 1983 film, Risky Business. His character, Joel Goodsen, represents all things fun and careless, and his sunglasses support his cool and assured look. 

The sunglasses are the Original RB2140 Model of Ray-Ban Wayfarers, a set from perhaps the most well-known sunglasses in the world. His character brought the brand into renewed prominence, and Ray-Ban experienced a massive profit surge after the release of the film. Even  now, people can’t help but fall for the allure of Cruise’s devil-may-care attitude in Risky Business, copying his button-down look for Halloween or wearing the sunglasses for an extra edge to any outfit.

It’s true that the show Freaks and Geeks ended way too early. Only 18 episodes long, the show propelled the careers of countless stars, including Jason Segel, Seth Rogan, and James Franco. The protagonist, known for her cool army jacket, was a young Linda Cardellini. 

The rebellious look inspired teens everywhere during the time the show aired from 1999-2000, and the oversized style maintains its firm place as a fashion essential today. Costume designer Debra McGuire told Interview Magazine that the jacket came from a place of rebellion and anti-war sentiment from the Vietnam era. Cardellini’s character Lindsay Weir uses the jacket as an identity marker, using the coolness and danger of the jacket to get rid of her good-girl reputation.