Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Nicola Roberts : Fashion Icon. How the "ugly one" from Girls Aloud has transformed into a style queen...




  Right from the beginning, when Girls Aloud were first created in 2002 by the ITV reality show Popstars: The Rivals, Nicola Roberts was always considered the plainest member of the group. With her pale skin, freckles and unconventional looks, she was constantly singled out and ridiculed. Lily Allen famously referred to her as “The Ugly One”, a title which stuck. Aged only 17 when the group was formed, Nicola was just an awkward teenager with braces and freckles, yet to find her own style, going through the same journey of mistakes and self-consciousness that all young girls go through at some stage, in order to blossom into confident women who feel comfortable with themselves. However, unlike other young girls, Nicola had to endure her awkward stage under the cruel scrutiny of the public, her every mistake highlighted and criticised.

  People can be cruel, and no-one stopped to think that Nicola Roberts, Girls Aloud superstar, was in reality just a young girl, as vulnerable and easily hurt as any teenager. For years she endured constant taunts from the public and media, who regularly mocked her looks, particularly her fair skin and the distinctive flame-red hair which has now become her signature feature. Surrounded by beautiful bandmates such as Cheryl Cole and Sarah Harding, with their typically good looks, and regularly insulted by the press, it is no wonder Nicola Roberts felt insecure and unhappy in her own skin.

  My self-esteem was at rock-bottom,” she has since revealed. “"For years I felt like the ugly one in Girls Aloud … The odd one out … I felt awful. Turning from a teenager into a woman is hard enough without dealing with snide comments.
As a teenager, Nicola was yet to find her own style...
  Instead of embracing her own differences and dressing for them, Nicola spent years trying to force herself to fit the girl-band stereotypicl mould of a “pretty, bronzed, blonde commercial-looking woman.” Using layers of fake tan and thick, heavy make up, she coated her light skin with products in an attempt to look as tanned as her four bandmates. In an attempt to completely disguise her fair complexion, Nicola also dyed her hair darker. Old pictures clearly show a self-conscious young girl, trying hard to be somethings she’s not. Under such constant criticism, it is no wonder it took Nicole so long to find her own style, and work with her pale skin and red hair, instead of against it. But thankfully, the “ugly one” from Girls Aloud has finally learnt to celebrate her differences. The ugly duckling has blossomed into a beautiful swan.

  Gone is the spray tan and orange make up. The hair dye and extensions have been ditched. Nicola’s skin is back to its natural, clear white, which perfectly compliments her eyes, features and distinctive red hair. Never before has the phrase “pale and interesting” been so true. Nicola stands out now not as the plain band member, but as the striking, glamorous, different one. She proves beyond a doubt that to look your best, you must work with your natural looks – never try to change them completely. And with her new-found confidence, Nicola has begun to experiment with fashion, quickly finding her own original style which suits her fair skin and hair. This amazing transformation has seen Nicola Roberts swiftly becoming a style icon.

  Nicola has become an inspiration, not only to fashionistas everywhere who admire her fabulous clothes, but to anyone who has felt uncomfortable in their own skin. She recently released her own make up range, appropriately named Dainty Doll, which is aimed at women with very fair skin. Nicola explained, “Seeing that no other brand on the market cater for paler skinned women really frustrated me.” Music career aside, Nicola is now becoming well known for her passionate interest in make up and fashion. However, when asked about releasing her own fashion range, Nicola pointed out that celebrities who put their name on clothes for the sake of it are taking opportunities away from hard-working, up-and-coming young designers, saying; “I have too much respect for the industry.”


  Personally, I adore Nicola’s style, and admire her obvious, genuine appreciation for fashion. For too long, she has been overlooked. Now she is coming into her own as a style queen, a unique beauty and a champion for girls who don’t want to follow the tanning bed trend. People are beginning to sit up and take notice of Nicola Roberts. Her outfits are both daring and stunning, her hairstyles and make up are flawless, and it is clear that she has finally made peace with her insecurities, and learnt to be comfortable with her own particular brand of delicate prettiness. She is definitely a style icon and someone to watch. When Nicola spoke out about her new look, she seemed happy and confident as she explained how she loves what she is doing now and no longer feels like the ugly one. She also added that if anyone disliked her style, she “couldn’t give a toss.” Good for you Nicola!



* Attention, fashionistas! A few final thoughts…

Check out Nicolas outfits at London Fashion Week – they are all fab and inspiring!




Pale girlies who wanna rock the natural look – look up her Dainty Doll Range! Pale is beautiful, if you know how to work it!


4 comments:

  1. Another great post and so true. She is unrecognisable from the orange awkward teen. And unlike Cheryl Cole, I doubt think her look comes courtesy of an army of stylists...she seems to know her own body and have a natural sense of what looks she can work. Fab!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I adore Nicola's new style! She's the ultimate example of how dressing your own way will always work better than dressing to try and meet society's perception of what's desirable. I just hope she's inspired legions of teenage girls to follow in her footsteps, ditch the spray tan and embrace their natural beauty!

    P.s. she also makes me feel very grateful that my own 'awkward' teenage fashion moments didn't make tabloid headlines. Because we ALL had those moments. Shudder.

    x Rosa
    http://toogallant.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for reading and commenting girls- I really appreciate it! x

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that she keeps her pale skin & red hair!
    x

    ReplyDelete