Do The Clothes Maketh The Woman?

Cheryl Cole (or Chezza as she has been so affectionately dubbed by myself and fellow witty friends), is the marmite celebrity of the moment x She has experienced a dazzling success, fuelled by a wicked concoction of big hair, a cracking smile, killer heels, a dusting of sequins and just a pinch (or 3) of bloody good luck x

This Girls Aloud sweetheart has undertaken a whirlwind journey from chavvy to chic (mostly) leaping from the coveted front cover of Vogue, to our Saturday night TV screens, to the hearts of the nation, with her totally endearing ‘heart-on-sleeve’ attitude x But in the words of my less convinced housemate, there are still people out there (perhaps with better memories...or maybe better hearing) groaning ‘I just don’t get it’ x

Lest we forget, this is a woman once better renowned for baseball cap, belly out, bathroom brawls than style, sophistication and a wardrobe many young women would give their right AND left arms for x This leads me to ponder upon what has provoked such a change in public opinion x Particularly in her current hour of need, when the majority of the public seem, rightly so, to be fully behind our Chezza x

So, how has she really swept many an unsuspecting man, woman and child off their feet at a pint sized 5ft 3?!? x Do we just all suffer from the selective memory condition that I frequently berate my father for, or has something more magical happened....something that even makes us pretend to our ears that the noise we are hearing is in fact a catchy, lovable tune rather than a struggling Geordie cat? X I really do believe that it is indeed a kind of magic, more specifically, a kind of fashion magic x

The last few years have seen our Chez transform from fashion disaster to fashion diva, even getting rid of the signature hair extensions and working a fashion forward edgier style x Outfit after glorious outfit has captivated audiences, transforming many a non-believer into not only a believer, but a diehard fan, buying the album because ‘you know, it’s really well produced’ and clicking unashamedly on the ‘Cheryl Cole’ tab on ASOS.com x fine, there have been some horrible omissions on Cheryl’s Starlight Express to fashion goddess (see Alexander McQueen 26th birthday dress) that remind us, much like the lovely ‘Mrs Cole’ tattoo on her neck, that perhaps there is still an inner chav waiting to bubble to the surface x but there has also been the fun Hervé Leger bodycons, the daring David Koma X-factor black and silver fan number, and the enviable Rupert Sanderson heels that she is rarely far away from x perhaps this is also why we love her x she is essentially a heartbreakingly normal lass who has the same taste in bad men and worse wardrobe choices, that we have undeniably all been guilty of at some point x

So there we have it, the utter magic of a perfect (well, nearly) wardrobe x the type of magic that makes us forget that Chez was once in court for attacking a toilet attendant, loved nothing better than a baseball cap, timberlands and combats and even makes us leave 10minutes late for our Saturday nights out risking flat hair and faded make up just to see what she’s wearing x I have no qualms in saying that if it were a dodgy fringe and bare belly that remained her look of choice, she would not be the darling that she is today x in Cheryl’s case then, the clothes have truly madeth the woman x through the magic of fashion we have seen her develop and mature into a woman whose songs we want to dance to, whose opinions we want to hear and whose wardrobe we seek to emulate x and as for all you non believers, I must just say one final thing...Come on girls....because she’s worth it. :) x