In all my years of watching different cartoon powerhouses, I’ve been blessed enough to have seen some of the most stylish animated characters to have ever graced tv screens; and display omnipresent ways of how to “put that shit on”. Some of the most brilliant representations of personal style for a non-fictional character have been permanently etched in my mind, but not only can I say that these cartoon characters in the list had some of the best styles, but they also heavily influenced my personal style as well. 

1. Ed, Edd, and Eddy

The first show I want to sound off on is Ed and boys from Ed, Edd, and  Eddy.

From the baggy jeans with the perfect stack, mixing and blending all the right patterns they showed me early on that they were in a lane of their own. These guys by far had some of the most dope styles compared to many of the cartoons I’ve seen. They showed me that you didn’t always have to match every piece in an outfit or even have to be your exact size.

2. Rocket Power

Otto, Twister, Sam, and Reggie from Rocket Power are the next group of characters that had the most laid-back style among most cartoons because they meshed it with their lifestyles. They were all rambunctious athletes with a bit of leisure mixed in.

It was like they weren’t even trying to be fashionable but were still able to assemble the waviest ensemble. I love how they would layer basketball jerseys over t-shirts and wear the baggiest shorts imaginable. I even liked the egregious pattern pants they would wear with the most obscure prints and colors. These guys definitely knew what they were doing even if they were unaware of it.

3. Daria

The dynamic duo of Daria and Jane from the show “Daria”  made thrifted outfits look iconic because there was never any sign of overarching try hardness.

What I loved most from this show were all the random miscellaneous vintage tees that the two sported. They made thrifting cool before it was a fad and always made it look easy.

4. Code name kids next door

Numbas 1-5 all rocked a unique steeze that would be by todays standards fashion memes.

It’s hard to deny how fashion-forward this group was, they were creating waves while other people were swimming in them like come on Numba 3 who was mixing the Rick Owens ramones with Vetements before it was a thing. Numba 1 always had a crispy pair of butters on his feet with the Tom Ford sunglasses, that man was so cool he even rocked them in the dead of night. Some people need to pay their respects to the originators.

5. Dexter’s Laboratory

Not only was Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory was genius in the lab, but he was also a genius when it came to this fashion ting.

It is clear as day that prior to Dexters devoting his time and efforts to his scientific studies, he use to work at Maison Margiela which is why he still sports the signature lab coat to this day. Dexter among other characters showed tasteful ways of exuding flair and variety even in an everyday outfit.

6. Hey Arnold!

Arnold and the gang from “Hey Arnold!”, the level of confidence that these people to get up and just throw on what came to their mind is something anybody can take notes from. 

I definitely have to take the time to big up Arnold for having the guts to pay homage to his Scottish roots by rocking the kilt in a way that even Alexander Mcqueen himself would blush, while living in one of the roughest and toughest neighborhoods of Brooklyn in the 90s is no easy feat.

7. Doug

“Doug” is another show that had a huge impact on me but not just in fashion but in how I stylize my art. The heavy use of colors and patterns is something that has been engraved into my visual language in the way I like to paint because it can be used as a powerful explosion of expression.

8. Rugrats

Out of all the Rugrats Chucky by a longshot had the waviest swag. His style was so goofy and unstructured it really made him stand out, like the untied shoes, wild patterns, and wild hair all screamed skater punk. Some of the other guys like Angelica, Susie, and Kimi were trendsetters with their unique hairstyles and the use of colors was a sight to behold.

9. As told by Ginger

I’m not going to lie this show was a pretty odd one if I must say, but the swag was on another level. From the accessories characters wore to the layering of garments, it more than made up for the weirdness of the show. What I appreciated the most was attention to detail like elongated sleeves on hoodies and shirts matched the sloppiness of some of the character’s personalities.

10. The Wild Thornberrys

There were so many different styles clustered into this show it was a lot to take in at one time. You had Donnie; the only kid in the jungle with no shirt and Versace shorts, you had Deborah with her grunge nirvana-esk emo gaze. Then you had Nigel with a super utilitarian loadout that had a pocket for every bump on your face. Then you had the lovely Marianne with Patagonia essentials and a red head tie and you cant forget Donnie and Eliza with the calm vintage Guess pieces.