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These women aren’t style icons, they’re just thin and pretty

Gigi and Bella Hadid are naturally pretty, yes. But are they stye icons? No.

Gigi and Bella Hadid are naturally pretty, yes. But are they stye icons? No. Photo: Getty

Although I hate to admit it, clickbait headlines work on me.

I’m the person who reads the headline “You won’t believe what all the top fashionistas are wearing now!”, and I think, “OMG, what?”, because I’ve been writing at home in my cardigan and track pants for five days straight and have lost all perspective on life.

So I excitedly click, scroll down, get tricked by a moving ad that sends me to the Uber app, make my way back again and then find that the answer is white sneakers.

It’s infuriating, but I can’t help myself.

I have grudging admiration for the copywriter’s ingenuity, and ability to make huge catchy, style statements several times a day about absolutely nothing.

I was a beauty and fashion writer for years, so I have certainly done my fair share of clickbait, but it’s an art form these days, given the voraciousness of the digital media.

It’s especially entertaining to see it unfold next to photos of young media stars who are not at all stylish; “Gigi Hadid/Bella Hadid/Kendall Jenner takes ‘athleisure’ dressing to new heights”.

And when you look, they are wearing a crop top, leggings, a baseball cap and trainers.

thin style icons

Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid. If these are your style icons I feel for you. Photo: Getty

There was a great story circulating written by a young woman who noted that while she wore the same ordinary outfits pretty much on a daily basis as the aforementioned “style stars” they would never be considered even remotely stylish on her.

The difference being that the new “muses” are tall and thin while she is petite and curvy (aka normal).

Of course a tight waist, endless legs and coat-hanger collarbones can make anything look good. Even for many of the Instagram famous “style stars” the fact that they are rail thin is the most ‘stylish’ thing about them.

thin style icons

Beyonce and Rihanna are attractive. But, stylish? Photo: Getty

Because a pair of three quarter jeans, an off the shoulder frilled white cotton shirt and a pair of sunglasses doesn’t make you Coco Chanel.

When it comes to being considered “stylish”, especially in photographs, size does matter. It’s always mattered to the fashion set, where dieting and competitive skinniness is a way of life.

Style is often considered commensurate to size, for example the “you can never be too rich or too thin” doctrine which was coined by the sparrow thin Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson.

The larger your waistline the less likely it is you’ll be see on the best dressed list, male or female.

The “plus size” (whatever that is) will be often seen as flamboyant, eccentric or unique, but if you can’t tightly belt your dress or tuck in your shirt, good luck being inducted into the style hall of fame.

You see this paradigm work seamlessly when applied to female politicians and first ladies.

If they’re slim and proportionate (Michelle Obama, Nancy Reagan, Sonia MacMahon, Dame Quentin Bryce) they rate. If they are normal middle aged women, (Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton, Julia Gillard, Margaret Whitlam) they are ignored, or in the worst case, pilloried.

thin style icons

Julia Gillard and Michelle Obama. One is lauded for her style, but the other isn’t. Is it just because one widely is considered pretty? Photo: Getty

Someone asked me who I thought was stylish recently and I actually couldn’t think of anyone.

I feel so overloaded and confused by the Kardashians, Kendall Jenner, Rihanna, Beyonce and Met Ball-types and over accessorised unknowns holding clutch bags and mobile phones outside fashion shows and I don’t even follow any of them.

Stylish is as stylish does I would suggest, which means it is not merely one dimensional.

It’s more about how you live your life, how you make others feel, what your home looks like, the words you use.

Maybe I need to stay off the style feeds and look for clickbait like “You wont believe the incredibly intelligent and profound things *insert name here* said now!

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