When you sit down to watch a Ryan Murphy show, there are certain things that will always be true. The tone will be fun and campy, the drama will be detailed and entertaining, and the clothing will be awesome. This is true of Scream Queens, when Emma Roberts and the Chanels wore lots of pink and furry coats, and of the current season of American Horror Story with its fun ’80s aerobics outfits.
While the fan favorite drama Glee is known for covering pop music, the show has another great thing going for it: the outfits. The characters wear a lot of really interesting clothing, and it’s time to take a look. Here are the 10 best outfits on Glee, ranked.
Rachel’s Over-The-Top Gown In “Makeover”
In the season four episode “Makeover,” Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) wears this crazy OTT gown, and it looks amazing on her. While this is definitely one of the best outfits on the show, it’s ranked number 10 on our list because it’s special, but it doesn’t measure up to the outfits that the characters wear in their daily lives.
It is really beautiful, though, and the gold makes the whole scene feel opulent and fabulous. Of course, we love the fact that Sarah Jessica Parker appears in this episode. She plays Isabelle Wright, who gets Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) an internship at Vogue. He wants to cheer Rachel up by giving her a new look, and as a bonus, he gets on Isabelle’s good side when he tells her what he wants to do and she comes along. It ends up being a shoot used for Vogue.
Kurt’s Polka Dot Tie
Next up is this cool polka dot tie that Kurt wears when he’s walking with Rachel. While not a lot of people could pull off a polka dot tie, or even polka dots in general, if anyone could, it would be Kurt.
This is ranked at number 9 on our list since it would have been a lot more fun if his whole suit would have featured a polka dot pattern… but that’s okay. The little pop of pattern is enough for us, and it proves that he’s happy to express himself through fashion whenever he gets the chance.
Mercedes And Santana’s Chic Black Dresses
Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley) and Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) may be part of different social circles, as Mercedes is pals with Kurt and Santana is one of the popular kids, but they both shine in these chic black dresses. They look so sophisticated that their outfits had to land them on this list, and they’re taking the number 8 spot.
If these outfits had something a bit more special added to them, such as a pop of color or a fun accessory, we’d give them a higher rating. But they’re really great, so number 8 it is.
The Coordinated Black And Gold Outfits
The teens on Glee wear these black and gold outfits in the season three episode “On My Way,” and they look really cool. If the outfits were simply black suits and black dresses, it would still look sophisticated, but the pop of gold makes them stand out.
Gold is a very powerful color, and it always makes someone look even more fabulous than they already are, so it makes perfect sense that it would be used on a fun TV show like Glee that celebrates individuality and being yourself.
The Lady Gaga Outfits
Lady Gaga is one of the most famous singers out there and it’s definitely because of two things: her gorgeous voice… and her incredibly daring fashion sense. These outfits from the Lady Gaga tribute on Glee (from the season one episode “Theatrically”) made number six on this list.
The gang sings “Bad Romance” and, later, Rachel sings “Poker Face,” but the crazy outfits stand out even more than the beautiful singing. The characters are wearing versions of Gaga’s outfits, and they look awesome. It takes guts to pull this off and they have the courage for sure.
Rachel’s Preppy Outfits (Tied)
Rachel is known for her preppy clothing and these two outfits are some of her very best, making them both take the number five spot on this list of the best outfits on Glee.
In the picture on the left, Rachel’s decked out in a matching outfit: a red shirt under a red and white checkered vest and a red skirt with a bow on it. The bow makes the outfit feel much more special. In the photo on the right-hand side, Rachel’s got a fun blue, grey, and purple vest over a white blouse. While not everyone can pull off vests, especially incredibly preppy ones, this character definitely looks amazing.
Blaine’s Grey Striped Look
Kurt and Blaine Anderson’s (Darren Criss) relationship is a big part of Glee and a well-developed pairing as well. And both characters are also super stylish.
Taking the number four spot on this list is Blaine and his preppy striped grey sweater. While another character might simply wear this, he’s paired it with a grey bow tie, which is so fashionable.
The Michael Jackson Episode
Glee pays homage to many artists over the course of the show, and in the season three episode when the characters sing several Michael Jackson songs, including “Smooth Criminal,” they also wear these awesome outfits.
While everyone looks trendy and cool, it’s fair to say that Blaine steals the show in his black polo shirt, yellow pants, and white jacket. The red and navy stripes on the jacket take it to another level, too.
Rachel’s Schoolgirl Outfit
Coming in at number two on our list is Rachel’s schoolgirl-inspired outfit. This is classic Rachel since sometimes, she can be a bit of a goody-two-shoes. Okay, she’s always a goody-two-shoes. But that’s her charm, right?
While this wouldn’t be such an exciting outfit if Rachel was simply wearing her white blouse and plaid skirt, the addition of the yellow sweater makes it so much better. It’s fun but not too wild, and it’s perfect for this character.
Rachel’s Reindeer Sweater
In the fifth season episode “Opening Night,” Rachel wears her trademark plaid skirt but this time, she’s paired it with a forest-green sweater with two white reindeers on it. While this sweater might be a bit divisive and some might think that it’s too adorable, we think that it earns the number one spot on our list of the best outfits on Glee.
After all, a TV show that features tons of musical numbers and is about teenagers expressing themselves should feature some great fashion, and that’s exactly what’s going on here. Rachel is proud of who she is and ready to be fully herself, reindeer sweater and all. She’s a sweet person, but a bit intense and innocent at the same time. And this outfit reflects that.
