A socialite is a person who plays a prominent role in or is very frequently involved in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings.
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.
20th century
The word "socialite" appears the first time in English language in 1928, in Time magazine. Some of the more notorious examples of socialites in the 20th century were William Woodward Jr.'s wife, Ann, Frances Schreuder, youngest daughter and last child of Franklin Bradshaw and maybe the also ill fated parents of Lyle and Erik Menendez.
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. Celebrity Paris Hilton is an example of a 21st-century socialite due to her ability to attract media attention and fame based on her 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. Gossip Girl, an American television series airing between September 2007 and December 2012, focuses on the lives of New York City 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 them 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: Tiffany Trump, Kim Kardashian, Jill Kelley, Tinsley Mortimer, Olivia Palermo, Lauren Santo Domingo, Derek Blasberg, and Jean Shafiroff.
