Flaws, But Make Them Fashion: The It-Girl’s Guide to Knowing Her Weak Spots (And Making Them Chic)
Messy, but make it marketable. And always remember! Your inner critic wears Chanel.
From the moment I stepped into the fashion world at age 13, I’ve always found something so humanizing about a character flaw for people we look up to — at least, the stylish kind. Maybe that’s why I built an entire platform around curating character-driven style. Because deep down, I know the real power move isn’t having it all together… it’s dressing like you do. Fake it til you make it, and you’ll figure it out somewhere between your third Blank Street coffee and final destination for the perfect sequin dress on Fifth Ave.
As someone who thrives on to-do lists, 2 AM inspiration spirals, and the occasional overbooked Google Calendar meltdown, I’ve come to a simple truth: self-awareness is the new Birkin (or YSL Kate bag, whichever floats your boat). The real “it” girl isn’t perfect. She’s just incredibly fluent in her own chaos, and she makes it look chic.
So, consider this my love letter to the beautifully unhinged. This isn’t a “clean it up” moment, it’s a “romanticize the wreckage” guide. A glam little map for navigating ambition, burnout, and Condé Nast elevators with Dior lip glow, wit, and just the right amount of delusion.
The Perfectionist in Prada
I’m the girl who can’t relax until the fonts match and the lighting’s perfect. I’ve re-edited Reels and TikToks more times than I’d like to admit, all because a clip felt one second too long. (Shoutout to InShot’s “Pre-cut” feature, my toxic best friend). Even my Pinterest boards stress me out if the vibes aren’t perfectly curated.
Being detail-oriented has always felt like my edge, but lately, I’ve realized it can also be a cage. Anna Wintour didn’t catapult Vogue by overthinking every byline placement, and neither will I. I’m learning to embrace the imperfect; to let my work breathe before I edit it into oblivion.
Just look at Blake Lively, the queen of the red carpet who STILL styles herself. She's not aiming for flawlessness, she’s aiming for vision. And she delivers, even when it's unexpected, playful, or breaks every rule in the book with intention. That’s the magic of style.
The Yes-Girl in YSL
I’ve said yes to internships, group projects, collabs, dinners, Zoom interviews, and spontaneous 1 AM brainstorms all in the same week. Not because I’m trying to prove something — okay, maybe a little — but mostly because I love being involved. I chase the rush of a fully-booked calendar like it’s a limited-edition Supreme drop.
But being “booked and busy” isn’t the same as being aligned. The more I say yes, the blurrier my boundaries get — and suddenly, I’m halfway through a 5-part IG series I don’t even feel inspired by. An aesthetic burnout isn’t cute.
Alix Earle is the blueprint for this archetype — she’s front row at Fashion Week, running SipMargs, investing in Poppi, wearing couture daily, and still manages to deliver a GRWM before finals. But here’s the difference: she’s mastered transparency. She says yes to the moments, but doesn’t hide the mess. She posts the puffy eyes with the party dress. That’s real “it” girl energy: being spotted everywhere, yet knowing when to log off and enjoy the John Summit x Dom Dolla Miami Music Week headlining set.
The Chaos Curator
I’m constantly falling in love with ideas: the brand, the vision, the Pinterest-perfect moments. One minute I’m reworking a blog post at midnight because I’ve had a sudden burst of inspiration. The next, I’m committing to an entire Instagram story series before I’ve even figured out if it makes sense. My Google Drive is a curated disaster. My photos app is a mess of screenshots random inspo mixed in with normal teenage moments. It’s all chaos, but I can’t help but romanticize it. If you squint your eyes, it’s giving Marissa Cooper messy yet chic core.
I call this “romanticizing the weak spots,” and honestly, it’s part of the fun — until the dream starts unraveling. That’s when I realize: chaos can be chic, but only if I give it structure.
Ariana Madix gets it. She took the messiest, most public betrayal in Scandoval and turned it into a complete career reboot: brand deals, a book, hosting gigs like Love Island, Dancing with the Stars — you name it. She branded the drama, turned her chaos into a platform, and came out stronger than ever. That’s how you turn spirals into strategy.
The Solo CEO
I’ve built brands in my dorm room, written essays in the Notes app, and handled content calendars like I'm running a one-woman empire. I’ve had days where I’m founder, intern, strategist, model, and editor — and I wear every role like a pair of knee-high boots I had to fight tooth-and-nail for at a Manhattan basement sample sale.
But here’s the thing: “doing it all” has its limits. There’s glamor in the hustle until you realize it’s lonely at the top. Even Blair Waldorf had a team of minions. Even Sofia Richie Grainge has a glam squad. Delegating doesn’t take away from the vision… it ELEVATES it.
Sophia Bush is the OG Solo CEO — activist, actress, producer, and now podcast powerhouse with Work In Progress. She’s proof that being multi-hyphenate doesn’t mean doing it alone. She collaborates, builds community, and somehow makes business and the hustle derived from passion look both beautiful and bold.
The Self-Critic in Chanel
Every time I post something I care about deeply, I spiral. Was it too much? Did I overshare? Did I try too hard to be clever? (Spoiler: I sometimes do, and that’s okay.)
I spend so much time second-guessing myself that I forget to celebrate the fact that I actually did it. That I put something new into the world, followed through, and took the risk. Confidence isn’t a switch you flip, it’s a series of small decisions to keep going, even when you’re not sure.
And no one balances poise with privacy better than Gigi Hadid. She can shut down the runway and still keep her personal life low-key. She's not loud, she's intentional, and when she chooses to speak up, post, or show up, it matters. That’s the energy I want to channel when I start overthinking a caption.
Messy, But Make It Marketable
I’m not interested in being flawless. I’m interested in being intentional. In turning my inner critic into a brand voice and styling my insecurities like a statement fur coat, I’ve learned to wear the imperfect with pride.
We’re all trying to keep it together while falling apart in vintage Manolos. So why not embrace the flaw? Frame it, make it work for you. Romanticize the mess, but do it strategically.
Because the “it” girl of this era doesn’t have it all figured out. She’s just really, really good at looking like she does, and knows herself well enough not to fake it.