Growing up, to me there was nothing quite like the movies. Coming from a small town in Georgia, there was often little to do so my weekends were filled with popcorn, stuffy seats, and the big screen. Between all the romantic comedies and Christmas films, New York became a common theme and I was enchanted. I would watch the skyline in awe or obsess over the montage of taxis and crosswalks in The Devil Wears Prada. As I have gotten older I have seen New York be the background for some of television and film’s most iconic IT girls. From Serena Van Der Woodson in Gossip Girl, Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, Rachel Green in Friends, or Andie Anderson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The art of the IT girl, often beautiful, confident, fun…she is one that everyone inspires to be. The IT girl is a common trope in film and tv, but we each have our own IT girl’s in real life, I mean Margot Robbie is a real person? Comparison can be incredibly hard, especially when it feels as if you can never measure up to the standard the IT girl poses.
In today’s society, with social media at the tap of a button and TikTok bringing countless influencers to virality in minutes, the IT girl has become more prevalent than ever. Social media has countless perks and incredible abilities to connect people from all over the world, inspire, and share ideas. Trends can spread with a like or share of a video, and it often feels hard to keep up with them all. Low rise jeans are back in, the Staud bag is a must have, get your color analysis done, cool girls have short hair…it can be incredibly overwhelming. While I love a fun trend and often am guilty of swiping my credit card more often than I should, being an ordinary girl is exhausting…much less an IT girl. So how in a world of trends and TikTok do we stay true to ourselves?
Think of it this way, every person you scroll by or see on Instagram has something you wish you had. More money, a better job, cooler clothes, a booked travel calendar, there is always something more. But do you not have your own beauties to offer? Like being a great listener, a caring friend, a creative go-getter, you have your own lovely uniqueness that others wish that they could encapsulate. So instead of searching on how to be the next IT girl, think of how to be the most authentic you! This is absolutely easier said than done, and I am even thinking of ways that I could be better about this, but at my core I know who I am. I am an artist, an overspender and oftentimes oversharer, compassionate friend, and lover of a dress that probably looks like it belongs on a 40 year old rather than a 21 year old. Yet at the end of the day, that is me, and we only have one lifetime to be our authentic selves…so we might as well make it count!
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