Like all great archaeological discoveries, it began with an asthma inhaler. My lungs were screaming, as I’d just migrated the flat TV into my room. A blissful Friday night of nothingness laid ahead, with only one obstacle left: the TV was not high enough for my in-bed eyesight.
Looking around the room for some type of platform, I soon shrieked. Nope, not a cockroach (this time). I had stumbled across an iconic fashion artefact: a 192-page hardcover book with a ballet pink cover.
It, a half biography, half guide on how to be cool by Alexa Chung, arrived in 2010 and its pages have since been seared into my brain ever since.
The book entered my life at the age of 15. A particularly vulnerable time, marked by concerns of whether my teal school uniform was sexually desirable enough for sweaty Wellington College boys. Seeing images of Chung on Tumblr and a then early-Instagram reflected a different idea of what ‘cool’ could look like.
Measly dollars were saved so I could bag the hardcopy version. The book became an accessory of sorts, taken on family holidays (where I was reprimanded for nude pages present), in my tote-bag to high school and other luxurious teenage destinations. The obsession was real.
But for what reason did I need to be holding It in between NCEA Level 1 History double periods? My friend, and top Alexa Chung confidante, Arantxa holds the answer: “It came out at a point in time when 15-year-old girls wanted to be rebellious and free. But I think that also created a dichotomy, because I had some desperate need to find a manifesto to keep me in line?”
She adds, “It’s sentimental and it’s hilarious at its core.”
We’re not the only ones who remain spellbound by Chung’s manifesto. When I casually posted an Instagram story of It, the passion in my DMs… I wish I had the same response every time I posted a thirst trap at 12.07am.
The book’s cultural relevance reigns on, most of it perhaps due to Chung’s supernova status. In an age of TikTok microtrends, she continues to have a mass appeal ranging from horse girls to minimalist-style influencers. Her presence on my style (and hair) moodboard has lasted longer than any of my long-term relationships.
For these nine stylish and suave people, It came into their lives for different reasons, from needing a style icon in the depths of Palmerston North to needing an escape at the airport. Read on to find out why they’ve continued to hold onto the book, and the influence it has had on them.
Arantxa Zecchini Dowling, 23, tech consultant
When and why did you buy It?
My younger brother Max gifted it to me for my 15th birthday, at my request. I’ve logged into my Tumblr to see what my posts looked like in 2013 and 2014, and found a perfect compilation of off-duty models, Arctic Monkeys lyrics and close-ups of matte makeup, which complimented my birthday wish-list of the year perfectly.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you? And have you read it again recently?
Teenage me treated It in the same way people treat The Body Keeps The Score, or The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, which is hilarious. And very telling of the 15-year-old desire to be rebellious, feeling ready to take control of oneself, but needing a manifesto to tell them how to achieve such a feat.
Alexa does not outrightly tell you what to do, so It satisfied my teenage dichotomy of independence and misdirection. I meticulously took notes and annotated how It would guide my life. I’m still looking to Alexa’s notes on Anna Karina and Jane Birkin when I feel unamused with my outfit choices a decade later.
Why do you think you've held onto it for all this time?
I’m a hugely sentimental person, and come from an editorial family, who ensure that every book gifted (and there have been many!) has a message inscribed on the front page. It’s how love has been presented to me.
Do you have any annotations inside?
In a fit of 19-year-old embarrassment, I ripped out all the post-it notes I’d placed throughout It. I regret that immensely. I’ve found only one highlighted segment, which I still stand by, in a balancing act, duality-of-woman, Gwyneth-Paltrow-coded way:
What’s your favourite line or best piece of advice from it?
I think there’s no better way to get dressed than with the intent of making yourself laugh, or dressing up like someone else. Alexa aptly introduces her array of icons with this paragraph:
"...I borrowed heavily from the stars of the silver screen. I still find film characters to be the most useful sources of inspiration when it comes to sartorial decisions, but now rather than literally ripping off a look and seeming as though I'm in fancy dress as a particular character, I manage to incorporate certain styles into my wardrobe in a more subtle way."
Any funny anecdotes surrounding the book?
I’ve not recovered from the idea that this guide would perfect my eyeliner:
“…always think ‘up and out’. The thing you're trying to fake is making your eyes look wider and more cat-like. Now study a cat's face. Yeah, that.”
Grabbing the cat to closely analyse gave me allergies, and I think my mother’s decade-old Bobbi Brown pencil did too.
Jess Molina, 31, writer/influencer/content creator
When and why did you buy It?
It was definitely a Tumblr purchase! I didn't know anything about Alexa Chung but my best friend Steph was obsessed with her. And to me Steph has always been the epitome of coolness and style, so I decided to check out the book. It's very Tumblr and early Instagram aka my generation so I loved it.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you? And have you read it again recently?
I can't remember reading the book for the first time if I'm honest. I just remember going through it really fast and being a bit disappointed/underwhelmed as I thought Alexa Chung was very interesting and I could have read more.
Why do you think you've held onto it for all this time?
