An "it girl" is an attractive, well-known young woman who is perceived to have both

sex appeal Sexual attraction is attraction on the basis of sexual desire or the quality of arousing such interest. Sexual attractiveness or sex appeal is an individual's ability to attract other people sexually, and is a factor in sexual selection or m ...

and a personality that is especially engaging. The expression ''it girl'' originated in British upper-class society around the turn of the 20th century. It gained further attention in 1927 with the popularity of the

Paramount Studios Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production and distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio i ...

film '' It'', starring

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

. In the earlier usage, a woman was especially perceived as an "it girl" if she had achieved a high level of popularity without flaunting her sexuality. Today, the term is used more to apply simply to fame and beauty. The ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

'' distinguishes between the chiefly American usage of "a glamorous, vivacious, or sexually attractive actress, model, etc.", and the chiefly British usage of "a young, rich woman who has achieved celebrity because of her

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...

lifestyle". The terms " it boy" or "it man" are sometimes used to describe a male exhibiting similar traits.

History

Early use

An early literary usage of ''it'' in this sense is found in a 1904 short story by

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

(Traffics and Discoveries (1904) ‘Mrs Bathurst’), which contains the line "'Tisn't beauty, so to speak, nor good talk necessarily. It's just It. Some women'll stay in a man's memory if they once walk down a street."

Elinor Glyn Elinor Glyn ( Sutherland; 17 October 1864 – 23 September 1943) was a British novelist and scriptwriter who specialised in romantic fiction, which was considered scandalous for its time, although her works are relatively tame by modern stand ...

, the notorious British novelist who wrote the book titled ''It'' and its subsequent screenplay, lectured: Glyn first rose to fame as the author of the scandalous 1907 bestseller '' Three Weeks''. She is widely credited with the invention of the "it girl" concept: although the slang predates her book and film, she was responsible for the term's impact on the culture of the 1920s. In 1927, the Paramount Studios film was planned as a special showcase for its popular star

, and her performance introduced the term "it" to the cultural lexicon. The film plays with the notion that "it" is a quality which eschews definitions and categories; consequently, the girl portrayed by Bow is an amalgam of an ingenue and a

femme fatale A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...

, with some qualities later portrayed by

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

's latter day "

Material Girl "Material Girl" is a song recorded by American pop singer Madonna for her second studio album, '' Like a Virgin'' (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from ''Like a Virgin''. It also appears sligh ...

" incarnation. By contrast, Bow's rival in the script is equally young and comely, as well as rich and well-bred, yet is portrayed as not possessing "it". Clara Bow later said she wasn't sure what "it" meant,''Waterloo Daily Courier'', 21 September 1950 although she identified

Lana Turner Julia Jean "Lana" Turner ( ; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized personal life. ...

and later

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

as "it girls". The fashion component of the "it girl" originated with Glyn's elder sister,

couturier (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term ''haute couture'' generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 1 ...

Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff-Gordon (née Sutherland; 13 June 1863 – 20 April 1935) was a leading British fashion designer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries who worked under the professional name Lucile. The first British-based desig ...

, known professionally as "Lucile". Lucile managed exclusive salons in London, Paris and New York, was the first designer to present her collections on a stage complete with the theatrical accoutrements of lights and music (inspiring the modern

runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...

or catwalk show), and was famous for making sexuality an aspect of fashion through her provocative

lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...

and lingerie-inspired clothes. She also specialised in dressing trendsetting stage and film performers, ranging from the stars of the ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' were a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Foll ...

'' on Broadway to silent screen icons such as

Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...

and

Irene Castle Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of ballroom dancers and dance teachers who appeared on Broadway and in silent films in the early 20th century. They are credited with reviving the popularity of modern dancing. Castle was a s ...

. As early as 1917, Lucile herself used the term "it" in relation to style in her fashion column for ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...

'': "... I saw a very ladylike and well-bred friend of mine in her newest Parisian frock ... she felt she was 'it' and perfectly happy."

