What Makes a Social Icon?

The term 'socialite' gained its modern coinage in the 1920's. Before that time prominent American families were recorded in the Social Register - the foremost arbiter of elite society. The Social Register was founded in New York and 1886 and continues to be updated today. In the 20's the definition of high society broadened to include the Nouveau Riche.

The 1930s saw a period of unparalleled extravagance in the socialite community. This was sharply juxtaposed with The Great Depression which made it very difficult for most Americans to feed their families.

After World War II airplanes made world travel more manageable and the defining boundaries of socialites expanded once again welcoming foreign counterparts into the fold.

 The tradition of throwing extravagant parties in the name of charity was introduced early on and is largely continued today but with the discrepancies that exist can we really compare socialites like Brooke Astor and Millicent Rogers to Paris Hilton or the Kardashians or even Daphne Guinness? Babe Paley was criticized for alienating even her own children so obsessed was she to reach the top of polite society. Beyond that its difficult to find bad press on socialites of earlier decades. Elanor Lambert was among the first to revere fashion as an art form and helped establish the Costume Institute at the Met. Alva Vanderbilt fought for Women's right to vote and established the Political Equality League. Its possible that the goings-on behind closed doors may not have been any different from today but it seems like there was a time when public digression was more highly valued among high society. And I just can't see Paris Hilton fighting for anybody's right to anything.

At what point did socialite behaviour become more excessive thereby losing credibility among the rest of us? Many would say the difference comes down to simple manners. These days social icons are people who seek public attention in addition the expensive excursions their fortunes can afford them. What the public interprets as an appealing image has changed too. At one time grace and poise resonated strongly with social prominence. Now its all sex appeal and bad behavior. And the media should take its fair part of the blame for seeking out and publicizing ever more extreme stories.

 Though social icons have always been revered in newspapers and magazines the sense of entitlement which emanates from every photograph has always irked the public and given cause for criticism. Are we jealous because we want what they have or are we incensed because they are so out of touch with reality having not worked for the fortunes they acquired. Maybe its a combination of both.

With the current economic crisis here and abroad I cant help but ask myself: How long until those who are famous for being famous loose their significance completely?

Something worth mentioning:

The Stylist Handbook is a great resource magazine for fashion and wardrobe stylists available online and in print. It is the first of its kind. Founder and Editor-in-Chief Devon Poer aspires to deliver pertinent and interesting content that will foster relationships between the many different sects of the fashion industry. On the website you can now read, download, and print the first 3 issues which are brimming with helpful information and beautiful images.

Let me whisper in your ear...

I shouldn't be telling you this because I also run our website which offers our product at full retail price but.....

We are having a sale on Haute Look where our current fall season is up to 75% off!

Many of our furs, faux furs, sweaters and jackets from Fall 2011 are available and they're selling pretty quickly. Although New England has already seen snow this year its been unusually warm elsewhere until now so our pieces are even more desirable.

All of our tops are very versatile but the Haute Look marketing team does a really good job of styling them on the models so its easy to see how you can apply them to your wardrobe.

We're offering a lot of cropped styles that highlight the waist and many of our cardigans drape long in the front while hitting right at the natural waistline in the back which gives a slimming look.

Take advantage of the prices while you can! They make great gifts too!

All Over Town

Love Token sure gets around these days!

Its possible that some of you don't know about Natasha Henstridge. Try to remember back a few years.... you were flipping through the channels bored on a Saturday and you stopped because you saw this irresistible image of an impossibly beautiful blond woman and you were just entranced. She seemed somewhat doe-eyed and unsure but there was this quality of confident seduction about her and then - she sticks her tongue through some guy's head while kissing him. That was Natasha Henstridge in Species.

Natasha's gets around too. She began her modeling career at age 14 when she left her home in Canada and traveled to Paris. She quickly succeeded in securing a spot on the cover of the French edition of Cosmopolitan. After making her foray into commercials she continued moving forward onto the big screen while keeping her feet on the ground with multiple roles in indie films. Natasha still works in Television starring in the CW's Secret Circle

I like Natasha. She reminds me a little of Sharon Stone. They're both blond and beautiful but what I really love is their strength as women. They both own their sensuality and aren't afraid of it. Sharon Stone has a little catching up to do though because Natasha Henstridge has already discovered the beauty and wonder of Love Token clothing. When we design our clothes we like to keep all kinds of women in mind but its so important to us that we remember to design for real women with real curves. I think that might be one reason why Natasha chose to wear our fur pieces in her photo shoot for Regard Magazine recently.

Whether it was the considerate design philosophy, the luxurious textiles, or the simple beauty of the pieces we're really flattered that Natasha liked our stuff well enough to be photographed in it. We think she has great taste!