Celebrity Crushes

Celebrities aren't usually the kind of thing I write about. Well, celebrity style and appearance isn't anyway. I've always been rubbish at anything to do with beauty and fashion but this year it's been hard to miss some of the world's biggest stars and their images. Something that's really making me happy is the amount of attitude celebrities are injecting into their style. The outfits still scream sex but they no longer give the impression of delicate little women being exploited in a man's world but instead they reek of a more aggressive sexuality. They are playing up to their sexuality in such a way that it no longer seems that they are submissive waifs but dominant leaders who swear like sailors, use men like giant dildos and let the whole world know exactly what they want in the bedroom. 

It is not for me to say what this means for feminism, or society, or even if this image of the modern woman is reflective of their reality (everybody knows that the music industry is ruled by men who probably control more than we can even begin to comprehend), but at face value, I must say that I am a fan of this new image and what it means for women. 

Here I discuss my top style icons/crushes of the summer. 

1. Miley Cyrus

Who else could it be? Miley, with her drastically changed appearance, edgy new song and what will almost certainly become a legendary performance at the VMA's earlier this week, has certainly made tongues wag all over the world as she asserts her grown up status and move away from the child starlet that so many people have seen her as for so long. Say what you will about Miley and her exhibitionism (and many of you have), I personally think Miley looks great. The hair, the tattoos, the body, and of course, the twerking, all combine to make an image that is part fashion, part sex, part defiance and part loud assertion that she is now an adult and can do whatever she hell she likes. 

2. Iggy Azalea

Until I went to Parklife festival in June, I'd never heard the name 'Iggy Azalea.' However, after being subjected to 'Bounce' and 'Beat Down' being played at 9am as my friends and I forced ourselves to drink Strongbow while we prepared for the weekend ahead, I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious about this creature that sounded like the love child of Azealia Banks and Ke$ha. Well. Since that fateful weekend, Iggy has been a regular on my iPod, and I've lost count of the times that I've told people I want 'to be her.' 

Azalea is an Australian female rapper who, at the age of 15 ran away to America to try and make it big in the music world. Never afraid to say what she wants (lyrics include 'wetter than the Amazon, taste this kitty' and 'he went down and he kissed it, this pink pussy no lipstick, more like lip gloss when it's sticky, ain't no bitch bossin like Iggy') or shy away from attention on stage (really, if you can't afford a lap dance, go and see Iggy) she really is a breath of fresh air compared to all the Taylor Swiftee's we've had in recent times, and is definitely one of my favourite people right now.

3. Lady Gaga

The only reason that Gaga isn't higher up on my list is because I'm shamelessly fangirling Miley and Iggy at the minute, but I'm well aware that she probably deserves the top spot. I don't need to say much about Ms Gaga because her appearance speaks for itself. Much like a geisha, she is a walking, talking, breathing piece of art. She is not merely a pop star, or a woman wearing a meat suit, but a whole mass of different things all rolled into one. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

4. Sallie Axl

Former Big Brother contestant Sallie's motto is 'tits, tats and beanie hats,' and I can't agree more with her style philosophy. Not afraid to embrace her tomboyish side with her body art and casual attire, Axl still oozes sex appeal, and why the hell shouldn't she? I hate the idea that beauty has to be restricted to floral dresses, pink lip gloss and blonde angel curls and that any guy who finds tattooed girls hot has some sort of weird fetish. Whatever you make of glamour models, I think Sallie looks great and I'm glad that she's making this look more mainstream in a way that is taken more seriously than past models that have endorsed the look (I'm talking to you Jodie Marsh).

5. Rihanna

I'm not the biggest fan of Rihanna as a person. I don't like her taste in men, her whole 'drugs are cool' rhetoric or the majority of the things that she comes out with on Twitter, but Rihanna was one of the first people on this list to change her image from 'good girl' to a more sexual, edgy look for her Rated R album back in 2009. She swapped her lyrics from singing about love and music to games of Russian Roulette and men with big erections, cut her hair off and started being overtly, crudely sexual. What can I say, she's never looked back! I personally find this approach to 'girl power' far more effective than the majority of attractive female singers' of today and, whatever my opinions on her lifestyle, I can't fault her 'fuck you' attitude. 

6. Nicki Minaj

Everybody seems to hate Nicki but I love her. I love her neon hairstyles, her insane make up and her magnificent bottom. I love the faces she pulls, the fantastically strange voice she has and the sheer amount of confidence she must have to do what she does. When Nicki came on the scene, there was (to my knowledge) nobody like her. Nicki made addictive, commercial rap songs infused with pop that were nothing like her female predecessors in the world of rap, creating an entirely new style of music that I can't help but love. She's also gorgeous.

 

7. Courtney Stodden

I know I'll probably get a lot of stick for this but I love Courtney's look and I think it disgusting that people despise her purely because she chooses to dress in a certain way. Being blonde or have plastic tits doesn't make you a slut, and even if she had slept with every man and his dog, who cares? It annoys me enough when girls are slut shamed for actually being sluts because there's nothing wrong with having sex, but when a girl has slept with one person in her entire life and is slut shamed for the way she looks, well, I think it's mean. I'd love to look like Courtney. 

8. Rita Ora

I've always been a fan of Rita's style and I think it so unfair that she's compared to Rihanna so much. In my opinion, Rita Ora is nothing like Rihanna, and aside from having dark skin and (once) having blonde hair at the same tie, I see no similarities. I love Rita's chunky necklaces, red lips and tomboy clothes. 

9. Jessie J

Not a fan of Jessie's music but I can't deny that she always looks great. From her striking make up in Do it like a dude to her recent hair transformation, she always manages to look unique, and in a world where everybody is trying to be different, that's quite a feat. I also admire Jessie for speaking out about having low self-esteem, being bullied and how she is just as capable as a 'dude' of doing something. It would be easy for her to sing meaningless songs about sex and partying but, aside from a few suspect lyrics, Jessie J always manages to convey a positive message to her young fans. 

10. Rebecca Williams

Okay, so I'm cheating a little bit here. I'm putting Becca as number 10 because she's not really, strictly, technically famous, and so I figured I'd let the celebrities take the celebrity spots but it would be impossible to draw up a list of my style icons/girl crushes without having her on it somewhere! Becca's got that effortless style that I just don't have and whenever I see her she'll have perfect make up, hair that she's copied from Princess Leia, and some amazing clothing with cats or naked ladies on it (I don't think I've ever actually seen her wearing a naked lady but her walls are full of them). Becca is the kind of person who will make a costume from scratch when going to a fancy dress party (see below), and spend hours perfecting various hair and make up styles. If I wasn't so jealous I'd fancy her but I'm too bitter.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

xoxo