Modern "it girls"

In the late 1970s the term distanced itself from Bow, as magazines used it to describe

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

. Since the 1980s, the term "it girl" has been used slightly differently, referring to a wealthy, normally unemployed, young woman who is pictured in tabloids going to many parties often in the company of other celebrities, receiving media coverage in spite of no particular personal achievements or TV hosting / presenting. The writer

William Donaldson Charles William Donaldson (4 January 1935 – 22 June 2005) was a British satirist, writer, playboy and, under the pseudonym of Henry Root, author of ''The Henry Root Letters''. Life and career Son of Charles Glen Donaldson (1904–1956) and ...

observed that, having initially been coined in the 1920s, the term was applied in the 1990s to describe "a young woman of noticeable 'sex appeal' who occupied herself by shoe shopping and party-going". Donaldson, W. (2002) ''Brewer's Rogues, Villains and Eccentrics''. In 2023, Matthew Schneier for '' The Cut,'' defined the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

"it girl" as being: "Famous for being out, famous for being young, famous for being fun, famous for being famous." Schneier added that an "it girl" does not define itself that way, but that "magazine writers, newspaper columnists, photographers" do. The prominence of an "it girl" is often temporary; some of the rising "it girls" will either become fully-fledged celebrities, commonly initially via appearances on

reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 199 ...

shows or series; lacking such an accelerant, their popularity will normally fade. Schneier claimed that achieving obscurity is required to be considered one: "An undeniable celebrity is not an 'It' girl." Editors at ''The Cut'' also included a list of over 150 '"It" girls. Called '''It' Girl Inflation'', the article praised the Internet for increasing supply and demand, or democratizing, the 'It' Girl. Notable New York "it" girls included

Tinsley Mortimer Tinsley Randolph Mortimer ( née Mercer; born August 11, 1975) is an American actress, socialite and reality television personality. She is known for starring in the reality television series '' High Society'' and '' The Real Housewives of New Yo ...

Olivia Palermo Olivia Palermo (born February 28, 1986) is an American socialite, fashion influencer, Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, model (person), model and celebrity, television personality. Early life Olivia Palermo was born on February 28, 1986, in Ne ...

, Fabiola Beracasa Beckman,

Amanda Hearst Amanda Randolph Hearst (born January 5, 1984), sometimes called Amanda Hearst Rønning, is an American model, socialite, and heiress of the Hearst family. Family and early life Amanda Hearst is the daughter of Anne Hearst, the niece of Patty ...

Leigh Lezark The Misshapes are a New York City-based DJ duo composed of DJs Leigh Lezark and Geordon Nicol. Previously the group consisted of Leigh Lezark, Geordon Nicol and Greg Krelenstein. Group history Night club years, 2003–2008 Leigh Lezark met G ...

, Vashtie Kola, Cat Marnell, Audrey Gelman,

Tavi Gevinson Tavi Gevinson (born April 21, 1996) is an American actress, writer, and magazine editor. At age twelve, she came to public attention for her fashion blog ''Style Rookie''. By 15, she had shifted her focus to pop culture and feminist discussion. G ...

Jemima Kirke Jemima Jo Kirke (born 26 April 1985) is a British-American artist, actress and director. She gained international acclaim through her role as Jessa Johansson in the 2012 HBO series '' Girls''. She made her film debut in the 2005 indie short '' ...

Barbie Ferreira Barbara "Barbie" Seppe Ferreira (; born December 14, 1996) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Kat Hernandez in the HBO series ''Euphoria'' (2019–2022). Early life Ferreira was born in East Harlem in New York ...

, Chloe Wise, Salem Mitchell,

Dasha Nekrasova Daria Dmitrievna "Dasha" Nekrasova (born February 19, 1991) is an American actress, filmmaker, and co-host of the ''Red Scare'' podcast with Anna Khachiyan, based in Dimes Square, New York City. In 2018, she became known as "Sailor Socialism ...

