With 100 episodes — and an approximated 100,000 outfits! — there’s always been plenty of room for some Gossip Girl costume drama.

“There are a lot of Chuck outfits that are up for discussion,” wardrobe designer Eric Daman (left) admits to PEOPLE. ”Some people like to take things a little too seriously,” he adds, laughing. “There isn’t one ugly stepchild out there.”

Perhaps Daman is biased; over the course of five years, he’s watched the gang graduate from a shoestring budget to show-stopping couture. Since season one, there’s been a “huge turnaround,” he explains. “The star power has definitely helped that. On the budget we have, there would be no way to do what we do.”

What Daman does do, in fact, is create characters through costumes. And he does so with conviction. When we first met Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), she was doing a “flirty, girly thing,” which evolved into a sartorial “coat of arms” in college, comprised of structured looks from Victoria Beckham and Narciso Rodriguez. But as GG‘s resident princess evolved, she “reverted to an old world glamour,” says Daman, evidence of which is apparent in tonight’s royal wedding episode (8 p.m. EST). Tell us: Will you be watching?

–Justine Harman

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On Monday, Gossip Girl‘s ‘Queen B’ Blair Waldorf becomes … a princess. It’s the royal wedding the whole Upper East Side is talking about — and we have an exclusive sneak peek!

In the clip above, costume designer Eric Daman talks about creating TV land’s very own royal wedding, and selecting a stunning Vera Wang gown. “[It's] so couture but has that old-world feeling to it that makes sense for who Blair Waldorf is, becoming the Princess of Monaco,” he explains. “I think what the wedding is going to look like is going to set the bar for what the 100th episode is.”

That’s right — Monday’s wedding episode also happens to be the show’s milestone 100th. And in that time, Daman estimates the cast has gone through a seriously staggering number of costume changes. Click to find out how many — and see Waldorf walk down the aisle. Tell us: Will you watch Gossip Girl‘s 100th episode?

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Leighton Meester‘s label-happy on-screen alter ego, Blair Waldorf, is content to pick up the closest pair of Louboutins she can find. Off screen, however, the Gossip Girl star said she searches for shoes “that really speak to me,” regardless of designer name.

“If it’s my daily kind of shoe, I usually go for the same type of style, like a platform with a thick heel,” she explained. “But I think variety is important.”

Speaking to PEOPLE Tuesday night at the Roger Vivier Fall/Couture Showcase to benefit Music Unites in New York, Meester said she actually prefers heels to flats. And when searching for shoes, her top requirement is “definitely not comfort.”

Wearing a J. Mendel dress, Bulgari jewels and Vivier shoes — which she called comfortable — Meester admitted that there is one time of day when you won’t find her in platform heels. “When I’m walking the dog, I wear sneakers,” she revealed, “because they look and feel better.”

Though Blair Waldorf would never imagine lacing up a pair of sneakers, the character does have a lot of surprises in store for her on new episodes of Gossip Girl. “It’s just so crazy, I can’t even begin to tell you,” Meester said of upcoming events that include a wedding, “craziness” between Chuck Bass and Waldorf and additional drama with Dan Humphrey. “I get to live vicariously through the good and the bad,” she shared, “which is really fun.”

–Elyse Roth

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For years, style mavens have been lusting after the high-fashion ensembles worn by the ladies of Gossip Girl, and now, we’re one step closer to channeling those impeccable styles.

Contemporary label Romeo & Juliet Couture has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Warner Bros. Television Group — the producers behind the CW hit — to create a collection of clothing inspired by the show.

Look for embellished tops, bottoms, novelty sweaters, draped chiffon dresses and more that bear a strikingly stylish resemblance to outfits worn by Blake Lively and Leighton Meester‘s characters Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf. But what good is a leather-trimmed skirt without the extras? Never fear: the line’s designers plan to expand to handbags and accessories for spring.

The collection, priced from $80-$200, will makes its debut Sunday at the Coterie exhibition and sell at Kitson, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue this fall. Tell us: Will you buy Gossip Girl-inspired pieces?

