What comes to your mind when people talk about fashion icons? Does your mind trace back to the well-known fashion icons of old Hollywood like, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and/or Elizabeth Taylor? Or do you think of Blake Lively, Victoria Beckham, and Kendall Jenner?

Well, lets take a trip down memory lane and identify where it all started.

AUDREY Hepburn

Oh, the darling, Audrey. She introduced the essential statement piece needed in every woman’s closet, little black dress. She displayed the chic and classic woman of her time, and she will forever be known for her most popular film character, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

MARILYN Monroe

We all know Marilyn. I mean, who can’t appreciate a beautiful and confident woman with curves? She made it big with her feminine curves and luxurious appeal. Although ideas of fashion models have changed over the years, in recent times there has been a great emphasis and awareness of curvy women. Which is very refreshing.

ELIZABETH Taylor

It was all about glamour and boldness for this leading iconic star in her time. Her fashion was expressed through daring accents like fur, diamonds, and plunging necklines still trend today.

It’s great to see how diverse these iconic stars were in their time- each displaying their own personal style in their career and personal lifestyle. 

Right now, one of the leading fashion icons for 2017 is… (Drum roll)… Blake Lively. This “Gossip Girl” star really outplayed her character in her personal lifestyle. She is always looking fabulous on the streets or on the red carpet. She is on-point with her outfits, and although she has a bold confidence in her style sense, she does it all with grace and femininity.  There is a balance in both.

So what makes these icons so…iconic? Is it their daring style, classiness, uniqueness, or controversial styles? Well, it’s true that many stars have made it in the books for these specific reasons, but it’s the leading stars that continually show us how to be confident in any clothing item, while maintaining their personal style. 

How can you be a fashion icon? You don’t necessarily need a red carpet, or be rich and famous (although we allllll know that helps), instead, you can be iconic in your own community- be that in your community of bloggers, Instagram networking, or other various social media platforms. All you need is to be confident in your leading styles, and more importantly, never for get to be… you. 

Fashion icons are ones who take risks and do them well.

Authored by Ina Petz