YOUR FAVORITE MTV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

'The Hills' Girls Made 'California Cool' Fashionable Everywhere, Experts Say

Magazine editors weigh in on the West Coast style that Lauren Conrad and friends popularized.

The ladies of "The Hills" have left their mark on pop culture. Not only were they ratings darlings, but these impeccably groomed princesses of SoCal inspired women to tune in and take notes on how to create their own California fairy tale. From their stylish jobs to their frequent shopping trips and club outings, LC, Kristin and their friends have been influencing viewers' fashion for the past six seasons.

"[The show] hyped a certain kind of California cool style that the rest of the world hadn't seen," Nylon digital director Faran Krentcil told MTV News. "One that combined cheap cotton dresses with Chanel bags, and stacked friendship bracelets alongside Tiffany jewelry. These were young women mixing their own favorite things with what fashion magazines (and the East Coast style establishment) told them was cool, and they had the same kind of influence that Nicole Richie's boho-luxe style had."

Seventeen magazine's entertainment director Carissa Rosenberg Tozzi emphasized the impact Lauren Conrad has had on women. "Every girl, no matter what age, anyone from 12-35 was practically emulating her style," Tozzi told MTV News. "It landed her on the covers of magazines. Girls wanted to look like her, be her, dress like her. She was such an influence during the time she was on 'The Hills.' You couldn't deny that she was a huge influence on pop culture. Everybody was talking about her style. She was the girl next door -- that perfect combination people always say, girls want to be friends with her, guys want to date her. She just had it all."

"It popularized the mix-and-match movement that makes it OK to throw a Juicy Couture T-shirt underneath a Miu Miu blazer," added Krentcil. "And though girls in New York City were doing this too, Lauren Conrad and her comrades were doing it with tons of color! Before 'The Hills,' it was kind of assumed that you should wear black with pops of color if you wanted to look sexy or cool. They gave more options -- in colors that used to be for tropical drinks only, not dresses and shoes. And they made it 'acceptable' to buy a $300 T-shirt."

Fashion designer Richie Rich acknowledged the show's impact on youth culture, but not so much on the fashion industry as a whole. "I think 'The Hills' was a fun impact fashion-wise on the youth of our culture," Rich told MTV News. "I don't really think it made a huge statement fashion-wise, other then rich girls shopping. I think it also proved that celebs just putting their names on products doesn't always mean it's fashion. I think the catfights were the highlight for sure!"

Star magazine fashion and beauty director Tara Kraft said she is confident the ladies will continue to be major style and beauty influencers beyond the show's run, particularly since several of them are now deeply involved in the industry.

"Lauren Conrad not only designed her own line for Kohl's, but was the face of Mark., Avon's sister brand. She repped their beauty line and also collaborated on a line of accessories with the company," Kraft pointed out. "Whitney Port is also a fashion designer. Her line Whitney Eve has become quite popular. Audrina Patridge was just tapped as a new face for the line Bongo; Kristin Cavallari was a model for the fashion line Op."

Tozzi equates the impact of "The Hills" to that of "Sex and the City."

"Their style really set trends," she explained. "The difference between what they did and what 'Sex and the City' did: Nothing that [the 'Hills' girls] wore was so over the top; everything they wore was accessible. You never felt that the choices, the kind of clothes they wore would make you feel weird wearing them. You weren't making some crazy statement; you were just sort of looking good. It was all about looking pretty and put together. "

So who is next in line to inherit the fashion-forward throne from the cast of "The Hills"?

"I don't know, I'm curious to see what is next," Tozzi said. "There always will be a next."

What show will influence your style now that "The Hills" is ending? Talk about it in the comments.

Join MTVNews.com on Tuesday, July 13, at 8 p.m. ET for a live stream from the red carpet of Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel, where the stars will gather for "The Hills Live: A Hollywood Ending." Then tune in for the series finale at 10 p.m. ET on MTV and "The Hills Live: A Hollywood Ending After Show" at 11.

Latest News