Kate Middleton, the commoner set to marry Prince William in Westminster Abbey on April 29th who is having a most uncommon effect upon the world of fashion, was declared the Top Fashion Buzzword of the upcoming season by the Global Language Monitor (GLM). Knock-offs of Kate’s royal blue Issa dress that she wore to her engagement announcement, sold out on-line within hours.

　　Kate dethrones Lady Gaga, the enigmatic performance artist, nee Stefani Germanotta, who fell to No. 2. MObamna, Michelle Obama’s moniker as a fashion icon, moved back into the Top Ten after a lackluster 2010. Recently criticized for wearing an Alexander McQueen gown to a state dinner, MObama responded, “Look, women, wear what you love. That’s all I can say. That’s my motto.” This is the first time that three names broke into the top ten of GLM’s annual ranking.

　　Rounding out the top ten after Kate and Gaga were Sheer, Shirt Dresses, Sustainable Style, Articulated Platforms, MoBama, Stripes, and Monet Redux (flowers everywhere).

　　New York Fashion Week begins February 10th and kicks off the global calendar, immediately followed by London, Milan, and Paris.

　　“Fashion provides an oasis of personal expression to millions around the world in these sometimes troubling times,” said Bekka Payack, the Global Language Monitor’s Manhattan-based fashion correspondent. ”Accordingly, the upcoming season will provide women with an eclectic palette of globally influenced fashion choices.”

　　The words were chosen from the global fashion media and nominated by key fashionistas from around the world. This exclusive ranking is based on GLM’s TrendTopper MediaBuzz technologies that track words and phrases in print and electronic media, on the Internet and throughout the blogosphere, now including social media. The words and phrases are tracked in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.

The Top Fashion Buzzwords with commentary follow:

Kate Middleton – Kate dethrones Lady Gaga as the No. 1 fashion buzzword for the upcoming season, reaching a crescendo on the occasion of her April 29th wedding to Prince William.
Lady Gaga – Gaga’s global influence continues unabated especially among her ever-growing legions of ‘little monsters’ (reportedly surpassing the 8,000,000 mark).
Sheer – Translucent, transparent and transcendent again en vogue for the season.
Shirt Dresses – From the Upper East Side to 6th Street in Austin to LaJolla, California shirt dresses are everywhere (and everywhen).
Sustainable Style – Clothing make of recycled fabrics now entering the mainstream.
Articulated Platforms – Move over Armadillos, platforms are taking on a life of their own, now to be found with every type of embellishments from McQueen inspired butterflys, to florals and feathers. What’s new? Flatforms.
MoBama – Moving up the list again after a lackluster 2010.
Stripes – Classic black and white stripes with striking mathematically inspired motifs.
Flowers Everywhere – Monet redux: As if Monet updated his water lily meme to the 21st c. catwalk.
Blocked Colors – Bright and bold, color blocks are ever so popular (and fashionable).
Edun – Mrs. Bono’s (Ali Hewson) line of ethical couture gets a boost with the Louis Vuitton for Edun bag.
White Shirts – Clean and crisp for a classic, say Aubrey Hepburn, look.
Fruit vs. Fruit Salad – Either way fruit is big (as are animals). Veggies? Not so much.
Leggins – Flourishing around the globe. Women voting with their feet, er, legs.
Anime – Anime inspired looks with big eyes and pursed lips; definitely not haute but hot, especially among young Asians.
That ‘70s Look – The Neo-Bohemian, updated from the ‘60s but cleaner and more refined.
Embellishments – Embellishments now encompass tassels, pewter, sequins and studs to anything else that works.
Black Swan – Natalie Portman’s adds to the ever-popular ballerina meme.
Yama Girls – Trekking outfits include fleece miniskirts brightly colored leggings and style-conscious boots.
Jersey Shore wear – Unsophisticated, tawdry, outrageous, And definitely not to be seen in polite company. But that’s precisely the point, isn’t it.