, Ivy Getty, Caroline Calloway, and

Eve Jobs Eve Jobs (born July 9, 1998) is an American fashion model. She is the daughter of the late Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs and businesswoman Laurene Powell Jobs. Early life Named after Eve from the book of Genesis, Jobs is the youngest daugh ...

Examples

1900s

Evelyn Nesbit Florence Evelyn Nesbit (December 25, 1884 or 1885 – January 17, 1967) was an American model (person), artists' model, chorus girl, and actress. She is best known for her career in New York City, as well as her husband, railroad scion Har ...

(1884 or 1885–1967), American artists' model, photographic model, chorus girl, and silent film actress, whose rise to fame around 1900 has been called "the birth of the 'It Girl'". * Brenda Dean Paul (1907–1959), British

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

actress and socialite.

1920s

Daisy Fellowes Daisy Fellowes (''née'' Marguerite Séverine Philippine Decazes de Glücksberg; 29 April 1890 – 13 December 1962) was a prominent French socialite, acclaimed beauty, minor novelist and poet, Paris editor of American ''Harper's Bazaar'', fashi ...

(1890–1962), French socialite, Paris editor of American

, and an heiress to the

Singer sewing machine Singer Corporation is an American manufacturer of consumer sewing machines, first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac M. Singer with New York lawyer Edward C. Clark. Best known for its sewing machines, it was renamed Singer Man ...

fortune.

1940s

Gloria Vanderbilt Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During the 1930s, she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her mother, ...

(1924-2019), American socialite, sole heiress to Vanderbilt fortune.

1950s

Lee Radziwill Caroline Lee Radziwill (; March 3, 1933 – February 15, 2019), previously known as Lee Canfield and Lee Ross, was an American socialite, public relations executive, and interior designer. She was the younger sister of former First Lady of the ...

(1933–2019), American socialite,

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

executive, interior designer, and younger sister of former First Lady

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...

1960s

Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress, model and socialite who was one of Andy Warhol's superstars, starring in several of his short films during the 1960s.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Ma ...

(1943–1971), American actress, model, and

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, was dubbed "the it girl". *

Twiggy Dame Lesley Lawson (''née'' Hornby; born 19 September 1949), widely known by the nickname Twiggy, is an English model, actress, and singer. She was a Culture of the United Kingdom, British cultural icon and a prominent teenage model during th ...

(b. 1949), British model and actress, famous for her iconic androgynous look and role in defining the 1960s fashion era. *

Jane Holzer Jane Holzer (née Brukenfeld; born October 23, 1940), is an American art collector and real estate investor. She is best known as a Warhol superstar, and she also worked as a model, actress, and film producer. Nicknamed Baby Jane Holzer, she appea ...

(b. 1940), American art collector, former model, actress and

Warhol superstar Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by the pop artist Andy Warhol during the 1960s and 1970s. These personalities hung out at Warhol's studio, the Factory, appeared in his films, and accompanied him to his New ...

. *

Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...

(1946–2019), actress and model known from the hit TV show ''

The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, Pegg ...

''. *

Ali MacGraw Elizabeth Alice MacGraw (born April 1, 1939) is an American actress. For her role in '' Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969) she won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She then starred in '' Love Story'' (1970), for which she was nominate ...

(b. 1939), American actress and activist, her first job was as

Diana Vreeland Diana Vreeland (September 29, 1903 – August 22, 1989) was an American fashion columnist and editor. She worked for the fashion magazine ''Harper's Bazaar'' and as editor-in-chief at '' Vogue'', later becoming a special consultant to the Costume ...

's assistant in the early 60s. *

Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon Lady Mary-Gaye Georgiana Lorna Curzon (born 21 February 1947) is a British model, socialite and debutante. Early life Curzon was born on 21 February 1947 to Edward Curzon, Viscount Curzon, later 6th Earl Howe, and his second wife Grace Lilian B ...

