How To: Dress Like Aria Montgomery

Dear Readers,

When I wrote my post about Spencer Hastings's style, I never assumed it would become my all-time most popular post. There are more PLL fans out there than I originally thought! Spencer might have an army of fans - including myself obviously - but so does Aria! In fact, I received dozens of requests to write about the edgiest of the Liars, and even though I can't say I relate to her style in its entirety, I decided to concede because I think should concede every once in a while if I want to go to heaven.

As opposed to girly Hannah, sporty Emily and preppy Spencer, I find Aria to be the most unpredictable in terms of fashion choices. Granted, she does opt for grungy, tough, rock-inspired garments, but then she surprises everyone by choosing something we'd never imagined on her. Remember the time she appeared in those neon Jeffrey Campbell Dorian sandals? That showed her unpredictability par excellence.

Whilst it's difficult to pin down the style of someone who's so adventurous with the pieces hanging in their closet, we can still note a handful of characteristics that seem to crop up in every episode. Maybe not all of them at one go (thankfully!), but something out of these is always featured on this particular Liar (who I now suspect to be A!)

Motel Cillia Sequin Skater Dress in Black and Nude - Boohoo Carys Chelsea Boot - Boohoo Alice Black PU Jacket

Black: Nine times out of ten, Aria wears black. When it's not black, it's probably a rich, dark colour like burgundy or grey.  She's a tough one. Even her florals tend to be 'darker' ones or set against a dark background.

Lace and Leather: Aria doesn't shy away from texture mixing, especially lace and leather. We've seen her sporting leather jackets quite a few times during the show. I think it's basically one of her signature pieces! Putting lace and leather together is merging soft and tough. Aria is all about that: toughening the stereotypically feminine.

Boots: Aria wears so boots so frequently I can barely recall her wearing something else (excluding those JC shoes, doh!). Whereas combat and military boots seem to be her preferred shoe types, Aria has also worn simpler variations like the heeled ankle boot that can be easily added to most Autumn/Winter outfits.

Boohoo Melissa Floral Cap Sleeve Dress - ASOS Ribbed Over The Knee Socks - Rock 'N Rose Feather Hair Clip - Boohoo Savannah Black Suedette Boot

Hosiery: Loads of it! Knee-highs, thigh-highs, tights, leggings....hosiery is to Aria as blazers are to Spencer! I'm currently going through my hosiery drawer because I'm desperately in need of new pieces. Undoubtedly, this is favourite aspect of Aria's style. Those knee-highs are very warm during Winter too, bonus!

Hair Accessories: The hottest lad on the show, Mr. Jason DiLaurentis (blessed be the Lord!), once remarked that he'll always remember Aria's pink hair streaks. Aria is no stranger to hair accessories: be it her statement Avril-inspired pink hair streaks back in the day or her more recent feather hair clip-ons, Aria certainly knows how to attract attention to her gorgeous locks!

A few weeks ago I received an email from a reader asking me whether it was okay to mix elements of the different Liars's style and I replied with a positive 'go for it!'. As I said, I'm not head over heels with Aria's style myself (even though I always look forward to see what she conjured up this time!), but there are some characteristics I could take and mix with more 'Spencer' style garments. Say, thigh-highs with tailored shorts and a blazer. Or ankle boots with high-rise denim and a lace vest. I like the sound of that.

Since I can't think of a better conclusion, I'm going to end my post randomly by saying that I LOVE Pretty Little Liars, but I want it to be over soon because I can't take not knowing what happened to Ali, who the real A is, and who did what exactly. It's tearing my insides apart. Damn.

-B