The It Girl Starter Pack, From ‘It Brit’ to ‘Downtown Darling’

It Girl Issue Starter Packs of NYC breaks down the making of an It Girl — in meme form. by NYLON Sep. 12, 2022

What makes an It Girl? Well, it depends on the type. Over years, a number of It Girl archetypes have come to the forefront of pop culture. You have your It Brits (Cara Delevingne, Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller); your Downtown Darlings (Chloe Sevigny, Julia Fox); your Models Off Duty (Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner). Here, an easily digestible look at how fashion, beauty, and other essential pieces help each stereotype stand the test of time, in meme form — courtesy of Starter Packs of NYC .

The It Brit

From Jane Birkin to Kate Moss to Alexa Chung, the Brit is essential to any It Girl list. She is what Cake was talking about when they said they wanted a girl with a short skirt and a long jacket. Think corduroy and leather and gin martinis, and probably a cute shaggy indie rocker boy toy.

The Pop Princess

This girl came to dance. She’s wearing comfy shoes, tons of eyeliner, and is always going where the party’s at. She believes dance music was infinitely better in the 2000s, so why should we ever stop playing it? She hangs in sweaty, strobe-lit clubs, smokes outside, and is likely hooking up with the DJ.

The Downtown Darling

Maybe she started a niche zine, hosts a regressive podcast, or acts in edgy movies her friends make. Whatever this girl’s known for, she’s got a New York Times profile, a very active Reddit fan community, and at least one pair of Tabis. She hangs at all the major haunts, acts unhinged online, and generally doesn’t take herself too seriously — even though everyone else seems to.

The Model Off-Duty

Firmly established in the Tumblr street style era of the 2010s, this is truly an iconic type. For me, the phrase evokes images of glamazons with slicked-back hair, clean no-makeup makeup, ribbed tanks, and moto boots. In the modern era, the jeans are light wash and straight-leg, rather than black and skinny, and the once-slicked hair might be worn casually down, but the Model Off-Duty will always be famous.

The Gallery Girl

Pace, Zwirner, Gagosian, Vito Schnabel. By day, these are her gods. By night, she worships whoever’s working the Lucien door. She dresses up for the job but ‘slums’ it in Dimes Square after hours to scope unkempt hotties and drink too many Negronis. She’s a staple of the scene, and she tries to keep it that way by showing up everywhere that might be sexy.

The Y2K Socialite

Come to Paul’s! This girl honestly rules. Sponsored by her parents and the hundreds of brands that want to work with her, she might have a music or art career in the works, but at the end of the day, she is famous for being fabulous. Catch her at Socialista wearing some incredible vintage designer thing and dancing the night away.

The Nepo Baby

Okay, so her parents are famous. Now she is, too! And she’s good at it. She’s got a stylist, a tight schedule, and glam squads for days. She acts in cool movies and hangs out with her costars at cute restaurants. She’s having a good, perfectly curated, PR-approved time.

The Frenchie

Long before there was Emily in Paris , aspiring Jane Birkin-types dripping in Chanel and strolling around town in ballet flats or Carel Mary Janes drove the internet’s “how to do anything like a French girl” industrial complex.

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