The Lives of The Party, By The Years

Designed by Yasmin Mustefa

It’s a party girl summer, as artists like Charli XCX have declared, which means a resurgence of degeneracy, lightheartedness and vapid fun in pop culture. While parties themselves have surely evolved, women have defined style movements and popular sentiments since their creation, exuding influence and individuality on the dancefloor. From Depression-era jazz clubs to now-global Boiler Room DJ sets, here are seven of the most influential eras for the “party girl,” and how they defined cultural discourse for years to come.

Roaring ‘20s

Clara Bow, the first proclaimed “it-girl,” epitomized early flapper culture with her fringey art-deco embellished dresses and popularization of the choppy bob, allowing for movement as well as artistic expression. However, Bow vocalized the early struggles of the party lifestyle, saying in the 1926 film “Dancing Mothers,” “All the time the flapper is laughing and dancing, there’s a feeling of tragedy underneath. She’s unhappy and disillusioned, and that’s what people sense.” This sentiment resonated in works like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” which first explored the complex phenomenon of letting loose amidst inner strife. Bow’s legacy is confident, sexual and charismatic, inspiring women throughout the last century.

Studio 54

Forty years later, the legacy of the Roaring ‘20s continued at New York’s Studio 54, a club that operated between 1977 and 1980. It was a place that celebrated hedonism and opulence. Club regular and performer Diana Ross emulated what it meant to be the life of the party, providing the quintessential disco soundtrack and iconoclastic fashion to match. From crystal-embellished headpieces and feathered tops to ripped tees and white fur coats, Ross’ elevated versatility influenced successors like ‘80s stars Madonna and Janet Jackson to embrace danceability and whimsy in popular culture.

Eve Babitz

On the West Coast,  the California lifestyle swept into the party scene. Los Angeles writer Eve Babitz chronicled the counterculture years and their aftermath in the ‘60s and ‘70s in her semi-fictionalized autobiographies. Her descriptions of drug-induced revelations at Chateau Marmont or late-night hauntings of the Beverly Hills Hotel elaborated on the juxtaposition between grappling with external futility and attempting to find escape in an urban metropolis. Eve’s writings cut through the surface and explored the grittiness of a party’s birth and aftermath. Writer Annie Fell wrote of Babitz in Forever Magazine: “She was glamorous, but she also recognized the dirty work that being beautiful required.” This sultry and candid view of LA made Babitz a muse for modern artists like Lana Del Rey, who frequently explores the dichotomy between California’s beachy mindset and the debauchery that manifests within. 

Sex and the City

Though “Sex and the City” protagonist Carrie Bradshaw may have been fictional, her impact on the romanticization of New York as the world’s greatest party is undeniable, as well as her style-bending looks along the way. Portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker, Bradshaw’s wardrobe was anything but predictable. She was unafraid of mixing loud patterns and often repurposed vintage pieces. She embodied the spontaneity and creativity that creates an it-girl through unorthodox choices. Just look at her iconic Hamptons party outfit, featuring a striped red skirt, snake-printed bandeau and straw pink cowboy hat (somehow all at once). Overall, Bradshaw’s cable TV reign inspired a generation to take risks in fashion and life.

McBling 

McBling? That’s hot. The Y2K movement, if nothing else, showed the fashion world the importance of not taking itself too seriously. Pop culture icons Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie embodied this spirit, donning Juicy tracksuits, low-rise patterned skirts and cheeky graphic tanks during their time on “The Simple Life.” Flaunting status, wealth and beauty in an extreme way, the Y2K party girl characterized herself as someone you had to envy. The McBling revival has permeated 2020’s trends, reflecting a yearning for nostalgia, campiness and plain fun integrated into everyday looks.

King Kylie Era/ABH

Reminiscing on the year 2017, certain trademarks come to mind – Adidas superstars, Anastasia Beverly Hills dip brows, and my FOMO of all things Coachella and the “King Kylie” era. Kylie Jenner’s chokehold on the OG Snapchat filters and constant overlined taupe lips marked a singular era that normalized middle schoolers opting for full glam ahead of algebra class (true story, unfortunately). However,  Jenner’s rebellious and street-style aesthetic was synonymous with the new Instagram era of beauty and style, as girls everywhere tried to replicate Jenner’s glam routine in their lives. Building on the sentiment of Y2K, Jenner’s style and subsequent entrepreneurial ventures made looking rich accessible, all the while captivating teens around the world with her young Hollywood exploits and successes.

Charli XCX

If we had to choose today’s most influential IT girl, Charli XCX takes the crown. Influenced by iconic hyperpop artists like SOPHIE and A.G. Cook, her music and fashion reflect a modern sentiment focused on comfortability and self-expression rather than rigidity and constant glam. Often donning loose oversized t-shirts with basic mini skirts, black platform boots and slick polarized sunglasses, Charli’s style is grungy, intuitive and made for spending hours in the club. Overall, Charli’s music reflects the intertwined sadness and ecstasy that she feels are inherent to any party, taking into account the dark and lighthearted to provide a nuanced account of being a “cult classic” party girl for the new generation.