Saturday

5 style icons that I just don't "get"

You know the ones. They pepper the pages of every glossy magazines. They are papped in a plain t shirt and jeans yet still hailed for their "effortless chic". They have designer bags, shoes, hairstyles named after them. Everyone is starry-eyed for this chicas. Yet you're sat there thinking "What's all the fuss about?".

Well, I have a number of these. Let's start the countdown... (Insert Countdown ticking here)

5. Olivia Palermo

Yep, she's pretty. She seems a very nice, sweet girl. I have absolutely nothing against her. I just don't understand what the big deal is.

Take the photo above. This is the first image I found of her on a Google image search. To me, that is a rather bland- even unsightly- shapeless dress teamed with a distinctly so-so bag, forgettable shoes and unexciting accessories.

It's not that I don't like her style, it just doesn't excite me.

4. Dita von Teese


Ah, Dita. Beautiful Dita. As a rule, I actually love her clothes. However, I'm looking at style icons and, to me, that means the whole package. My problem with Dita is her face. That sounds a lot meaner than I planned. Let me explain: She is a burlesque artiste. Burlesque should be fun, flirtatious and comedic. Dita doesn't exude any of these things. She is very graceful, very poised, very elegant and just very...blah. With her perfectly coiffed hair and immaculate lipstick, she feels a bit bland. I like my style icons to have a bit more spunk.

3. Kate Moss

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it's the whole "effortless" thing getting me again. Effortless appears to be a synonym for "this is quite a boring look, and one that millions of girls can replicate using items already existing in their wardrobes, but because this one is famous, we'll pretend it's incredible". It's not thate there's anything wrong with her style, there's just no substance to it.

2. Lady Gaga

So now we swing in the complete opposite direction. Yes, I like kooky. I like girls who take a risk with their style. I like people who wear what truly represents them... but a lobster stuck to your face? Is that truly who you are? Did anyone really walk around school aged 15 and lament the fact that societal rules state you can't wear an entire solar system sprouting out of your barnet?

It just seems a little desperate to me. Make waves with your talent, not your ability to don a whole toy shop. At least she's never boring...

1. Alexa Chung

Ok, I admit it. I'm holding a bit of a grudge here. I can't get over her frankly disrespectful Popworld piece on AFI. (You can watch it here but I won't join you as it makes me so angry I want to throw the laptop across the room).

There is more to it than that, though. Alexa Chung is praised fashion-world-wide as the poster girl for casual-indie-festival style. Yet I can't help feeling I've seen it all before. The ombre hair, the pretty dresses and parkas, the ankle socks... It's all very Brick Lane. I'll accept that I do like some pieces she wears but, on the whole, it's just very emulated. Maybe she started it, I don't know. But when there are a thousand other girls jostling you out of V Festival with their parka-adorned elbows and denim-shorts-and-wellies combos, it's time to shake things up a bit. Crawl out of that rut and make an impact. It's getting boring.

So, there we have it, my 5 top style icons that I just don't get. I will balance this out with a post specifically about my fashion icons. I think you'll have already guessed that these are mostly ladies (and a gent) that like to make a statement without raiding a rubber chicken factory. Until next time.

11 comments :

  1. Awesome post idea, Becky. :) I might have to post about this myself, if you don't mind me borrowing your idea (I'll link back, of course)!

    I agree with most of what you've said, although Dita Von Tease and Kate Moss are two people that I personally find very inspirational.

    As far as Kate Moss goes, I can see where you're coming from. However, a lot of her grunge and late 90's editorials and whatnot were pretty groundbreaking. She's not really known for her recent stuff.

    Dita Von Tease is awesome imo -because- she's not your average burlesque pinup. She's got a dark twist to her style that I think makes her kind of unique in her genre. Her style t me is comedic because it's ironic, but that's just m opinion. :)

    Again, Great post!

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  2. hihihihihih this was so interesting and I musta dmit I agree with most of these facts,love your blog ,im folower

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  3. Hi I just discovered your blog and I think it's amazing! Love the photos :)
    Check out my blog, I always follow back my lovely readers :)
    http://mayasfashioncorner.blogspot.com/

    Xoxo, Maya <3

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  4. I will always like Dita Von Tease but the rest are just BORING. I wouldn't know them in the street to be honest

    http://kittyonadumpster.blogspot.com/

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  5. Ahaha, I'm surprised you haven't gotten stick from Alexa lovers for this! I'm inclined to agree. I think explaining WHY these people are style icons is opening a very large can of worms and may be best left for sociology experts.
    My style icons tend to be a little less obvious - usually the lady on the street that carries her bag in a certain way, or tucks her shirt differently.
    X

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  6. "A lobster stuck to your face - is that really who you are?" I can't stop laughing... Though I ADORE Gaga! She's got talent I think, just listen to her when she sings with nothing but a piano.

    Great blog, very funny post.

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  7. Hahahahahah! I love the way you write! I never got any of these women. I'm waiting for Gaga to shock the world by wearing a proper dress one day.

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  8. oh my God I equally cannot understand the Alex's hype- it's all so bland and done before, and I watched a programme she hosted with Ben Elton (and written by him) and she destroyed it- even Ben have her the look of death .
    another hate of mine is jamilia jameel!

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  9. This is amazing! Honest yet polite at the same time. I LOVE it and it's lovely seeing things in your perspective as I agree with most of them.

    Huzzah for great posts!

    xoxo,
    Nat
    modernbuttercup.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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