The long-running fantasy series The Vampire Diaries featured many memorable characters. Among the most popular ones was Stefan Salvatore, over a century-old vampire who fell in love with the show's main hero, Elena Gilbert. The two started dating and were happily together for some time before they ended things.
Elena eventually got together with Stefan's older brother Damon but, luckily for him, Stefan also found new love - in Elena's best friend and later vampire, Caroline Forbes. And when he sacrificed his life at the end of the show, Stefan proved that he's not only good looking but also kind-hearted. Let's take a look at his best fashion moments (and a few worst).
BEST: Elegant Stefan
Stefan comes from times in which people were much more focused on the impression they sent out by the choice of clothes. Plus, he was a part of the aristocratic circles so it was a given he would dress elegantly, at least most of the time. Over the course of his long life, Stefan built up a specific style that works for him.
In this type of clothing, you could easily invite him to dinner with your parents and introduce him as your new boyfriend (but rather stay silent about the fact that he's a vampire). Elegant, but not overdoing it, that's Stefan at his best.
WORST: Serious Stefan
While dark colors seem to work for Stefan and do wonders for his sometimes tanned complexion (aren't vampires supposed to be always pale, by the way?), he should always combine them with at least one lighter color. Or he finds himself at risk of looking too harsh and serious, like in this picture.
While we appreciate the few undone buttons giving us a good view of Stefan's collarbone and neck, he'd rock this outfit much better if it was just the tiniest bit cheerful. Then again, Stefan not always does have a lot to smile about, seeing how he has to deal with violent vampires, werewolves and crazy ex-girlfriends.
BEST: Suit-Up!
One Barney Stinson would no doubt wholeheartedly agree with this one but that's a completely different fandom. Moving on... While the secret (and later on in the show, not so secret anymore) vampire conflict ranges on in Mystic Falls, the locals also find time to throw parties and other social events from time to time.
Stefan sometimes attends, sometimes he doesn't, but when he does, he usually looks fabulous in a suit and a tie. Actually, both of the Salvatore brothers rock the more formal style like they were born to wear suits all the time. And while Stefan doesn't seem happy in the photo, it doesn't diminish the fact he looks awesome.
WORST: Scrunched-Up Stefan
We cannot really blame Stefan for dialing it back with his outfits when he's just chilling out in the local Mystic Falls' café... but these clothes should better be kept in the back of his wardrobe. Why? Well, while the colors itself are okay, if not anything to write celebratory poems about, the clothes themselves seem to scrunched-up and messy, like Stefan didn't properly iron them before putting them on.
Granted, he probably doesn't have much time to do chores, since we've probably never seen Stefan scrubbing the dirty floors in The Vampire Diaries, but he should be more careful about what he puts on if he wants to keep impressing the local ladies.
BEST: Jeans Rule
Paul Wesley who plays Stefan in The Vampire Diaries seems to be a pretty fit guy. And with this outfit, Stefan proves that sometimes beauty indeed lies in simpleness. The recipe for the outfit is very simple. It's just a dark t-shirt and blue jeans. But when you combine these two elements together, the result is amazing, at least in Stefan's case.
The colors go together great and Stefan's long legs look even better in the tight jeans. Not to mention that his skin seems to glow in this clothing combo. Honestly, if Stefan was wearing clothes like these all of the time, even more people would probably watch the show.
WORST: Old Fashioned Stefan
Stefan was born in the 19th century and when he was growing up, he also dressed the part. His clothes from this time period, when he was still just a human, may seem overly old fashioned to modern viewers. While some of his outfits from this time do stand the test of time, others just seem quite ridiculous. Like this one, for example.
Brown color suits Stefan, as it has a shade similar to his hair, but the overlarge tie ruins it and makes Stefan look a bit like Charlie Chaplin's predecessor. Not to mention the pattern of the tie, which is just... not a good choice, to put it mildly.
BEST: Sports Star Stefan
Before everything goes to hell and problems of supernatural origin start to pile up in Mystic Falls, shortly after his arrival back to the city Stefan starts going to high school and even joins a local football team a few episodes after the beginning of the show.
He quickly proves to be a talented and excellent player, in large part thanks to his vampire strength and agility, which makes some of his co-players angry but impresses the rest. And Stefan himself is also impressive in the football dress which is one of the most colorful outfits we could have seen on him in the show.
WORST: Homely Stefan
While there's nothing wrong with this outfit, at least on a theoretical level, in real life, it's just too... boring. Stefan seems to play it safe when it comes to his casual outfits, and sometimes, he' just underwhelming, to be honest.
His brother, Damon, seems better at this since he's usually dressed in black when at home and it looks gorgeous with his pale blue eyes. Stefan could learn a lot from his older brother in this area. Then again, there are people who no doubt prefer this type of outfit to anything more adventurous. It's traditional and will probably never die out. Hooray?
BEST: Human Stefan
Selecting this outfit as one of the best ones Stefan put on during the show might seem like a weird choice, but there's actually a reason for it. While there's no doubt that he's worn more elaborate outfits during the run of the show, light colors simply look the best on Stefan, especially when you combine them with another, darker shade. It's interesting to note that before he became a vampire, Stefan used to wear lighter colors much more often.
Stefan usually seems much younger when he dresses in something white, which is a huge help since Paul Wesley was much older in real life than the 17-year-old vampire he was supposed to be.
WORST: Losing To His Brother
In the end, the biggest problem with Stefan's outfits often is that they simply aren't as good as Damon's. The older Salvatore brother is the type of person who usually looks dashing without even trying. Even Damon had his weaker moments, though, to be honest. And when you put the two of them together in one photo, the difference in style is even more obvious.
The colors are similar, so is the type of clothes... But while Damon looks composed, Stefan is a mess. However, as well all know, he's much more than his clothes, as he proved over and over again in the show. That's why people love Stefan, despite his occasional weaker fashion moments.