(b. 1947), British socialite and heiress *

Pat Cleveland Patricia Cleveland (born June 23, 1950) is an American fashion model who initially attained success in the 1960s and 1970s and was one of the first African-American models within the fashion industry to achieve prominence as a runway and print m ...

(b. 1950), American supermodel, one of the first African-American models within the fashion industry to achieve prominence.

1970s

Marisa Berenson Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson (born February 15, 1947) is an American actress and former model. She appeared on the front covers of '' Vogue'' and ''Time'', and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her ...

(b. 1947), American actress, model and granddaughter of fashion designer

Elsa Schiaparelli Elsa Schiaparelli ( , , ; 10 September 1890 – 13 November 1973) was an Italian fashion designer from an Italian nobility, aristocratic background. She created the Schiaparelli (fashion house), house of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, which she ...

. *

Diane von Fürstenberg Diane von Fürstenberg (born Diane Simone Michele Halfin; 31 December 1946) is a Belgian fashion designer best known for her wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence in 1969 when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg ...

(b. 1947), Belgian fashion designer, her and husband

Prince Egon von Fürstenberg Prince Egon von Fürstenberg (Eduard Egon Peter Paul Giovanni Prinz zu Fürstenberg; 29 June 1946 – 11 June 2004) was a socialite, banker, fashion and interior designer, and a member of the former German princely family of Fürstenberg. In ...

were known as an "it couple". *

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. She began her Model (person), modelling career in New York State, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves St ...

(b. 1948), Jamaican singer, model and actress. "It girl" of the

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater and former nightclub at 254 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, it served ...

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

scene. *

Bianca Jagger Bianca Jagger (born Blanca Pérez-Mora Macías; 2 May 1945)

(b. 1945), Nicaraguan actress and activist, wife of

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

, and "it girl" of the

scene. *

Nan Kempner Nan Kempner (July 24, 1930 – July 3, 2005) was a New York City socialite, reputed for her fashion sense and her philanthropy. Biography Born Nan Field Schlesinger in San Francisco, Kempner was the only child in a wealthy Jewish family. Her f ...

(1930–2005), American socialite and philanthropist. *

Iman Iman, Imann, Imaan, Eman, Eiman, Imane, Emaan, or Imman may refer to: Places * Iman, Iran, a village in Kalashi District, Kermanshah Province * The Iman River, the former name of the Bolshaya Ussurka River, a tributary of the Ussuri River in ...

(b. 1955), Somali-American supermodel, entrepreneur, philanthropist and widow of David Bowie.

1980s

Edwige Belmore Edwige, also known as Edwige Belmore and Edwige Braun-Belmore and la reine du punk a Paris (February 26, 1957 – September 22, 2015) was a French model, singer, artist and actress. She was considered a blonde icon of 1980s No Wave New York/Franc ...

(1957

– The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

2015), French model, singer, artist and actress. *

Dianne Brill Dianne Brill is an American fashion designer, model, author, and former club kid. Brill was a fixture in the 1980s downtown club scene in New York City. Andy Warhol deemed her the "Queen of the Night". Life and career Brill was born on April ...

(b. 1958), fashion designer, model, author, and former

club kid The Club Kids were a New York City-based artistic and fashion-conscious youth movement composed of nightlife personalities active from the late 1980s to 1996. Coined by a 1988 New York (magazine), ''New York'' cover story, the Club Kids crossed o ...

deemed her the "Queen of the Night". *

Cornelia Guest Cornelia Cochrane Churchill Guest (born November 28, 1963) is a New York socialite, author, actress, and the Debutante of the Decade for the 1980s of the International Debutante Ball in New York City. She is a vegan, and known for her advocacy of ...

(b. 1963), New York socialite, author and actress, considered an "it girl" of the 80s club scene. *

Cookie Mueller Dorothy Karen "Cookie" Mueller (March 2, 1949 – November 10, 1989) was an American actress, writer, and Dreamlander who starred in many of filmmaker John Waters' early films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'', ''Pink Flamingos'', '' Female Trou ...