Courtesy Romeo & Juliet Couture

–Kim Peiffer

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Though she’s all about labels on Gossip Girl, off screen, Leighton Meester is a jeans and T-shirt girl. “At least in my daily life, I’m not really fashiony,” she told PEOPLE Thursday during a Fashion’s Night Out event at Tiffany & Co. in New York. “I appreciate the times I do dress up, like now, or on my show — when it’s important — and then when it’s not, I’m no slave to fashion whatsoever.”

The actress — wearing a Carven dress, Roger Vivier shoes and a ring by Tiffany & Co. — does admit to changing her views on fashion after joining Gossip Girl. “It inspired me,” she shared. “And doing my show, it’s also sort of helped me to decide who I really am.”

Performing with her band, Check in the Dark, before hundreds of fans Thursday, Meester said she appreciated the energy emanating from New York that night. “I’m really lucky to live here,” she mused. “I was walking down the street earlier and there were stores all open really late, and everyone was having champagne and walking around in their cute outfits and taking pictures, and I was just like, ‘I’m so glad I live in a city that’s like this. You can be anybody here.’”

Performing at one of the city’s most iconic stores was a big moment, too. “Tiffany is the most classic place,” she said. “And we haven’t actually performed in New York together — this was the first time — so it’s lovely that a lot of people came out and got to experience it.”

Though her bandmates are based in Los Angeles, Meester hopes to sing with them more in Manhattan in the months to come. “I’ve been really lucky to be paired with the band that I am,” she said, adding that she’s been singing and playing piano since childhood. “I’ve known them for years and have been in love with them, and had seen all of their performances. I sang with them a couple of times and just started playing guitar … and it’s all sort of history from there.”

–Kate Hogan

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As an A-list star, one would imagine that Leighton Meester has easy access to just about every beauty product on the market. But it sounds like the Gossip Girl star prefers to keep her shelves pretty clear.

“My makeup bag is so minimal it’s embarrassing,” she tells bellaSugar.com. When she find something she likes, she sticks with it, no matter how basic. “I like L’Oréal mascara, I like eyelash curlers, I like a little bit of tinted moisturizer,” she adds.

But one of the most important lessons she’s learned from her time spent in the makeup chair is less about using product — and more about keeping her skin clean.

“One of the best makeup tips I’ve ever gotten is to take off all your makeup because I’m generally really bad at that,” she admits. “That’s really saved my skin. But besides that I think just really being hydrated and being healthy. I think whatever’s on the inside shows on the outside, so it’s not as much about makeup as it is your health.”

Tell us: What’s inside of your makeup bag?

–Kim Peiffer

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Leighton Meester‘s romantic commercial for Vera Wang’s Lovestruck fragrance has fans talking. Now, with the official launch of the fragrance this week, the actress herself is spilling her Lovestruck secrets — along with some exclusive behind-the-scenes photos — from the shoot.

“There were a lot of good moments,” Meester says of the shoot, where she wore a strapless couture Vera Wang gown designed just for her as she braved the wintry New York City weather. “Vera showed up and just made everybody laugh; she really broke the ice, literally, because everybody was so cold!”

Meester says she was thrilled to be named the face of Vera Wang’s new fragrance because “Vera’s take on love and her interpretation of being lovestruck really hits home for me,” she says. “It’s very romantic, it’s very sexy, edgy, it’s downtown New York where I live and work. It’s all about this modern day twist on Romeo and Juliet.”

Best of all, Meester says, is the way the scent makes her feel. “I look for emotion in a fragrance, how you feel when you’re wearing it. [Lovestruck] is pretty much all the things you feel when you’re falling in love … very sexy, flirty, feminine.” Fall head over heels for the fragrance yourself: it’s in Macy’s stores this week.

