All It has an innate taste that is less ingrained than effortless, taste is the currency of women, traded in clothes, interiors and places to get Short break. It sounds superficial and frivolous – it is superficial and frivolous – but our choices and our desires, what we desire versus what we give up, have a lot to do with who we are and what we give up. Our senses are integral to our selves. The patriarchy (again not him!) would have you believe it’s all superficial, but it’s pure and simple self-expression. Fashion goes through stages, and your personal style, your vision of it, is your everyday art form. Never underestimate the power of a perfect fit.
Girls do tend to look alike aesthetically, but I’m not even bothered by the fact that this list is mostly white, mostly blonde, and mostly thin. There are exceptions to this holy trinity as we move from the Its of the past to the Its of the present. Modern it reflects our broad ideas of intoxicating vibrancy; white, gold and slim have been the default for far too long. The
It prefix is not destructive, but it is restrictive. It girls want to transcend their It-ness, just like funny guys want to be seen as very sexy. (I’m calling Dr. Floyd already, don’t worry.) It-girl careers are incidental to their aura, which sounds reductive, but who among us wouldn’t Want to be engaging? It’s the poisonous holy grail most of us would sip if we could. People are obsessed with my je ne sais quoi? Register me.
The culture has shifted. We were on the air all the time and were famous in our small circle of friends and followers. Once measured in page six column inches, those nebulous It qualities are more likely to be counted in likes. I wonder if the idea of a Big It girl is dying, fading from view like the Northern Lights? As people promote themselves, as personal success becomes less and less dependent on mass mainstream appeal, I can’t help but wonder: Are we post-lag?
