Caroline Forbes is the queen bee, Type-A personality bestie of Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett on The Vampire Diaries. Like all of the show's characters, both supernatural and human, Caroline has a very distinctive style. While Elena opts for jewel tones, Caroline can often be seen wearing pastels which flatter her fair skin and blonde hair. Bonnie has a bohemian aesthetic while Caroline leans towards camis with jackets or sweaters, jeans, and floral patterns. She can easily channel her inner glamazon, pulling off breathtaking jeweled gowns courtesy of one Klaus Mikaelson.
Caroline may be 17 forever, but her style evolves over time. She trades in her trendier looks from high school and college for more mature pieces as she becomes a career woman with two girls to raise. Even a perfectionist like Caroline makes mistakes, so here's a look at Caroline's five best outfits and her five worst.
10. Best: Evening Gown For Mikaelsons' Formal Party
When Klaus Mikaelson falls for Caroline, it's not just because he appreciates the woman she is (who he also happens to try to kill twice), but also because he sees so much more in her. Klaus does have an uncanny knack of knowing what appeals to Caroline, including a gown so smashing that she can't resist wearing it, even if it means spending quality time with the Original.
Alberto Makali designed the blue gown Caroline wears to the Mikaelson's ball on season 3's "Dangerous Liaisons". The bodice is covered in silver beading. Her wavy hair is pulled back, leaving tendrils falling to frame either side of her face.
9. Worst: Jackie Kennedy Look
For the '60s decades dance during season 2, Caroline does her best to pay homage to an icon -- Jackie Kennedy. The material of Caroline's pink suit is much cheaper looking than the tweed Chanel knock off worn by the actual first lady.
Not to mention, the only thing this copycat gets right is the color, and Caroline's is darker than the original Pepto-Bismol pink. The real Jackie O's hat matches her suit, and her gloves are white while Caroline opts for black.
8. Best: Senior Prom Dress
Prom night starts out as kind of a bust for Caroline on season 4's "Pictures of You." She finds herself both dateless and dressless since Tyler's on the run from Klaus, and Elena steals Caroline's gown. Caroline turns to the one person in Mystic Falls who has immaculate taste in women's formal wear and always has something smashing on hand that's just Caroline's size -- Klaus.
He comes through in a pinch, and Caroline shows up at her final high school dance in a strapless, ivory, fishtail gown. According to costume designer Leigh Leverett, she wanted to give Caroline a vintage feel, but the dress, designed by Sherri Hill, is new. With Caroline's hair pulled into a low bun adorned with pears, she epitomizes glamour.
7. Worst: '50s Decade Dance
It's pretty hard to screw up a '50s retro look, but this decade dance during season 1 is just the first of several when Caroline can't quite piece together something that works. Caroline's cardigan and poodle skirt should channel Sandra Dee, but her take is a bit too matronly.
Her outfit has a floral theme, but all the embellishment on the sweater is overkill. Maybe if Caroline let her hair down, it would shave a few years off this desperate housewife ensemble, but her golden locks are curled and shaped into an unflattering updo.
6. Best: Wedding Dress
Fans probably thought the Steroline wedding would never happen since the couple kind of had a "Hell" of a time getting down the aisle. Although the couple is ready to tie the knot, the ceremony is a trap set for the deliciously evil but equally elusive Katherine Pierce on season 8's penultimate episode.
But the twosome makes it official, and Caroline is the perfect summer bride in a white ball gown. The full skirt is made of tulle, and the bodice is sleeveless. The whole dress is covered in delicate lace. Caroline opts for a simple headpiece -- a gift from Bonnie -- as opposed to a veil, which would be too formal for the small outdoor ceremony. Caroline's something old? Katherine's daylight necklace that adorns her neck in all those late 19th century flashbacks.
5. Worst: Miss Mystic Falls Costume
One of the regrettable duties of Miss Mystic Falls and her court is to dress in Victorian attire and participate in a parade commemorating the founding of the town. During season 1, the newly-crowned Caroline waves to the crowd looking every bit the Southern Belle.
Her yellow gown has modest but still a bit revealing for daytime according to Antebellum fashion trends. Her elbow-length sleeves are ruched, and her accessories include pear hair clips and gloves. The outfit as a whole is a bit plain and drab for such an elite young lady, and the cut of the gown does nothing to accentuate Caroline's figure.
4. Best: Blush Chiffon Gown
Every year, when Miss Mystic Falls rolls around, Caroline kills it. There's the strapless green formal she wears as a contestant, and the gold fitted lace dress by BCBGMAXAZRIA she rocks on season 4's "My Brother's Keeper." Her best look by far is the pink Monique Lhuillier dress during season 8.
With its plunging neckline and asymmetrical hem, this elegant dress doesn't require any accessories, so Caroline's only adornment is a jeweled barrette holding back her hair behind one ear. All of Caroline's Miss Mystic Fall's looks are so different, and each one shows her evolution from high school mean girl to mother of two.
3. Worst: Founder's Day Party
It's lust at first sight for Caroline when she spies Stefan in the halls of Mystic Falls High School on the pilot, but Stefan only has eyes for Elena. Caroline finds herself charmed, or rather compelled, by Damon Salvatore instead who treats her like an all you can eat buffet.
This explains the long grey scarf and white flower pin she uses to disguise the fang marks around her neck at the Founder's party. The BCBGMAXAZRIA blue strapless dress is too cutesy and too revealing given Caroline is covered in unsightly bites. She throws a knit shrug that resembles a huge doily on to cover some of the evidence.
2. Best: Red Cocktail Dress
The Salvatore brothers are eager to kill Katherine on season 2's "Masquerade," and Caroline has a key role in luring Kat into a trap. Caroline has a flair for drama, and she can't wait to get some payback for Katherine killing her.
Caroline succeeds in pulling off her role of a lifetime, and she looks fabulous doing it. The Sheri Hill red draped mini dress with high, strappy black heels is Caroline's most sophisticated look to date. She even manages to us her vamp strength to take down a compelled Matt without mussing up her long, wavy locks.
1. Worst: Career Mom
Caroline's fairly unblemished fashion record takes a hit when it's revealed she's living in Dallas, TX and working as a television producer. Her professional attire includes a midi chevron top with dark pants and a matching jacket.
There are very few professions where a top that enables others to catch a glimpse of navel is considered appropriate work attire. Maybe it doesn't work because of the abrupt time jump, or because the elements don't come together in a flattering way. Whatever the reason, it's a bad fit.