–Alex Apatoff

Courtesy Coty

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Her Gossip Girl character Blair Waldorf is often spotted in pricey designer dresses — hello, Jenny Packham — but Leighton Meester says she prefers to save a few bucks when she shops. “The last time I popped out my credit card I bought [a] Proenza Schouler dress,” she tells PEOPLE, adding that she picked up a few others that same day during a sample sale for the brand. “I love sample sales! Proenza always has the good ones, and is one of my favorite designers. Most of the Proenzas in my closet are from sample sales.” Not one to splurge too much, she’s also a do-it-yourself type, currently redecorating her own home. “I’m buying tons of magazines, too, like Elle Decor, and I’m addicted to them now,” she admits. “Even though one day I will be done decorating, I’m still going to be buying them because I love looking at them.” Tell us: Are you a sample sale shopper? –Reporting by Paul Chi

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There’s no denying it: the Duchess of Cambridge stunned at the Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) gala in London Thursday. Hitting the carpet in a pearlescent rose-colored silk tulle Jenny Packham dress with sequin and Swarovski crystal beading ($6,300; currently sold out in the U.K.) — plus delicate L.K. Bennett Agata Rose heels ($315; currently sold out) — Catherine was the picture of a true princess. But she’s not the first star to step out in one of the British designer’s glimmering spring/summer 2011 creations. Ashley Tisdale made a splash at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Viewing Party in February, wearing a nude antique lace Packham gown with an asymmetrical neckline and crystal-beaded waist. Sandra Bullock dazzled at the Golden Globes in January in a powder pink one-shoulder crystal-encrusted gown, accented with understated jewels. And Leighton Meester wore a tea length Packham dress with similar sparkle as Upper East Side queen Blair Waldorf on a recent episode of Gossip Girl. We think all four ladies looked lovely in their Packham creations, but want to know what you think. Tell us: Who wore their Jenny Packham dress best? –Kate Hogan, with reporting by Monique Jessen

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Long locks? Check! Lots of leg? Check! Chic Balmain mini? Check! Three of Hollywood’s hottest 20-somethings — Mila Kunis, Kristen Stewart and Leighton Meester — wore short and sexy dresses by the French fashion house to Sunday night’s MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles. Kunis paired her glittering getup with a loose black top; Stewart, who hit the carpet in a safety-pinned red dress and heels, changed into her trademark sneakers for the ceremony; and Meester rocked a sleek, long-sleeved mirrored frock. We think all three looked gorgeous, but we want to know what you think. Tell us: Who was best in Balmain?

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Chuck Bass, eat your heart out! Leighton Meester‘s ultra-romantic first ads for Vera Wang’s “Lovestruck” fragrance have hit the web. Wearing the same gorgeous cranberry Vera Wang couture gown she sported in the print ads, the face of the fragrance is pursued by a handsome mystery man in a leather jacket, who drops his bouquet as he rushes up a fire escape to embrace the star. “When I heard tourists saying, ‘I want to look like her,’ I knew we were right on the money,” Wang told WWD of the New York City shoot, which attracted plenty of attention. We don’t know what’s prettiest — Meester, the dress, or the dude! Tell us: What do you think of Meester’s commercial? –Alex Apatoff
SHOP STARS’ SIGNATURE SCENTS!

Leighton Meester‘s alter-ego Blair Waldorf always seems to be part of a dramatic love triangle on Gossip Girl, but now, the actress has a Prince Charming all to herself in a campaign for Vera Wang’s new fragrance, Lovestruck. Meester was announced as the brand’s new face last fall as part of a reported $3 million, two-year deal, and recently, her first round of chic ads surfaced. This new campaign was shot in downtown New York City where Meester, wearing a striking couture Vera Wang gown, was photographed leaning over a fire escape while awaiting the arrival of her Romeo — who just so happens to be racing toward her with a bouquet of flowers. Despite frigid temperatures during the shoot — and crowds of bystanders looking on — Meester said she was simply enjoying the view. “I was above it all, literally,” she told WWD of being perched on a fourth-floor fire escape while shooting. “So I was just kind of entertaining myself — I did a little singing, did a little dance.” The perfume will be available in the U.S. in August, with the print campaign slated to run in September. Tell us: What do you think of Meester’s Lovestruck ads? –Kim Peiffer

