5 Unlikely Fashion Icons

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1. Kelly Bundy

When the character of Kelly Bundy was first conceptualized, I doubt she was ever considered to be a fashion icon. But that’s the funny thing about fashion! Deciding what’s chic is an an arbitrary process. When Married…With Children was on the air, Kelly Bundy was nothing more than a scantily-clad bimbo. Her clothes were trashy, her look was merely a schtick. Today, however, people have adopted her hydrogen peroxide blonde hair, crop tops, ripped denim jeans, and leather jackets. The clothes aren’t seen as being particularly revealing or airhead-ish. They’re just ironic and over-the-top which, for a lot of women these days, is an appealing sartorial choice. Gee, don’t you just love the ridiculous, cyclical nature of fashion?!

2. The Manson Girls

When I interned at a fashion magazine a few years ago, the first thing I pitched was a “California Dreamy” editorial spread based on The Manson Girls. The models would gather together in trees, looking fresh-faced with long flowing hair and wear potato sack dresses and ’70s-style bathing suits. I thought it was a good idea until my boss sort of just looked at me and said,”Um, go lick some envelopes.” Admittedly, it sounds morbid given the girls’ history but it’s undeniable that the women in the Manson cult perfectly represented the beauty and fashion trends of the ’60s and ’70s. Long brown hair, minimal make up, and feminine silhouettes are all things you can see today in a lookbook for APC.

3. Jane Fonda in Klute

Who knew 1970’s prostitutes could look so chic?! In Klute, Jane Fonda plays a hooker who works with a detective to solve a disappearance — at least I think that’s what it’s about. I watched it years ago when I was stoned and the only thing I vividly remember are the outfits. I mean, just look at them! Ankle-length skirts worn with cowboy boots and a David Bowie-esque androgynous haircut?! Yes. It’s always interesting to think about whether everyday women actually dressed like this back in the ’70s, or if this is just the work of a good stylist. I’d like to think it’s the former. I mean, my mother wears mom jeans and floral printed shirts every day but when I look at pictures of her from this time, she looks so sophisticated and glam. Fashion in the ’60s and ’70s was just the best because there was no Internet to dress up for. You could just get super high in your bedroom and put together the kookiest outfit. Because why not? This isn’t going to be up on Facebook!

4. Chloë Sevigny in Kids

Chloë Sevigny is a professional cool girl. In the ’90s, she was even cooler because she just got famous for wearing interesting clothes, which was a hard thing to do without the Internet! (By the way, have you read this old New Yorker profile on her? It’s everything.) I liked her best during the Kids era, when she looked like a little skater boy. Her character, Jenny, is perhaps the most interesting in the film because she has a sliver of morality. When she discovers she has HIV, she embarks on a frantic search around New York City to break the news to her one and only sexual partner. There’s something so simple about her look in this film. It’s youthful and a little sad, just like her character. Usually every trend Sevigny starts has a long shelf-life. However, I haven’t seen many (straight) girls running around New York City with short hair and baggy clothes, so this makes her an UNLIKELY fashion icon for once.

5. Shiloh Jolie-Pitt

Do you think Suri Cruise and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt ever make out? Do you think they just see each other in the “Celebrity Spawn Only” sandbox and go at it? I wouldn’t be surprised. While Suri is no doubt cute, her style is borderline-creepy for someone who presumably still poops their pants. Shiloh Pitt, on the other hand, is a fashion dream come true with her bourgie tomboy style. She’s the luckiest lesbian in town and I can’t wait until she grows up to be freaking insane. I bet she’ll watch Foxfire and Gia and be like, “Mom, can you go back to being like that please?” Who could blame her? Her mom was the best when she played with knives, women, and ate food. Anyway, Shiloh is the best. “Lesbian Toddler Chic” didn’t exist until she came out of a famous person’s vagina.

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image – Kids