It boy explained

An "it boy" (sometimes "it man") is an attractive young man who is perceived to have both sex appeal and a personality that is especially engaging. The term was coined as the male equivalent of an "it girl".

History

In 1950, actress Clara Bow, for who the term "it girl" was coined, identified Robert Mitchum as an it man.^[1] In 1995, Entertainment Weekly referred to Leonardo DiCaprio as "Hollywood's 'It' Boy" because of his "blazing talent and dashing baby-faced looks – a combination of the mystic and the mischievous – that have the praise faucets gushing buckets".^{[2] [3]}

In 2024, Vox published an article titled "Every Hollywood 'it' boy is a white guy," criticizing the entertainment industry for focusing almost exclusively on white actors in the 2020s.^[4]

Examples

2010s

• BTS, South Korean boy brand founded in 2010.^[5]
• Timothée Chalamet (b.1995), American and French actor.^[6]

2020s

• Yeonjun (b. 1999), South Korean singer, songwriter and dancer.^[7]
• Jack Schlossberg (b. 1993) American political commentator and author.^{[8] [9]}
• Bach Buquen (b. 2006), French influencer and model.^[10]
• Jacob Elordi (b. 1997), Australian actor.^[11]
• Callum Turner (b. 1990), English actor.^[12]
• Romeo Beckham (b. 2002), English model, son of David and Victoria.^[13]
• Manu Ríos (b. 1998), Spanish actor and singer.^{[14] [15]}

Gallery

Notes and References

1. Waterloo Daily Courier, 21 September 1950
2. Web site: March 24, 1995. Hollywood's 'It' Boy . 2022-07-09 . EW.com . en.
3. Web site: March 28, 2003. 'It' Boys. New York Magazine. April 24, 2023. en-US.
4. Web site: Cunningham . Kyndall . 2024-06-17 . Every Hollywood "it" boy is a white guy . 2024-09-20 . Vox . en-US.
5. Herman . Tamar . 2017-09-21 . BTS' 'Pied Piper' Is Filled With Tough Love Towards Fan Culture . 2022-12-06 . Billboard . en-US.
6. Harwood . Erika . Amchin . Jordan . 2018-10-15 . Timothée Chalamet's Blazing Beautiful Boy Press Tour . limited . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220707045802/https://www.vanityfair.com/style/photos/2018/10/timothee-chalamet-is-really-leaning-into-his-it-boy-style . July 7, 2022 . 2022-10-02 . Vanity Fair . en-US.
7. Web site: February 16, 2021. TXT's Yeonjun Is Making His NYFW Debut . 2022-08-27. teenvogue.com.
8. Web site: Nazzaro . Miranda . 2024-08-20 . Who is Jack Schlossberg? JFK's grandson speaks at DNC . 2024-08-24 . The Hill . en-US.
9. Web site: 2024-07-11 . Fans are thirsting over JFK's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, after he's named Vogue political correspondent . 2024-08-27 . en-US.
10. Web site: Cordero . Robert . 2024-10-21 . The TikTok ‘It Boy’ Who’s Getting Men to Wear Makeup . 2025-12-30 . The Business of Fashion . en.
11. Web site: Sinha . Ekta . 2024-01-11 . Jacob Elordi Is The New Fashion 'IT' Boy Of The Internet And With Good Reason . 2025-12-30 . Elle India . en.
12. Web site: Leslau . Tania . 2025-01-14 . Fashion’s It-boys to have on your radar for 2025 . 2025-12-30 . HELLO! . en.
13. Web site: VMAN 55: FALL’S MOST WANTED WITH ROMEO BECKHAM. Kev. Ponce. August 25, 2025. V Man.
14. Web site: LeDonne . Rob . 2023-10-20 . Manu Ríos & Marc Forné Are Hitting the Street With a New Brand—Introducing Carrer . 2026-01-23 . Vogue . en-US.
15. Web site: Aguado . Javier . 2018-08-22 . Manu Ríos, el nuevo 'it boy' que arrasa en Instagram . 2026-01-23 . Mujerhoy . es.