What the hell is a Fashionista? I've been asking myself this question lately as I see the term thrown around by all and sundry. I think this term is so deeply and horribly pretentious.
From what I can gather it appears to be given to people who are considered 'fashion risk-takers'. But who decides who's a risk taker and who isn't? Do you have to be a risk taker to be consider truly, deeply fashionable?
To me, a fashionable or stylish person is one who has truly found themselves and expresses themselves via their clothes. It is those people who, at any age, seem to look so comfortable in their own skin and have totally got their own look going. But those people don't have to be experimenting with clashing colours and patterns, or constantly seeking out stuff that no-one else would dare to wear, they can simply be dressed in a neat trouser suit, but it's how they wear it that makes them seems so pulled together. I'm not saying for a second there aren't 'unfashionable' people out there, but often those people I don't believe get it wrong, I just don't think they care.
I think it's more the judgement of people that the term Fashionista represents. Maybe not even that, perhaps it's more the arrogance of the people who decide who is and who isn't a Fashionista. I like the clothes I wear, I think I suit them and perhaps to some people I am deeply stylish (my Prince certainly thinks so) but to others I'm totally bland - but who's right? I think what I'm trying to say is that I look at people that are considered fashion risk takers and sometimes all I see are people who are wearing clothes they don't suit, in colours that clash badly, in fabrics that make them sweat loads and are often ill-fitting and genuinely don't look any better than a homeless person! Yet, they are considered fashionista's whereas the poor homeless dude is just....well homeless! So am I the ill-informed one who can't spot a Fashionista or are the people deciding who is and who isn't just deciding based on their own personal taste? I am perplexed.
Take Queen Marie and I. You couldn't find two more differently dressed people on the planet. She positively HATES alot of the stuff I wear and I recoil at some of the stuff she wears, but even though we have two totally different looks, and OK I wouldn't say either of us are particularly outlandish or even experimental, we rock what we wear. But there might be someone out there, a stylist or an editor who would say we look awful. Does that make it so?
I really don't think we should have these horrid, judgemental terms like Fashionista. Especially as the people who consider themselves a level above everyone else on the fashion barometer usually don't look any better than anyone else. I'm not saying I'm not guilty of judging people on how they dress, of course I do, I often see people I think try too hard or look too contrived but what I'm saying is...you know what, I don't actually know what I'm saying! I just hate that friggin' word.