September is upon us, which means ‘Gilmore Girls’ is trending on TikTok again
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While fall doesn’t officially begin until Sept. 23, Gilmore Girls fans have already kick-started their annual rewatch routine of the hit series, which for many is synonymous with cooler weather, cozy knits and falling leaves.
Amy Sherman-Palladino’s Gilmore Girls debuted nearly 23 years ago on the WB, on Oct. 5, 2000, to the tune of 5.03 million viewers — and while the fast-talking, pop-culture-entrenched series enjoyed seven seasons during its original run, in recent years it’s ushered in a new generation of doting fans, largely due to the advent of streaming.
In fact, Nielsen’s year-end streaming rankings, obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, lists Gilmore Girls, which is currently available on Netflix, as the ninth-most streamed show of 2022, with 20.8 billion minutes viewed. In 2022, the mother-daughter series was also the second-favorite show for women between the ages of 18 and 34, behind Grey’s Anatomy, which speaks to the continued gravitation toward nostalgic, “classic” television.
An exclusive look into the show’s fall fashion
Like many shows of its time, Gilmore Girls was actually shot on a soundstage in Burbank, Calif., instead of on location in Connecticut (the site of Stars Hollow, the fictional town where the series takes place). An arguably defining characteristic of the series is its cozy, fall feel. Ensuring that the characters’ clothes were reflective of the changing seasons, despite being filmed in one of the country’s hottest cities, was at times a tricky feat, according to Valerie Campbell (@valeriescateyescream), a key set costumer during the show’s original run and costume supervisor during its 2016 reboot, A Year in the Life. Campbell has provided exclusive details on how the series navigated dressing its stars in thick garments in sunny California.
“The show was iconic as it highlighted the changes in seasons while being shot in Burbank, which could get quite hot. It was my job to make sure the actors stayed cool when they were wearing all the heavy layers,” Campbell, who’s garnered a following on TikTok thanks to her insider Gilmore content, told In The Know by Yahoo via email. “The moment they’d call cut we’d pull their heavy jackets, gloves, hats off and then right before the cameras rolled, we’d have to match them exactly as they had them.”
Maintaining wardrobe continuity as they moved down the shot list was one of Campbell’s chief responsibilities.
“My job was to deal with the continuity, making sure all the clothes matched from scene to scene. I spent a great deal of time with the actors. We would shoot 14+ hour days daily on average. 18-hour days were the norm as every word had to be perfect,” she added.
In fact, a sartorial aesthetic recognized as “dark academia,” which, according to American clothing retailer Boohoo, is “a romanticisation of studying and going back to school or university, typically popular during colder, gloomier months,” sees Rory Gilmore as one of its biggest style inspirations.
Searches on Pinterest for “Rory Gilmore sweater,” the cream-colored cable-knit one she wore throughout the first season, were at 910% in the last three months, Boohoo reported. On TikTok, “the past six months alone” have also “seen interest in ‘Rory Gilmore aesthetic’ surge 402%.”
But for Gen Z-ers, fashion is the cherry on top of an already compelling show. Younger Gilmore Girls fans can be found en masse on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where they create, customize and post content — ranging from their candid thoughts on characters to clips of them lip-syncing memorable pieces of dialogue — that can reach members of the fandom across the globe.
Why Gen Z-ers love the ‘Gilmore’ women
Dana Anderson (@documentingdana), a college student and self-proclaimed diehard Gilmore Girls fan who’s previously gone viral on TikTok thanks to her “Gilmore-coded” content, believes the show is a hit with her generation because of its timelessness and continued relatability.
“At least in my experience with getting into GG, my mom had seen the show previously and wanted to share the show with me,” Anderson told In The Know by Yahoo via Instagram. “The best friend dynamic between mother Lorelai and daughter Rory is something that I believe a lot of mothers/daughters want to experience with each other, and watching the show acts as a means to achieve that. GG helped make my mom and I even closer than before — so much so that we got matching dragonfly tattoos to represent the Dragonfly Inn!”
As for why Anderson thinks Gilmore Girls is especially popular in autumn? It’s because the season encompasses the show’s “overall aesthetic,” she said.
“Small-town Stars Hollow, warm cups of coffee, the symbolism of snow, Luke’s iconic flannels, etc. all provide a cozy, comfortable aesthetic for the show,” she explained. “These aspects create a sense of comfort, which a lot of people tend to lean into once it starts getting chillier outside!”
Anderson isn’t alone in thinking this. In fact, ever since September rolled around, Gilmore Girls fans, both new and old, have flocked to TikTok to document how the show is helping them transition into the chillier, moodier months.
On Sept. 2, for instance, TikTok creator @tmunoz626 shared their “practice proposal” at the iconic Stars Hollow gazebo, a filming location that is accessible by way of the Warner Bros. studio tour.
Gilmore Girls Shop (@thestarshollowshop) posted a video on Sept. 3 that consists of tips on “How to have a Gilmore Girls inspired FALL.” Embarking on a trip to Stars Hollow-esque small towns like Savannah, Ga., along with investing in some autumn-scented candles were among their suggestions.
Of course, visiting the exact film set is a location-based luxury and isn’t the only way fans of the show are celebrating the start of Gilmore Girls season. Several Gen Z creators have also taken to TikTok to showcase their autumn decorating regimens at home. Some have even chosen this fall to watch the show for the very first time.
“I’m personally drawn to Gilmore Girls because of its relatability,” Anderson added. “It depicts a very realistic experience of a girl growing up. The biggest worries for Rory are getting into college, fixing things with a boy, drama with her grandparents, etc. which are common big worries for girls who are growing up. I think a lot of girls feel parallels to Rory.”
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