(b. 1949–1989), American actress and author who starred in multiple

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

films. *

Lisa Edelstein Lisa Edelstein ( ; born May 21, 1966) is an American actress and artist. She is known for playing Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the Fox medical drama series ''House'' (2004–2011). Between 2014 and 2018, Edelstein starred as Abby McCarthy in the Bravo s ...

(b. 1966), American actress, and part of the 80s

club scene A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

. She was dubbed New York City's "Queen of the Night" by

Maureen Dowd Maureen Brigid Dowd (; born January 14, 1952) is an American columnist for ''The New York Times'' and an author. During the 1970s and early 1980s, Dowd worked for ''The Washington Star'' and ''Time'', writing news, sports and feature articles. ...

in 1986. * Tina Chow (b. 1950–1992), American model and jewelry designer.

1990s

Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is an English model. Arriving towards the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her t ...

(b.1974), English model. Considered one of the UK's most famous "it girls", Moss has been a

to various

fashion designers Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designe ...

and

contemporary artists This is a list of artists who create contemporary art, i.e., those whose peak of activity can be situated somewhere between the 1970s (the advent of postmodernism) and the present day. Artists on this list meet the following criteria: *The person ...

; namely

Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...

. *

Chloë Sevigny Chloë Stevens Sevigny ( ; born November 18, 1974) is an American actress. Known for her work in independent films with controversial or experimental themes, her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, in addition to a nomination for an Acade ...

(b. 1974), American actress and model, was described as an "it girl" by

Jay McInerney John Barrett "Jay" McInerney Jr. (; born January 13, 1955) is an American novelist, screenwriter, editor, and columnist. His novels include '' Bright Lights, Big City'', ''Ransom'', '' Story of My Life'', '' Brightness Falls'', and ''The Last o ...

in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' in 1994, because of her status as a fashion ''

impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...

''. *

Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress, model and media personality. She rose to prominence after being selected as the February 1990 ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Month. She went on to make regular appearan ...

(b. 1967), Canadian-American actress, model, media personality, and author. *

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Carolyn Jeanne Bessette-Kennedy (née Bessette; January 7, 1966 – July 16, 1999) was an American fashion publicist. She worked for Calvin Klein until her 1996 marriage to attorney and publisher John F. Kennedy Jr. Her life and fashion sense ...

(1966-1999), American publicist for

Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer. In 1968, he launched the company that later became Calvin Klein. In addition to clothing, he has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery. ...

and wife to

John F. Kennedy Jr. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999), often referred to as John-John or JFK Jr., was an American socialite, attorney, magazine publisher, and journalist. He was a son of 35th United States president John F. K ...

. Cited as the pinnacle of the 90's American "It Girl". *

Tamara Beckwith Tamara Camilla Jane Beckwith (born 17 April 1970) is an English socialite and television personality. In the 1990s, she was regarded as one of the "It girls" of the London social scene. Early life The daughter of property developer Peter Beckw ...

(b. 1970), English socialite and television personality, was widely described as an "it girl" in the 1990s. *

Aerin Lauder Aerin Rebecca Lauder Zinterhofer (born April 23, 1970) is an American billionaire heiress and businesswoman. Family and education Lauder is the daughter of Jo Carole Lauder (née Knopf) and Ronald Lauder. Her father served as U.S. Ambassador to ...

(b.1970), American socialite, businesswoman and billionaire heiress. Considered an "it girl" by '' Vanity Fair''. *

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson Tara Claire Palmer-Tomkinson (23 December 1971 – 8 February 2017) was an English socialite and television personality. She appeared in several television shows, including the reality programme ''I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British ...

(1971–2017), English socialite and television personality, was considered to be the foremost of the 1990s "it girls" in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. *

Parker Posey Parker Christian Posey (born November 8, 1968) is an American actress. Known for playing eccentric characters in independent films, she was named "Queen of the Indies" by ''Time'' in 1997. She has received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Awa ...

