A socialite is someone who is well-known in fashionable society and spends a significant
amount of time participating in social activities such as parties and other fashionable events,
entertaining guests and being entertained by others of similar standing.
American members of the Establishment, or an American "Society" based on birth, breeding,
education, and economic standing, were originally listed in the Social Register, a directory
of the names and addresses of the "preferred social contacts" of the prominent families
in the 19th century.
In 1886, Louis Keller started to consolidate these lists and package them for sale.
18th and 19th centuries The concept of socialites dates to the 18th
and 19th century.
Most of the earliest socialites were wives or mistresses of royalty or nobility, but
being a socialite was more a duty and a means of survival than a form of pleasure.
Bashful queens were often forced to play gracious and wealthy hostess to people who despised
them.
Mistresses had to pay for their social reputation and had to use their social skills to obtain
favor in the court and retain the interest of their lovers.
With the increase of wealth in America in the 19th century, being a socialite developed
into a role that brought power and influence.
Men and women became social climbers, which was made easy due to their abundance in money
and means of attaining it.
21st century In the 21st century, the term "socialite"
is still attached to being wealthy and socially recognized.
The lines between being a socialite and celebrity with an exuberant partying lifestyle have
since become blurred due to the influence of both popular culture and the media, particularly
when the status of being a celebrity is largely due to that lifestyle.
Celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are examples of 21st-century socialites due
to their ability to attract media attention and fame simply based on their connections
and associations.
Hilton is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels & Resorts
and heiress to the Hilton Hotel fortune.
Due to her outrageous lifestyle, Hilton was hailed by the media as "New York's leading
It Girl" in 2001.
Kardashian, herself the daughter of prominent attorney Robert Kardashian, first gained media
attention through her friendship with Hilton, a modern-day socialite, and soon became one
herself.
Gossip Girl, an American television show from 2007 to 2012, focuses on the lives on New
York socialites who live on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
The show is a strong influence on how socialites are regarded in the 21st century because of
the presence of scandal, wealth, and fashion in each episode.
Pop culture gives the impression that by simply being wealthy and fashionable, an individual
has the opportunity to become famous.
Consequently, it is an individual's ability to climb the social ladder due to his or her
wealth and recognition that makes him or her a socialite.
According to The New York Times, socialites spend between $98,000 and $455,000 per year
to maintain their roles as successful socialites.
Just the evening wardrobe of an individual regularly attending society functions can
cost $100,000 annually.
Examples of American socialites include Olivia Palermo, Jill Kelley, Jean Shafiroff, and
Tinsley Mortimer.
Palermo's fame came after being on the reality television show The City, which focused on
the lives of Whitney Port and her friends.
She is prominent among the other socialites who live in New York City and is known for
her role in the fashion industry.
See also Brüno
Kim Kardashian Conspicuous leisure
Debutante Elitism
Famous for being famous Ingroups and outgroups
International Debutante Ball It girl
Jet set Sloane Ranger
Social environment Social identity theory
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Yuppie
Upper class List of American heiresses
Paris Hilton References