While listening to a few Aerosmith songs, I felt a strong surge of nostalgia and looked up the ultimate ’90s chick, Alicia Silverstone (who appeared in several Aerosmith videos). At the time I was just starting to be introduced to pop culture in the mid-’90s, she had just starred in Clueless and was one of the prettiest things on TV. Magazines loved her.

This was my favorite cover of Alicia Silverstone. I had this issue back then and obsessively pored through every page of YM and Seventeen I could get because we had no local teen mags, and the imported ones were expensive.

When she appeared on the cover, Seventeen hit the one-million mark for the first time. And check out the references: Brad Renfro, Claire Danes, Green Day. Classic.

I miss the wide-eyed, wholesome look of female stars back in the ’90s—with the exception of Winona Ryder, girls weren’t smoky-eyed and gaunt. Claire Danes, Larisa Oleynik, and Melissa Joan Hart ruled the teen magazines, and none of them were remotely like fashionable waifs that are so popular nowadays. I admit that the girls nowadays are prettier, but the ones in the ’90s were more real.

Every generation needs a golden-haired goddess. The ’90s had Alicia. I still think she was seriously pretty at her peak, but a little on the big side by today’s standards. The female leads on current shows will probably diet themselves into oblivion if they had arms like these now, but then again, they’ll never attain her superstar status post-Clueless.

Notice that this skimpily dressed crouching position will later become a staple for future stars

2003′s answer to Alicia Silverstone was Mischa Barton of The O.C., and she was a lot skinnier when she played Marissa Cooper.

Behold the skimpily dressed 'it' girl in a crouching position.

When Gossip Girl came out a few years ago, all eyes were on the rebellious blonde, Serena van der Woodsen, played by Blake Lively. She had a little more meat on her bones than Mischa Barton. I think she’s interesting, but maybe the least pretty of the three girls.

And she's now a Chanel spokesperson.

And here's the requisite crouching shot.

Blonde trainwreck characters have a certain look.