(b. 1968), American actress, was considered by many to be the "it girl" of the burgeoning

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

scene of the 1990s after she played a hip, young socialite in the 1995 film ''Party Girl''.

2000s

Alexa Chung Alexa Chung (born 5 November 1983) is an English model and television personality. Chung pursued a modelling career as a teenager after being scouted by a modelling agency at the Reading Festival. She has walked for brands such as Vivienne Westw ...

(b. 1983), English model and television personality. Described as the "21st century it girl." *

Devon Aoki Devon Edwenna Aoki (born August 10, 1982) is an American model and retired actress. Aoki's film roles include '' 2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003), ''Sin City'' (2005), '' DOA: Dead or Alive'' (2006) and ''Mutant Chronicles'' (2008). Early life Aoki gr ...

(b. 1982), American supermodel and retired actress. *

(b. 1975), American socialite and television personality. *

Charlotte Ronson Charlotte Julia Ronson is an English fashion designer, based in Los Angeles, US. Career Charlotte Ronson always had an interest in fashion, however, she began designing after friends asked her to create pieces for them. Charlotte Ronson Homep ...

(b. 1977), English fashion designer and socialite, based in the U.S. *

Fan Bingbing Fan Bingbing (, born 16 September 1981) is a Chinese actress. After gaining recognition for the costume drama '' My Fair Princess'' (1998–1999), Fan's breakthrough came with Feng Xiaogang's blockbuster '' Cell Phone'' (2003), which won her th ...

(b. 1981), Chinese actress. *

Nicky Hilton Nicholai Olivia "Nicky" Rothschild ( Hilton; born October 5, 1983) is an American socialite, fashion designer and model. She is a member of the Hilton family by birth, and a member of the Rothschild family following her 2015 marriage to James ...

(b. 1983), American socialite, member of the

Hilton family The Hilton family is an American family that originally comes from Kløfta, Norway, and spans over four generations from New York City and Los Angeles. The family members hold varying degrees of power, wealth and status as socialites in the Un ...

by birth and of the

Rothschild family The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi Jewish noble banking family originally from Frankfurt. The family's documented history starts in 16th-century Frankfurt; its name is derived from the family house, Rothschild, ...

through marriage. *

Mischa Barton Mischa Anne Marsden Barton (born 24 January 1986) is a British-American film, television, and stage actress. She began her career on the stage, appearing in Tony Kushner's '' Slavs!'' and took the lead in James Lapine's '' Twelve Dreams'' at ...

(b. 1986), British-American actress. Entertainment Weekly, as well as other tabloids, labelled her as an "It Girl" in the early 2000s. *

(b. 1986), American socialite and television personality. *

Sara Schätzl Sara-Maria Schätzl (born 12 December 1987) is a German columnist, author, actress, and businesswoman. Early life Sara Schätzl grew up in the small Bavarian town Donauwörth. She attended the boarding school Gymnasium (Germany), Gymnasium Schl ...

(b. 1987), German writer and actress, was labelled an "it girl" by the German tabloid press in the late 2000s. * Cory Kennedy (b. 1990), American Internet celebrity and model, described as "the Internet's First It Girl".

2010s

Gigi Hadid Jelena Noura "Gigi" Hadid ( ; born April 23, 1995) is an American fashion model and television personality. In 2016, she was named International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. Throughout her career, Hadid has made at least ...

(b. 1995), American model and television personality. *

Bella Hadid Isabella Khair Hadid ( ; born October 9, 1996) is an American model. Hadid has made 35 appearances on international ''Vogue'' covers. In 2022, she was named Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council. ''Time'' magazine named her one ...

(b. 1996), American model. *

Kendall Jenner Kendall Nicole Jenner (born November 3, 1995) is an American model, socialite and media personality. She rose to fame in the reality television show ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians,'' in which she starred for 20 seasons and nearly 15 years ...

