Preppy vs Quirky

There are increasing dramas set against the imposing New York skyline. We are introduced more and more to glamorous Manhattanites on the tv since the Sex and the City days and more recently Gossip Girl. Not to mention fly on the wall type programmes like Running in Heels and The City. If like me you worship at the altar of The Hills and The City then you too desperately want to believe that every cat-fight and perfectly poised tear on an immaculately airbrushed cheek is the real deal. These glossy adaptations of the phenomenon that is reality tv, lead fashion fantasists to believe that because we are afforded a peek into their wardrobes we have a genuine insight into their psyche. If these programmes are anything to go by they also suggest that girls fall into two main categories; the Blairs and Serenas of this world. There are more extreme cases such as super-sexy Samanthas and more recently biker chicks like Audrina Patridge and little Jenny in Gossip Girl.

However no-one seems to divide a female following like Serena Van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf. Are you a Whitney Port devotee or an Olivia Palermo lover?There is no doubt in my mind as to where my loyalties lie. I sometimes think I must be biased or swayed by the fact that Whitney is such a sweet person and Olivia is a judgmental socialite who looks down her nose at everyone outside the Upper East Side. And while Olivia may be petite and pretty and polished to perfection she rarely cracks a smile and takes herself too seriously. This undoubtedly comes across in her style, and it is boring. Whitney in fairness sometimes gets it very wrong, but she looks like a 23 year old girl who has fun with getting dressed and therefore I forgive her mistakes in the heartbeat. She demonstrates bravery and imagination, always playing with vintage and high street pieces, for this Whitney Port I applaud you. Whereas Olivia is a feast of designer garments, always follows the rules and wears YSL tributes and too much make-up to work. Urgh..bored now! Ok I am a little bit in love with Whitney because her legs are reminiscent of Bambi and her almond eyes seep pure kindness, but it irritates me how much Grazia and the like endorse Olivia Palermo as some kind of new style goddess, without acknowledging Whitney's finer fashion moments. As if the world needs another socialite.

Similarly when it comes to Gossip Girl I am always shocked by the amount of die-hard Blair fans out there. To me, while she wears some fabulous clothes, her preppy uniform and alice bands look twee and childish next to statuesque Serena in her sexier and more laid-back ensembles. The way I see it if you cannot have fun with clothes at 23 you will never be able to truly enjoy fashion, and thats just plain sad.