I actually didn't realise I still had it until a few months ago when I was doing a big office clear out. It was sitting there with other coffee table books buried under a beautiful tray carrying my perfume display. But I'm a bit of a hoarder so I tend to keep things just in case I decide to flick through them again...
What’s your favourite line or best piece of advice?
The most memorable advice for me was from her mum telling her the best way to get over a man was to get under another man. I mean, where is the lie though?
Any funny anecdotes surrounding the book?
The last time I read It was back in 2020 when I took it with me to a doctor's appointment. Felt like it was the perfect lighthearted book to bring with me. The wait time was so long I actually finished it before I even got to see the doctor…
Tia Harris, 23, model/funemployed
When and why did you buy It?
I got it as a gift from one of my close friends in high school who was a big fan of Alexa Chung. I didn’t know much about Alexa myself, other than the Harry Styles dating rumours, but I knew she was the talk of the town (or should I say the world) at the time, so I was interested but not totally sure if I was going to read it or keep it as a coffee table/decoration book.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you? And have you read it again recently?
So here is the result: I kept it as a decoration book. I have dabbled in reading pages throughout my time having it, but I never really sat down and put time aside to read it properly.
During those years I was also struggling with eating and body image issues, so it was hard for me to sit down and read a book that involved a very slim woman talking about her fashion choices; I felt like you had to look like her to fit into. I never read it, and the only thing I heard from people when I asked what it was about was, “idk it’s about her life and fashion and stuff” – I know it's probably a lot more than that, but at the time it didn’t scream ‘appealing’.
Looking through the pages of the book, as I’m writing this now, I kind of get the hype. She seems cool, the photos and artwork in the book are cool and the cover itself… super cool. But I still don’t really resonate with her. If this book is predominantly about fashion, then I don’t know how much it can give me because I personally don't find her fashion sense that revolutionary or different to a lot of people’s.
I also am not one to take fashion advice from people, I prefer looking at things I like and going off a mood rather than trying to fit a video or guide that someone else has written out for me. I may still give it a proper read at some stage because it’s one of those, can’t knock it till you try it situations. Who knows? Reading the book may change my mind.
What’s your favourite line or best piece of advice?
I think the page that I stumbled on to do with Karaoke (page 161) was so close to being my favourite line/page. She begins speaking of the topic of success and making small goals to make yourself proud rather than just relying on big things such as “becoming a doctor”. I wish she went deeper into this topic before giving me karaoke tips (which are in fact helpful, not gonna lie).
I think there was so much potential to make this book even more insightful by talking about topics like that in detail, just as much as she talks about style in the book. She lays down the blueprint, but doesn’t delve right into different topics much. More insight would be amazing and would make me want to read it more.
Isabelle Carson, 22, art history student/retail assistant
When and why did you buy It?
I actually bought It only last year (at age 21), after finding it in an op shop. I wanted it so badly when I was 14/15 but I remember it was around $40 and that was way out of budget for me, so I never bought it. When I saw it in that op shop, I had to buy it for the 14-year-old me. I am still a huge fan of Alexa Chung and her style.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you?
I read it when I bought it and was glad that I never spent the money on it at full price. Lol. 14-year-old me would have treated it like a bible though.
Any funny anecdotes surrounding the book?
I think the funniest thing about it is just the fact that I still felt the need to own it after all these years. Alexa remains relevant and aspirational!
Debbie Harris, 29, artist and wholesale at Crushes
When and why did you buy It?
I bought it when it first came out. I was already deep into my Alexa obsession. As a Libra, before Instagram, she was the shining beacon of fashion I needed from my flat in Palmerston North. I think it took me a while to actually read it because initially I bought the book because it was so pretty, but it sat on my shelves for a while before I got around to reading it.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you? And have you read it again recently?
I've only read it the one time I decided to pick it up, although now I'm curious to have a re-read. I would have been on holiday, reading during the summer and I loved how witty the writing was. There's a clear tone to the way Alexa described things. I remember dissociating into a fantasy of being her friend, imagining what it would be like to party or be backstage at an Arctic Monkeys show with her.
Why do you think you've held onto it for all this time?
I'm not really sure to be honest. The book is stunning and I guess kind of a marker of a very specific time in my life. She was a really formative icon for me. I would Google her and her hair. I think I watched her eyeliner YouTube video 1000 times, and haven't stopped wearing winged eyeliner ever since, probably never will.
She gave me a sense of how to style vintage when I desperately needed it in high school. My friends and I were just learning to op shop and she was wearing vintage clothes in a seemingly easy way, although of course our outfits never looked as good as hers. She definitely helped us elevate ourselves a bit.
Sophia Collins, 18, currently on a gap year
When and why did you buy It?
I bought It when I was 15, in 2020. By that point, the cool girls I followed on Instagram had been lovingly satirising the It, Arctic Monkeys, Doc Martens-against-a-fence, Tumblr hay-day that had a chokehold on me when I was 8 or 9. I guess my interest was less to do with Alexa but more the nostalgia associated with the book. I always thought she was cool though. I had been on the hunt for a few months, and finally bought it for 50c at a local op shop, well-loved, bought alongside a leather duster jacket.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you? And have you read it again recently?