(b. 1995), American model and television personality. *

Cara Delevingne Cara Jocelyn Delevingne ( ; born 12 August 1992) is an English model and actress. She signed with Storm Management after leaving school in 2009. Delevingne won Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2012 and 2014, and List of award ...

(b. 1992), English singer, actress and model. *

Emily Ratajkowski Emily O'Hara Ratajkowski ( , ; born June 7, 1991) is an American model and actress. Born in London to American parents and raised in Encinitas, California, she signed to Ford Models at a young age. Her modeling debut was on the cover of the Mar ...

(b. 1991), American model and actress. * Cat Marnell (b. 1982), American writer and media commentator. *

Petra Collins Petra Collins (born December 21, 1992) is a Canadian artist, director of photography, fashion model and actress who rose to prominence in the early 2010s. Her photography is characterized by a feminine, dreamlike feel, informed in part by a fe ...

(b. 1992), Canadian artist, director of photography, fashion model and actress. *

Park Shin-hye Park Shin-hye (, born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She gained recognition as a child in Korean drama, television series ''Stairway to Heaven (2003 TV series), Stairway to Heaven'' (2003) and ''Tree of Heaven (TV series), Tree o ...

(b. 1990), South Korean actress.

2020s

Julia Fox Julia Fox (born February 2, 1990) is an Italian and American actress, model, and media personality. Her debut performance was in the 2019 film ''Uncut Gems'', for which she was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Ac ...

(b. 1990), Italian-American actress, artist, model, singer, and media personality. "I'm So Julia" became a slang term for being "everywhere", which in turn means being the "it girl". *

Lily-Rose Depp Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 27 May 1999) is a French and American actress. Born to actors Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, she began her acting career in film with a minor role in ''Tusk'' (2014) and pursued a career as a fashion model. She ap ...

(b. 1999), French-American actress and model. *

Charli xcx Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

(b. 1992), English singer-songwriter. *

Jisoo Kim Ji-soo (; born January 3, 1995), known mononymously as Jisoo, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Blackpink, which debuted under YG Entertainment in August 2016. Outside of her music career ...

(b. 1995),

Jennie Jennie may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Jennie'' (film), a 1940 American drama film * ''Jennie'' (musical), a 1963 Broadway production * ''Jennie'' (novel), a 1994 science fiction thriller by Douglas Preston * '' Jennie: Lady Randolph C ...

(b. 1996),

Rosé A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the wine color, color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the Macerati ...

(b 1997), and

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA" * Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978) * Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980) * Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...

(b. 1997), members of South Korean girl group

Blackpink Blackpink (, stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment. The group is composed of four members: Jisoo, Jennie (singer), Jennie, Rosé (singer), Rosé, and Lisa (rapper), Lisa. Regarded by ...

. *

Hari Nef Hari Nef (born October 21, 1992) is an American actress, model, and writer. Nef's breakthrough role was Gittel in the Amazon original series '' Transparent'', for which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performa ...

(b. 1992), American actress, model, and writer. *

Addison Rae {{Infobox person , name = Addison Rae , image = Addison Rae Pandora ME 2021 02.jpg , caption = Rae in 2021 , birth_name = Addison Rae Easterling , birth_place = Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S ...

(b. 2000), American singer. *

Irene Kim Irene Kim (November 6, 1987), also known by her online alias Ireneisgood, is an American model, beauty and fashion journalist, and television personality based in New York City. In 2018, Kim released her clothing brand IRENEISGOOD LABEL. Early ...

(b. 1987), American model. *

NewJeans NewJeans (), also known as NJZ (), is a South Korean girl group formed by ADOR, a sub-label of Hybe Corporation, Hybe. The group is composed of five members: Minji (singer), Minji, Hanni (singer), Hanni, Danielle Marsh, Danielle, Haerin, and H ...

