Since its debut last fall, Gossip Girl has always been more than a TV series about its overt subject - Manhattan private-school students.

The real star is Gossip Girl fashion.

The show's primary viewership of teenagers and young women tune in not only for the plots, but also to render judgment on the clothes.

The extravagant wardrobes — a clash of piped blazers, tiny kilts, dueling plaids and festoons of jewelry — have inspired countless posts on Gossip Girl fan sites, and magazine features about the style choices of Gossip Girl characters.

Now the show’s sense of style is having a broader impact, in the retail marketplace. Merchants, designers and trend consultants say that Gossip Girl, which returns September 1, has boosted interest in their products considerably.

In other words, just in time for back-to-school shopping!

Fans stride into boutiques bearing magazine tear sheets that feature members of the Gossip Girl cast and ask for their exact outfits.

Or they order scoop-neck tops and hobo bags by following e-commerce links from the official site's Gossip Girl fashion section.

“The show has had a profound influence on retail,” said Stephanie Solomon, the fashion director for Bloomingdale’s, adding that it appeals not just to teenagers but also to women in their 20s.

Continue reading in the New York Times ...

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.