SHOP STARS’ SIGNATURE SCENTS

Spending a ton on cosmetics may be a way of life for Gossip Girl‘s queen bee Blair Waldorf, but that’s just the character shopping. In real life, actress Leighton Meester says she’s all about the bargains when she’s buying beauty products. “Look, I’m a South Florida girl — if you need mascara, you go to Walgreens,” Meester recently told StyleList. “One of the joys of my job is being able to try all different products, but if I can spend a lot less on something, I’d rather do that.” The Herbal Essences spokesmodel saves her pennies by stocking up on some of her favorite drugstore beauty must-haves, including CoverGirl lip stains, L’Oreal Naturale Mascara and one her ultimate favorites: cocoa butter. “It’s 99 cents! I love it,” she raved. But regardless of what she’s using when getting dolled up, she always keeps one style icon in mind. “Oh, Bette Davis. Those lips,” she gushed. “You know how you’re supposed to choose between playing up your eyes or your lips? I always choose lips. I love the drama.” Tell us: Where do you buy cosmetics? –Kim Peiffer

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Looks like Leighton Meester is kicking off her February with a bang! The star was spotted all around the Big Apple Tuesday promoting her new movie, The Roommate, at three separate events –- in three different stylish outfits! The 24-year-old started the day off coming up roses in a floral sequined Emanuel Ungaro long-sleeve mini dress, which she paired with Pierre Hardy ankle-strap heels, for her Late Night with Jimmy Fallon appearance. Her toned legs were on display again at a “Meet the Actors” Apple Store event in Soho, where Meester looked chic in a black-and-olive Giambattista Valli dress and sexy Brian Atwood leopard-print heels with elasticized straps. For her final look, the February NYLON cover girl stepped out for the magazine’s dinner party downtown in a layered orange-and-black Proenza Schouler dress, this time keeping her shoes simple with black Brian Atwood pumps. We have to hand it to the brunette beauty for showing up in three very different looks, but we want to know what you think. Tells us: Which of Leighton’s three dresses is your favorite? – Hana Choi
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It seems there is a new designer du jour in Tinseltown: Parisian brand, Carven. Although the design house is over 65 years old, Hollywood’s youngest and brightest stars including Kim Kardashian, Emma Watson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leighton Meester and Demi Moore are flocking to the collection for its playful silhouettes and unique details. Last September, Kardashian indulged in some high-end retail therapy, touring France in a voluminous Carven frock with a peekaboo back. Two months later, Emma Watson rocked a coquettish putty-colored shift dress accented with a classic schoolgirl collar. Flash forward to the L.A. premiere of No Strings Attached where Demi Moore dazzled in the brand’s double-zip design with sculpted shoulders. Carven describes its aesthetic as “student-boho chic” with “a distinct taste for contrast,” but we only have two words: “C’est l’amour!” Snag some Carven pieces for yourself at net-a-porter.com, with prices starting at $320. –Justine Harman

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Leighton Meester might be known for her daring style on-screen and off, but that doesn’t mean that every day is focused on fashion. “I like to be comfortable 90-percent of the time–and when it’s time to dress up, go all-out,” she tells PEOPLE of her style philosophy. “My inspiration is life! It comes from my family, my friends, traveling. Books, music…Love inspires me, and relationships, sex. You know? Food, fashion!” The Herbal Essences spokesperson, however, looked especially good while doing good, as she and her hairdresser Charles Baker Strahan (below) joined the brand in support of charity Portraits of Hope, which brightened up skating arena ICE at Santa Monica by painting it in children’s art. “We painted, we went skating, we ate pizza. [The kids] really were cracking me up,” says Leighton of spending her day with children from the Special Olympics and the Braille Institute. And while she tested her own artistic skills by painting alongside the children (below), not everything was smooth sailing. “I’m a terrible ice-skater,” she admitted, laughing. “I luckily didn’t fall today but it’s probably because I had a balancing act with people holding both my hands.” Learn more about Herbal Essences’ support of Portraits of Hope at their Facebook page. –Katherine Kluznik Rentmeester

