There is something beyond their outfit that draws us to “it girls.” When Kate Moss throws on black jeans and a plain white tee, we drool, we decide that her style is impeccable and we immediately try to recreate the outfit. What we’re left with of course is a sloppy tee, plain pants and a decidedly bland look. Clearly, we are missing the secret “it factor.” But what is “it” and how can we get it?
Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Alexa Chung, Anna Wintour, Anna Dello Russo — what do they have in common? These are all people who are, pardon our French, out of fucks to give. They are unabashedly themselves, with big personalities that have to be worn with confidence. They’re people who don’t apologize for being themselves, people who aren’t dictated by PR or social media rules. They don’t live in fear of being on the worst-dressed list because they know whatever they wear will eventually end up on the cover of every fashion magazine. They don’t follow the trends; they set them.
Anna Wintour doesn’t give a shit because she’s made it very clear she is the queen of all queens. Her personal style changes as frequently as cartoon characters’ outfits in the 1990s, yet each accessory she dons has become a fashion mainstay. Wintour sets trends worldwide with her choices in each issue of the fashion bible, Vogue. When criticisms about Wintour’s demeanor have come out, with the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” being largely based on her, Wintour has stood her ground and never apologized for being the hard-working, powerful woman that she is. And that’s why she became a legend, because she changed the fashion industry while never changing herself.
Anna Dello Russo is a very different Anna. She’s recognizable as the woman who wore an enormous strawberry on her head to a fashion show and worked out in Dolce & Gabbana. She is also editor-in-chief of Vogue Japan, but she is the opposite of Wintour. At the end of the day we look to her for the innovative style she puts on her body rather than the pages of her magazine. Yet both make it work.
Despite radically different styles, these women wear their personality like a statement necklace. Cara Delevingne is stylish because of the faces she makes, and Rihanna is the only person who can pull off talon-length nails without looking trashy. They aren’t looking for approval because the only opinion that matters is their own. This is why Miley Cyrus is not at the it-girl status; although she may wear crazy clothing and attract attention, what she boils down to is a girl screaming at the world to approve of her “self-actualization.” We sense that, and we turn away because we look up to women who never shy away from the power that they yield. We admire that and therefore want to emulate these women. The easiest way to do this is through style and the most stylish thing you can wear is self-confidence.
Wear whatever the fuck you want. If that means you wear nothing but white tees, go for it. If it means you rock a pair of 5-inch heels to class in the middle of the polar vortex or your jacket is so studded it weighs more than you do, good for you. Don’t second guess yourself, don’t ask how it looks and don’t wear it for anyone but yourself. An it-girl’s style is so much more than clothes, because confidence is the kind of style you can’t buy.