Alexa Chung

As we all know, Britain is the home of the quirky "It" girls — the girls who are so cool it's criminal. Currently, Alexa Chung fits the bill with her unique style, waifish beauty and, of course, her rocker boyfriend.

Be inspired by Alexa's style by checking out her best looks.

Alexa grew up in the English countryside, and says she was no cool kid as a teen. "I wasn't that cool … I certainly wasn't running around being sexually promiscuous and taking loads of drugs," she told Nylon Guys magazine. "I was a country girl so I'd go horse riding or go to my friends' houses. I wasn't rebellious at all."

At 24 years of age, Alexa is the youngest of four children (did we mention her brother is uber-cool DJ Dom Chung?) and says she always wanted to be a fashion designer, a career that was derailed when she broke her sister's sewing machine. Moving on, Alexa was keen to pursue fashion journalism, which led her to apply to study English at university.

She was accepted by Kings College London to study English, although she never took up the position. Instead, she was scouted by a modelling agency, Elite, which she says didn't quite do it for her. So she set off on a Texan road trip with an older boyfriend on the day university was meant to begin. Alexa hasn't thrown in the towel on uni completely though, and plans to do a degree when things quieten down a bit.

Finally, she scored her big career break in 2006, co-hosting Channel 4's Popworld, alongside Alex Zane. It was this role that showed her quirky, clever humour, most famously in an interview with Panic at the Disco, which proved a big YouTube hit.

These days, Alexa is considered a fashion icon and is credited with single-handedly putting flat shoes back on the radar, and is in demand as a TV host.

Another of her claims to fame is her current romance with Arctic Monkeys frontman, Alex Turner. While she's been reluctant to discuss the relationship, she has described the couple as an "indie Ken and Barbie".