Discovery

This is a question Ive been asking myself lately. For someone who has never had what it takes and who has always had a tendency towards geeky, the essence of cool is fascinating and elusive  So my musings have led me to question which elements are essential in the cool equation   What makes the uber hip stand out from the crowd   I believe that the recipe lies in the following ingredients:

Style and ability to set trends – cool people aren’t afraid to break away from conformity and create a new way of being.  They challenge what is generally thought of as acceptable and push boundaries when it comes to style. These are people who are not afraid to embrace their look and are ambivalent to criticism of it. (Note – please do not try this if you do not have the confidence to pull it off – the results could be disastrous).

Vocation – The job you do (or don’t) is very important.  For instance – it is difficult to carry off the cool faade if you are, say, a pig farmer, or if you spend your working day cleaning toilets – rock stars, movie stars and stars of any kind definitely have an advantage on this front.  Traditionally cool occupations also include: artist, photographer, fashion designer, writer, music industry dweeb or groupie 

Attitude – Perhaps one of the most important ingredients of all.  Ultra cool people never say the wrong thing at the wrong time, get caught in situations that their parents would be happy with or appear embarrassed at ANYTHING.  A very precise mix of aloofness, egotism, rebellion and spirit is a requirement in a cool personality.  Celebrities walk a very fine line here – too much of one ingredient (i.e. rebellion) can plummet someone from the height of hip to the depths of desperation.  For an example of how easy it is for this to happen please see Amy Winehouse (there is such a thing as too much excess).

Mystery - a little bit of this goes a long way.  We all like to speculate to a certain extent about people we iconize.  Word of mouth and rumour go a long way to creating urban legend and keeping a myth alive.  Mystery in relation to cool is the difference between Gerard Way and Pete Wentz (sorry Pete).

Partner/Friends – being the boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife or friend of a celebrity does not necessarily make you cool.  Remember Eliza Cuts   Do I have to remind you of Victoria Beckham   However, in certain cases and especially if you are a celebrity already, your cool status can be enhanced by being in the right relationship.  Couples – past and present who have taken advantage of the cool celebrity partner opportunity are:  Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, Marilyn Manson and Dita von Teese,  Kate Moss and Pete Doherty and Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love.  Note:  there is a hazard attached to this route of achieving coolness – if your partner is cool and you are not – this will be highlighted (see Ashlee Simpson).

You 100% have it, my top 6 cool people:

For not always taking the easy movie, for daring to be different and for being Gerard Way’s poster girl – Christina Ricci

For being the one in the band that lived fast, died young and didn’t survive to become a reality TV whore – Sid Vicious

For being the fat girl that doesn’t care and for refusing to promote a fashion line in a UK store that only supplies clothes for girls up to a  size 14 (in other words having principles and sticking to them), on top of knowing how to put on a punk rock show – Beth Ditto

For sharing enough of himself with us that we want more but keeping enough of himself private that we wonder at the mystery of him – Gerard Way

For introducing us to his pain through a new style of music and finding passion in the mundane – Kurt Cobain

For being good at being a groupie but not much else but for defining the essence of cool for a whole generation - Edie Sedgwick

So, if style + vocation + attitude + mystery + peers = cool – what are the complete no no’s – the personality traits and actions that stop the wannabe from becoming fully fledged or cause the top of the pile chic to become has-beens

Ego – one of the essential ingredients in a cool personality, this characteristic needs to be carefully measured.  Just enough of it and we’re enthralled, too much and you lose us as a public and we’re walking away – (take note Bono, you’re not God – stop acting like it).

Nepotism - no matter how edgy a person is, if they didn’t make it on their own, the public are naturally suspicious.  No matter how much we love Lily Allen with her eccentric ballroom gown and sneakers style and her quirky songs with her in your face lyrics – there’s the nagging feeling that we’d never have known about her if it wasn’t for her Dad.  Same goes for Stella McCartney – ok, ok, she’s a great designer blah, blah, blah – but would she have got work at THAT fashion house, had it not been for Daddy   They can tell us they did it all on their own if they like – but we wont believe them.   

Trying too hard or asking to be recognised – classic mistake.  You can never be cool by trying; being hip must be an effortless thing.  It must be part of your genetic make up.  No matter what colour you dye your hair or how many piercings you have, if you have to advertise the fact that you’re cool – you lose. 

So, in summary, if I was depressed at the start due to my totally uncool status, I am strangely heartened to know that there is nothing I can do about it.  Trying is against the rules so if I try I automatically fail.  It also occurs to me that there are far too many perils attached to being cool and that it may be a whole lot easier to forget the whole thing and just be happy being me.

Is it important to be cool   Do you agree with my list   Let me know in the box below……