TLC ran a special on her "appeal" yesterday, and one could smell the editor monkeys' desparation during the second half.
When talking about her hair, they compared it to The Rachel. Except, The Rachel is iconic because it was a new layering technique created specifically for Jennifer Aniston. Piper's hair is nice, but millions of women already have her look, without the fame.
Then, her style. At least, with Kate, the commentators always said it's typically Sloaneish. With Piper, the commentators wanted to act like her "non-business suit suit" gown of boxy leather jacket, skirt, and blouse or t-shirt is something new, when it's not. And, yes, I agree with them, she looked good in her Sarah Burton bridesmaid gown, but one awesome gown does NOT make one a "style icon." It just makes you the It Girl of the Moment.
The program was hysterical though, because TLC was trying to act like covering Pipppa was a big deal, and was stretching so badly ("she's nicknamed P. Middy! That means she's arrived in celebrity terms!") and so obviously ("no one knows if she has a 9-5 job, but the world has changed, the work force isn't like it used to be so jobs are going to be untraditional nowadays) and to points of the ridiculous (they spent 10 minutes focussing on admiring her butt). They even contradicted themselves several times.
There have been comments on this forum regarding certain celebs and It Girls, and I'll include Pippa in this: why do they have forums when they have no style? why do they get labelled style icons when there is nothing significant that stands out about their fashion? I think the answer lies in the fact that most people don't follow--and certainly don't get--true high fashion and the world within it. Therefore, when someone comes along who can dress semi-decently, it gets praised. Pippa may lack in style sense, but because she's presented as different yet *relatable*, people-who-don't-follow-fashion latch onto her (Or Kate) and copy her style. And, which is why we get sh***y TLC programs acting like her Hair is the. best. hair. ever.
I also think that if even if a person has a bland or bad style, it's worth discussing because it can be a useful how-to NOT dress.
Oh, and now that's I've been in this topic a few weeks, I think Pippa is good with evening gowns and some cocktail dresses, but her daytime wardrobe seriously lacks in style. I do think she has the potential to improve, but she needs help to get there.