Celebrity fashion is big business.  From red carpet dissections to Hits and Disses on MSN, we are obsessed by who wore what, who looked good, and who was a hot mess.  While anyone can be a hit or a miss for a day, there are a handful of celebrities for whom we have definite expectations.  So, what does it take to be a celebrity fashion icon or disaster?

Your traditional iconic is a woman that embodies grace, poise and elegance in addition to the ability to wear great clothes well.  You will never see her with grown out roots, unshaved legs, or less than perfectly plucked eyebrows.  She loves to look good and it shows all over.  She knows what looks great on her body and she only wears clothes that are well made and beautiful - never daring, faddish, or outrageous.  On the red carpet she seldom disappoints.  Previous icons included screen legends Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. Their modern counterparts include Halle Berry, Heidi Klum, and Dita von Teese.  To be a traditional fashion icon, you need to know how to dress for your body type, adhere to a rigorous grooming regime, and have a quality, tailored wardrobe.

The untraditional fashion icon is a woman that takes risks but manages to pull it off in ways nobody else can.  She’s the one that can wear haute couture without looking foolish and even in a creation that you have to look at from all angles to understand, she’s relaxed, and confident.  Untraditional icons include Kate Moss, Tilda Swinton, and Eva Green. To pull off their style, you need a firm sense of self and a towering heap of confidence.  You must like attention and know how to wear the clothes, not let the clothes wear you. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum are ladies that are consistently photographed looking much less than their best and in subpar clothing.  They either don’t put effort into their look or they own a wardrobe that reeks of trying too hard.  Sadly, at the top of this list is Lindsay Lohan who went from a cute, perky starlet with a promising red carpet career to a head to toe mess. Lindsay is stuck on leggings as pants or worse, no pants at all (at least Lady Gaga does it artistically).  Also making this list are three women that consider themselves to have an edgy fashion sense, but fall far short of the mark.  Twins Mary Kate and Ashely Olsen, and Big Love actress Chloe Sevigny wear clothes that come off as downright ridiculous instead of modern and cutting edge.  I have to do a quick shout out to Mariah Carey.  Honey, your voice is amazing, as is your body, but what makes you a disaster is zzzzzzzzzz.  Oops.  I fell asleep there for a moment.  Miss Carey your style is boring. You haven’t changed your signature tight, short, and revealing look for years.  If anyone can rock a frock it’s you, so please wake us up and show us something different. 

What can we learn from these disasters?  If your style hasn’t changed since high school, it’s time to start watching What Not To Wear. Skin tight and cleaving bearing has its time and place.  Different does not always equal good, and sloppy (and pants less) is never appropriate unless you are alone at home watching movies and eating popcorn. 

Clothes may not make the man but they certainly define who goes down in history as an icon and who gets forgotten with time.  The general public loves to watch what celebs are wearing and thanks to the Fug Girls and all the other entertainment watchdogs out there, we will be picking and choosing icons for years to come.