The New "It-Girl"
Graphic by Carly Witteman.
Image of Devon Lee Carlson courtesy of Instagram.
Imagine the style of someone considered an “it-girl.”
I’m sure that Nike socks with heels, oversized dad t-shirts and unflattering sweat-sets were not the first thing that came to mind, but that’s exactly what the likes of supermodel Bella Hadid and influencer Devon Lee Carlson are wearing today. With a quick scroll through their Instagrams, you become enthralled by the bicoastal city-girl lifestyle they lead and will quickly notice their odd sense of style.
This new it-girl is care-free, dressing in whatever she wants. It looks like she either came from ballet class or just got dressed at a Hollywood tourist shop. The obvious visual reference is the hot, trashy 2000s: think Y2K paparazzi pictures of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. Their iconic paparazzi photos often catch them in velour tracksuits, low-waisted denim and dad-caps.
In a recent Instagram post, Devon posed in a mall bathroom wearing calf-length ballerina shorts, a matching top and face-covering sunglasses. She paired her Louis Vuitton Speedy with various acquired shopping bags. Nothing gets more Y2K than a mall shopping spree.
Although Y2K is on the rise, this style can be attributed to more than these “it-girls” following trends. They’re intentionally dressing ugly, maybe even ironically. There’s a joke and they’re in on it.
Their style isn’t isolated to them: people are starting to catch on. Hadid can take credit for the resurgence of the Adidas Sambas, leg warmers, leather bombers and many other trends. Everything that Devon, Bella, and their circle wear instantly becomes a new wardrobe essential.
It feels like a leap away from industry beauty standards of having to always look put together. Now they’re pitching a style that makes it excusable to look like you’re doing a walk-of-shame on a Tuesday afternoon. So why isn't this new fashion trend very revolutionary at all? Maybe it’s because most “it-girls” still have lighter skin and are tall, skinny and wealthy, but the issue goes beyond that.
This version of the “it-girl” who can be undone and real is only a facade.
The style they propose seems accessible. Their outfits don’t include flashy logos. Cheaper and vintage alternatives seem easily purchasable for those who want to steal their look. These influencers suggest that fashion is no longer only about brand names and status. Hadid wears vintage clothing and thrashed sneakers all the time. It appears accessible … until it isn’t.
Once you put their outfit on, there’s a moment of realization that you still don’t look like them. It’s the classic problem with social media and celebrity-dom; they will always be something you can’t be. As organic as the new “it-girl” looks, it is only as natural as social media and trends can be. Bella and Devon undoubtedly have a great sense of style and are great sources of inspiration for daily dress, yet, there will always be a degree of separation between the celebrity and the rest of “normal” society.
Image of Bella Hadid via Instagram.
What makes Devon and Bella’s style so fascinating and hilarious is their socialite status. The dichotomy between them being dressed-up and runway-ready versus what they post on Instagram is disarming. In a way it’s almost camp, though that adjective gives them too much credit. A “normal person” dressed in “it-girl” clothes has no irony, because you’re wearing average clothes in everyday circumstances. For us it’s not ironic, because we aren’t flying on a private jet or posing for a Burberry campaign.
The irony of their style comes from the absurd excess of their lifestyle. They have so much clothing to choose from that it’s comical that they choose to dress the way they do. They’re able to treat clothes frivolously and ironically because they’re sent free items in abundance. Our personal closets pale in comparison to what influencers are able to pick from and post on Instagram. Trust me, your wardrobe isn’t lacking; influencers promote an unrealistic habit of clothing use and consumption.
Regardless of how “real” influencers look these days, it’s still an image that they’re selling. The new “it -girl” is starting to blur the line between influencer and down-to-Earth friend who spams social media confidently, posting whatever they want. It’s becoming increasingly deceptive, where the products influencers are sponsoring don’t even seem like advertisements anymore.
Ultimately, Bella and Devon aren’t your friends. They may have interesting, even great, style, but aren’t there more revolutionary trends we can pay attention to than celebrities dressing like normal people?