Kate Middleton More Comparable To Snooki Than Princess Diana, According To Poll

Kate Middleton’s presence in the limelight is often compared to her predecessor, Princess Diana. Every move she makes, every word she speaks, and every article of clothing and accessory she wears is compared to the mother of Prince William. In comparison, every woman in the world wanted to be Princess Diana when she was at the top of her game, yet few want to walk in the shoes of Kate Middleton. In such a high profile position, it seems that her total worth and popularity is based solely on her fashion sense, which to some is more equal to Snooki’s rather than that of a future queen’s.

It would seem that Kate Middleton would be judged more on her ability to communicate with high profile dignitaries or how she reacts to high level situations — instead, her fashion is at the forefront of her popularity. The issue has conjured curiosity in the mind of professor Jeetendr Sehdev, of the University of Southern California, in a recent study he instigated to see if she is even worthy of being a style icon. He explained to Elle Magazine.

“[Middleton’s] influence is not what it’s being made to be and, in the eyes of the modern woman in both the U.S. and the U.K., she’s not heralded in that way. Does she even deserve the title of style icon? The answer is no, because she doesn’t measure on the criteria of the style icon.”

According to Sehdev, First Lady Michelle Obama and Snooki are more deserving of being style icons than Kate Middleton is. Sehdev based his final decision on whether Kate has a definitive sense of style, confidence, timelessness, independence, and a bit of provocativeness. Based on the five criteria, Kate Middleton is dressing more for the nation and not for herself, as the first lady and reality TV stars are. Sedhev feels that Snooki and Michelle Obama are taking more risks and dressing more independently, whereas Kate is more of a puppet of her stylist.

Despite the outcome of the study, which was determined by a poll of 5,000 women, one has to wonder why style is even playing a role in the popularity of Kate Middleton. Could it possibly be a trend that was set by Princess Diana, or is society more inclined to base popularity on overall looks rather than abilities?

[Photo Courtesy: Zimbio]