I remember being really hungover the day I first read it. It was probably a Sunday, after an evening scouring local suburbs with a bottle of Finlandia vodka and three friends. I was nauseous, slumped against the kitchen fridge, emotionally vulnerable.
I remember thinking things like, “who are all these people” or “isn’t that Lolita book really problematic?” Or “fuck she’s the coolest,” or “she doesn’t know what it’s like to be mediocre looking.”
I re-read it recently, the main change in experience was understanding and knowing more of her references. It felt like some sort of an achievement. And I understood the heartbreak page better, lol. I think the book impacted me by encouraging me to follow and wear what made me feel best, and I appreciated that aspect.
Why do you think you've held onto it for all this time?
The spine is still gorgeous, it’s nostalgic, it’s funny.
What’s your favourite line or best piece of advice?
This isn’t my favourite line, but the one I found the most memorable because it pissed me off for some reason: “I also wish I’d been reassured that one day, yes, a boy would actually fancy me in spite and potentially, deliberately FOR my zero boob/ skinny legs combo.”
I loved page 167, in particular this line: “Once I opened her handbag (a red glittery heart affair) to analyse the contents. It contained a photo booth strip of a picture of herself, one dollar and a plastic dog.”
Georgie Holmes, 24, brand strategist
When and why did you buy It?
I vividly remember asking my mum to buy my copy of It in an airport convenience store, probably at an inflated airport price. I needed a book to read on the plane for a flight to Australia. I read the entire thing on the flight over. I did know of Alexa and definitely felt drawn to her style – namely the statement collars, Breton stripes and shift dresses.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you? And have you read it again recently?
At the impressionable age of 15, I lapped up almost every detail reading this book for the first time. It was around the time of my first foray into makeup so Alexa’s tips were well needed (though looking back it seems I did not emulate them very well).
Alexa was an OG horse girl, as was I. She found early inspiration in equestrian and its fashion paraphernalia, which is something I continue to draw on within my own style today. I will always feel drawn to Alexa’s style, both past and present.
Why do you think you've held onto it for all this time?
This book joined my ever growing pile of fashion and design books and never left. Admittedly I rarely open it but it has made itself at home on my shelf and has no intention of leaving; it has travelled between every flat/house I’ve ever lived in.
What’s your favourite line or best piece of advice?
Alexa makes a strong case as to why a full brief will always trump a g-string. Granny pants are superior.
Zoe Tims, 22, research & teaching assistant + retail assistant
When and why did you buy It?
I think I purchased It when I was 14 or 15, maybe a year after it came out. If I'm honest, I purchased It because my older sister Phoebe had it and I thought, in typical baby sister fashion, that I wanted a copy I could call my own!
I think I will always have some sense of adoration for Alexa. Not only because she is such a muse, but because, like my sister and I, she is part Chinese; to purchase her book and support that endeavour of hers was something I wanted to do.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you? And have you read it again recently?
I remember the pictures most vividly: all of her style icons, photo booth strips and film photography. I haven't read it recently, but this has got me wanting to get it back out!
Why do you think you've held onto it for all this time?
Maybe on an aesthetic level, it just looks so pretty on the shelf. The rose-coloured linen is such a beautiful way to cover a book. It also makes me remember how it contributed to my adolescence, and also a time in fashion and social media when we didn't quite know where it was headed. It seems sad to let it go when it has those memories!
What’s your favourite line or best piece of advice?
“Looking effortless takes a lot of effort.” (page 69) + ALL of her silver screen style icons that feature early on in the book, especially Margot Tenenbaum and Natalie Porter in Léon <3
Any funny anecdotes surrounding the book?
Me thinking I could get famous on Tumblr by posting a moody photo of the book on my blog….
Chyna Lily Tjauw Rawlinson, 24, artist/jeweller
When and why did you buy It?
I definitely saw the book on Tumblr, and started being a fan of her style and her boyfriend at the time. There were a few other icons at the time; I loved Marina & the Diamonds and Lana Del Rey of course.
How would you describe your experience of reading the book for the first time? How has the book impacted you? And have you read it again recently?
Afraid to say I haven’t opened it since my teenage years, perhaps I’ll have to give it another go. I remember thinking it was very visually pleasing. I wasn’t much of a reader but I'm trying to read more now.
Why do you think you've held onto it for all this time?
I guess I'm quite nostalgic for my teenage self. I think of that time as being so immersed in my own world, 16 and selfish, not yet as critical or reflective about myself as I am now. It’s funny to hold on to things, bits and pieces of writing from that age. I also held on to my collection of Rookie yearbooks, and a few other books by 2010 online style writer girlies.
What’s your favourite line or best piece of advice?
“It’s important in this day and age to master the art of the self-portrait. After all, anyone with an Instagram account knows, this is a vital go-to image once you have run out of cats, babies or dinners to photograph.”
Any funny anecdotes surrounding the book?
I fell hard for the online fashion girlies at the time, some of these online style writer icons just know how to market to their lil’ fans and I was a sucker for ‘aesthetic' fashion books.