, South Korean girl group. *

Hunter Schafer Hunter Schafer (born December31, 1998) is an American actress and model. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Schafer first made headlines in 2016 with her activism against North Carolina's Public Facilities Pri ...

(b. 1998), American actress and model. *

Emma Chamberlain Emma Frances Chamberlain (born May 22, 2001) is an American social media personality, influencer, podcaster, businesswoman and model. She won the 2018 Streamy Award for Breakout Creator. In 2019, ''Time'' magazine included her on its ''Time'' ...

(b. 2001), American

influencer A social media influencer, or simply influencer (also known as an online influencer), is a person who builds a grassroots online presence through engaging content such as photos, videos, and updates. This is done by using direct audience intera ...

YouTuber A YouTuber is a content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006 ...

, podcaster, businesswoman and model. *

Ayo Edebiri Ayo Edebiri ( ; born October 3, 1995) is an American actress, comedian, and television writer. Since 2022, she has played chef Sydney Adamu in the comedy-drama series '' The Bear'', for which she won a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guil ...

(b. 1995), American actress and comedian. *

Alex Consani Alex Monette Consani (born July 23, 2003) is an American model and influencer. She started modeling in 2015 and became the world's youngest transgender model at the time at age 12. After signing with IMG Models in 2019, Consani started using TikT ...

(b. 2003), American model and social media personality. *

Gabbriette Gabriella Leigh Bechtel (born July 28, 1997), known professionally as Gabbriette, is an American model and musician. She first gained prominence as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the punk rock band Nasty Cherry before coming to wider recog ...

(b.1997), American model and musician. * Ivy Getty (b.1994), American heiress and model. *

Mia Khalifa Mia Khalifa (; ; born 1993) is a Lebanese-American media personality and former pornographic film actress. Rising to prominence in late 2014, she became one of the most searched performers on Pornhub after a controversial scene featuring a ...

(b. 1993), Lebanese-American media personality, model and former

porn star A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts on video that is usually characterized as a pornographic film. Such videos tend to be made in a number of distinc ...

Gallery

File:Evelyn Nesbit 12056u.jpg,

File:Clara Bow, grayscale.jpg,

File:Princess Lee Radziwill.jpg,

File:Peggy Lipton Mod Squad.JPG,

File:Grace Jones at Carriageworks (Vivid) - 1st June 2015 08.jpg,

File:Iman 1996.jpg,

File:Diane Brill at the 1988 Emmy Awards.jpg,

File:Tina Chow, Jewelry Maker.jpg, Tina Chow File:KateMoss.jpg,

File:Chloë Sevigny 2017.jpg,

File:Pamela Anderson.jpg,

File:Nicky Hilton.jpg,

File:Cory Kennedy 2008.jpg, Cory Kennedy File:Alexa-chung-hair-first-look-at-her-l-oreal-campaign-35539 w1000.jpg,

File:Cara Delevingne September 2014 (cropped).jpg,

File:Charli XCX (cropped).jpg,

File:Ayo Edebiri World Premiere Inside Out 2.png,

File:Hunter Schafer-64188.jpg,

Film and theater

* Glyn's 1927 film script was adapted into a musical called ''The It Girl'', which opened off-Broadway in 2001 at the York Theatre Company, starring

Jean Louisa Kelly Jean Louisa Kelly (born March 9, 1972) is an American actress and singer. After making her film debut as Tia Russell in '' Uncle Buck'' (1989) alongside John Candy, she appeared in a wide range of other films including ''The Fantasticks'' (1995 ...

. * ''

It Girls An "it girl" is an attractive, well-known young woman who is perceived to have both sex appeal and a personality that is especially engaging. The expression ''it girl'' originated in British upper-class society around the turn of the 20th&nbs ...

'' is a 2002 feature documentary film directed by Robin Melanie Leacock, which chronicles the activities of a group of socialites in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York, U.S., during

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning seven to nine days when international Fashion design, fashion collections are shown to buyers, the pres ...