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Justin Sparks

Justin Sparks

Watch out, Blake Lively! It looks like there’s another leggy blonde costar who has captured Leighton Meester‘s attention. The Gossip Girl actress, who appears alongside Gwyneth Paltrow in her latest film, Country Strong, seems to have developed a slight girl crush on the older actress-turned-country singer. “She’s gorgeous without any makeup on and she comes to set at 5 a.m. looking really hot which is really great,” Leighton tells InStyle of Gwyneth’s off-screen appeal. “She’s super down-to-earth and makes dirty jokes. She’s just a cool chick.” And that’s not the only on-set secret that Leighton dished on. The stylish star, who gets back to her Texas roots as a beauty queen-turned-singer in Country Strong, plays a neurotic college girl in The Roommate, and gets to slink into some of fashion’s most coveted labels as Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl, reveals that the mean girl roles get the best outfits. “In The Roommate, I play a little over-the-edge bad girl and she has a pretty good wardrobe,” she tells the publication. Tell us: Who is your celebrity crush? –Jessie Goldberg

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It looks like Hollywood stylistas are suiting themselves–literally! Yesterday we asked if you would wear a suit and tie like Leighton Meester did to the Gotham Independent Film Awards. And while our respondents were split down the middle on the trend, A-listers like Winona Ryder, Jessica Alba and Halle Berry, are clearly giving the look a sartorial thumbs up. Ryder, who has dabbled in menswear before, upped the ante last night, arriving at the N.Y.C. premiere of Black Swan in a tuxedo jacket, black oxford, slacks and a blinged-out lariat necklace, while Alba ditched the feminine frocks in favor of a fitted Dolce & Gabbana blazer, and slouch trousers for Footwear News’ 24^th annual Achievement Awards. Rounding out Tuesday night’s trifecta was Halle Berry, who selected a jacquard black and gold ’70s-inspired look with a plunging sparkly blouse—all by Balmain. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, menswear is definitely a fall wardrobe staple, but we usually reserve the full-on look for interviews. Tell us: Do you think the look suits Winona, Jessica and Halle? - Justine Harman

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Gossip Girl‘s Leighton Meester continues to don get-ups that would leave Blair Waldorf bristling in her Brian Atwoods. Two weeks after donning a plunging, sheer Marchesa jumpsuit, the fearless stylista takes a page out of AnnaLynne McCord’s book, sporting a charcoal Thom Browne suit complete with flood trousers, white oxford shirt and matching neck tie to the Gotham Independent Film Awards in N.Y.C. on Monday night. Eschewing feminine details, Meester opted for simple on-trend wine-hued pumps, smoky lids and mussed up tresses to complete her look. Though the androgynous look may be a bold introduction to Browne’s foray into women’s clothes, we’re not sure how we feel about Leighton’s literal take on menswear. Tell us: Would you wear a suit and tie like Leighton Meester? - Justine Harman
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With a closet full of uptown-appropriate outfits, Gossip Girl‘s resident queen bee Blair Waldorf may know a thing or two about fashion, but when it comes to personal style in real life, actress Leighton Meester is all about having a little edge. And now, just in time for the holiday shopping season, the style star is letting you in on some of her chic fashion finds, as a guest editor for WhoWhatWear.com. She masters the high-low mix with a $20 pair of sunglasses from Lanvin’s latest runaway hit collaboration with H&M (“These are great to throw on as I run out the door, they complete any look, and the price is right”), and shows us her humor with a pair of Jimmy Choo platforms with a Lucite heel (“I wore this tranny heel to the Country Music Awards with a Pucci gown and loved every minute of it.”). Other finds include an emerald YSL blouse, because after all, “what’s more practical than a sleeveless crew-neck in a luxe fabric?” and a sweet ruffled Marc Jacobs frock that she deems “the perfect dress for a tea party.” See more of Leighton’s curated favorites for every occasion at WhoWhatWear.com! Tell us: What do you think of Leighton’s fashion must-haves? – Hana Choi

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