Recently a distressing email came my way announcing
very matter-of-factly that Paris Hilton has displaced Caroline Kennedy
Schlossberg as “America’s
True Princess.” This means she was ranked above Mrs. Schlossberg
as the so-called “ America’s True Princess”, and coming
in with a whopping 48% of the vote. Mrs. Schlossberg trailed behind by
10%. The study was conducted by Women's Entertainment and the InsightExpress
research company, where 1000 American women 18+ were polled on a variety
of questions regarding their current opinions on royalty, its role in
modern society and the differences in popularity in American vs. royal
life . In her recent, provocative editorial for Lookonline’s New
York Fashion Industry Report, Diane Clehane bemoans this new trend and
looks back to the days---not too long ago---that the American public
admired the incandescent elegance of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his one
of a kind style setter wife, Carolyn. And of course, Princess Diana was
one of our icons not too long ago. The Royal Family has not a lot to
admire these days.
In this same distressing email, we are
informed that when told about the survey results while summer vacationing
on her friend's yacht in the Mediterranean, Paris replied, "That's
Hot!"
And what criteria did these women use in making their selections
for the top "American Princess?" A quarter of the women
(24%) polled ranked being part of a famous American family as the top
trait, followed by financial wealth, attitude and an even split between
a trust fund, expensive clothes and jewels and a multi-million dollar
home.
The survey discovered that being an "American Princess" is considered
very different though from being a "royal Princess;" more than two-thirds
(65%) agreed that being an "American Princess" carries different
traits than its royal counterpart.
It might be easy to blame top Hollywood stylist
Rachel Zoe for these cloned sexpots/princesses, but Rachel Zoe is adorable
in her thin, long blonde hair, tough girl/soft girl mélange.
Rachel Zoe is actually responsible for pulling together the looks of
former style losers Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie. American Princesses
will not seem to part with their long blonde hair. Even Carolyn Bessette
Kennedy, a natural brunette, turned to bleach to enhance her American
Princess look.
Haute Couture front row celebrities include the
ever present Ivana Trump,Gwen Stefani, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Even Christina Aguilera, a front row regular, looks like a queen compared
with Paris Hilton, her sister Nicky, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie.
I had to be told I was looking at Aguilera during the shows—I
keep confusing her with Stefani since they currently look the same.
The cameras that swept upon Aguilera before each show was nothing short
of ridiculous. Do we need these princesses so badly? Is this what ultimately
sells Manolo Blahnik shoes and Birkin bags?
Here’s a story for you. An American woman
who keeps her privacy guarded bought an haute couture ensemble from
one of the top Paris couturiers. It was in the six figures. When she
learned that the same ensemble had been given to
a starlet living in the same town, she complained—and the couture house refunded her money and
she kept her ensemble. Princess power is not just running amok in the
tabloids and on our televisions. Top fashion companies also realize the
debt they owe to the non-celebrities, often beautiful women, who buy
their clothes and accessories at top dollar and wear them to the most
chic places in the world. But you won’t hear about these women.
They have the
elegance of the late John Jr. and Carolyn as well as Diana, without the
burden of celebrity.
Meanwhile, I rather doubt Caroline Kennedy Shlossberg
is wringing her hands over her loss to Paris Hilton as “America’s
True Princess”.
What goes around comes around, especially in style matters, and Fashionlines
predicts Paris Hilton will be a has-been when Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg
is still doing her good works all over Manhattan.
Editor’s note: The survey was executed as research in support
of the launch of WE: Women's Entertainment's new reality series
American Princess, in which twenty women compete to become the first-ever
American Princess. American
Princess premieres on WE: Women's Entertainment on August 7 at 10pm ET/7pm
PT.
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