Photo: Ben Watts for Lucky Magazine

“Before the show I dressed like a homeless person. I used to buy everything at garage sales. It was hard to give up! I’d be like, ‘But this crazy sweater is amazing, and it only cost 25 cents!’”

–Leighton Meester to Lucky on her thrifty pre-Gossip Girl wardrobe. With Blair Waldorf and the other Upper East Siders (and of course, that lowly Brooklynite Dan) going on a permanent Hamptons holiday after next season (sobbing, btw) will Leighton be returning to her hobo ways? Heavens no! “I’ve learned from Blair,” she says. “Now I like to pepper in something designer with my usual stuff.”

…And maybe the occasional headband?