The “It” Girl
By Olivia Jaber
They repeatedly grace the covers of high fashion magazines like Vogue, walk the runways dressed by designers, and parade around the Parisian streets during Fashion Week. These icons have just as many cameras following them, if not more, when they walk the streets in their own style, as they do when they have designer couture on. The fascination following “it” girls never ceases. Because “it” girls are always the hot topic as they make every headline, it’s no wonder girls like me feel connected in some capacity to women like Kaia Gerber and Hailey Baldwin. Don’t get me wrong— there is definitely a level of unattainability revolving around these drop-dead gorgeous women. However, there is also something relatable, when you see your favorite style icon dawning a pair of vintage Levis and cowboy boots down the street. Social media has made these women so accessible to the rest of us. To an extent, we feel like we know them. In turn, designers rely on them to promote their brands and inspire them, while young women like me, look to them via Instagram, magazines, and Vogue videos to catch a glimpse of what’s in their bags and where they might find their favorite vintage. These icons mesmerize the public, giving us a glimpse into their chaotic, fashion-crazy lifestyles, and allowing the rest of the world to get to know them through their social media and personal style. Today, the meaning of icon has evolved alongside technology— truly anyone has the ability to become iconic if they have a following and a creative streak.
Part of what makes my personal style icons so relatable is their ability to ebb and flow with their own personal style. While a red carpet gown might seem out of reach for a girl like me, a street style look they wear out to a casual dinner is attainable and refreshing. These style icons are able to fit so many styles into one girl. It’s reassuring, inspiring, and intriguing, in that most “it” girls have a specific style they project. With that being said, amid this brand they’ve created, most of them also leave space for experimentation and excitement. Every time I see a classic outfit, I absolutely fawn over it. But every time I see Camille Charriere put a spin on “classic French girl” meets “high-fashion New Yorker,” I get inspired. My brain starts planning out similar outfit ideas— I head to my notepad, making sure to screenshot and save the image for future reference.
That is the beauty of personal style— you can be inspired by so many different people, from classic all-American, to high fashion “it” girl, to southern-belle, to effortlessly French, and beyond. With an industry as fluid as fashion, it can be challenging to discover yourself on your own— that is precisely why icons draw such intrigue. They influence and excite you, giving you the confidence to change your persona by day, providing the ultimate escape, or helping in establishing a rapport. Whether your icons inspire you because you relate to them, or they inspire you because you idolize and want to become like them, one thing is for sure— they’ve tapped into a world where you can see yourself.
Although the icons of the world are artists for the styles they rock, the real artists are the everyday women who take what they see in storefront windows, magazines, and their Instagram feed, and develop their own brand. Finding inspiration in both past and present icons, it is apparent that style transcends across decades and countries. This is probably because fashion isn’t merely about clothing— it’s about the woman in the clothing— her personality, confidence, and charisma. For example, Princess Diana is an icon that we still look to today as a source for inspiration. Cindy Crawford is another timeless example. Though the two icons are quite distinct, they have a certain elegance in common, no matter the outfit they’ve been photographed in.
Style is unique in that it is intimate and personal, but it is also quite social. How our icons express themselves allow us to feel like we know them better, and how we decide to express ourselves gives us more insight into who we are as women. It does more than that, though. Icons connect seemingly distinct and unalike women together in good faith that if you’ve got good style, you’ve just got it, and we’re going to admire it, covet it, and take mental notes. We’ve all been fascinated by a random woman walking down the street. Her style’s caught our attention— we’re wondering who she is, what she does, and where she’s going— most importantly, where in the world did she get her blouse? Maybe she’s completely put together— or perhaps she’s rocking tousled hair, denim that fits her all too well, with a cashmere sweater tied to her bag. After all, my personal style icons include both several well-known names as well as random women I might spot on the street on any given day or that I find randomly scrolling through Instagram. That’s the beauty of the “it” girl—she can inspire anyone. She’s rare in that she’s tapped into something magnificent yet she’s common in her favorability. Realizing that these icons, whoever they are, are continually evolving and changing, never staying in the boundaries when it comes to fashion, has relieved pressures I’ve faced while grappling with the need to define and cultivate my style. Inspired by both the new and the old, you can develop a personal brand, without committing to it wholeheartedly.
Whether you feel like being grunge, or sporting tweed inspired by Jackie O, or you’re thriving off of Mick Jagger, but loving the simplicity of Jane Birkin, or are energized by the girl catching her taxi, style’s fluidity bridges gaps between personal brands and unifies women working towards emulating and figuring out who they are. This fluidity justifies your desire to rock that oversized blazer while, at other times, choosing a western boot to complete the fit. It justifies you calling an Instagram influencer an icon while also referring to Kate Middleton as one, too. And despite fashion’s fluidity, certain constants do remain— individual stylistic choices that allow you to maintain your movement across the spectrum. These constants allow us, women, to put our trust and intrigue into the icons we love. The visionary, the suspension of reality— the ability to imagine a new life solely based on a photo you’ve seen in a magazine— doesn’t happen without a level of trust. And this trust comes from that creative, intellectual place, of the woman you admire— her choice to wear a particular outfit that day, and either adhere to it for the rest of her life or repeatedly change it up. When she continually makes it work and always makes you want to shop what she is wearing, the icon has done something exceptional. When she is constantly talked about, wondered about, and driving the visionary behind next season’s ensembles, she has created a possibility, a new opportunity, a new vision for the next “it” girl to either grow on top of or diverge from altogether. This just in— we put trust in our icons to lead the way, and so, it’s true that the “it” girl does power the fashion industry. In fact, the “it” girl just so happens to have the final say.
Photo via Pinterest
