Jessica Simpson toting a Bulga bag. Lindsay Lohan wearing a Dolce & Gabbana gown. Katie Holmes buying Koi Placebo jeans. In nearly every fashion and entertainment magazine on the stands, at least one page is dedicated to what celebrities are wearing. So how does this impact the way we, the non-star-studded general public, dress?

To understand why we obsess over which pair of sunglasses Ashley Olsen is wearing or which handbag Sarah Jessica Parker is carrying, we must first ask the question: Why are people so obsessed with celebrities in the first place?

"Stars seem to fulfill a fantasy that almost all of us share; that we can throw off the past, transcend the realities of our lives and be reborn as singular selves whose importance can't be denied," explains Michael Joseph Gross, author of the book Starstruck: When a Fan Gets Close to Fame.

If stars fill our personal aspirations of fame and fortune, then it seems only natural that wearing garments similar to theirs will put us one step closer to living out that dream. "Stars are models of what is to be acceptable, or acceptably rebellious or even acceptably geeky," Gross points out. "In high school, you're desperate for shortcuts to acceptance, so you go for that preppy outfit from Sixteen Candles or Eminem's baggy jeans or whatever, because it gives you some security and street cred."

Donning celebrity duds may give fans a healthy dose of self-esteem, but did you ever stop to wonder how celebrities feel about their fans, and what they think about their admirers dressing like them? "They feel curious about fans," Gross says. "Every time I told a celebrity I was writing about their fans, they asked the same question people always ask when they find out I'm writing about a famous person: "What are they like?" Stars identify with fans, because most of them were, and are, huge fans themselves." Even the biggest names in the celebrity game are attempting to dress like the stars they most admire; i.e. Christina Aguilera channeling Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears mimicking Madonna and Simpson imitating Bridget Bardot. Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, and no one understands that mentality better than corporate America. Once companies realized the affect celebrity branding had on the masses, celebrities began popping up in ad campaigns for items ranging from high-end designer goods to aspirin and cigarettes. "One of their strategies is to convince you that identity is just another consumer product: This perfume will make you smell like J.Lo, or this jewelry will make you glitter like Paris [Hilton]," Gross states. The message is that you can get closer to your favorite celebrity simply by buying something he/she already has.

With the Internet, it's becoming increasingly easy to buy what your favorite celeb is endorsing. Through Web sites like Jessicastyle.com , fans can log on, find out what their favorite blond singer/actress has recently been spotted in, and then purchase said item. Fans can also track Lohan at Lindsaystyle.com , Nicole Richie at Nicolestyle.allstarz.org and the cast of the television series The O.C. at Ocstyle.allstarz.org . These Web sites offer a new frontier in bringing fans one step closer to their favorite stars. Amanda Doll, personal shopper and stylist for Girlshop.com , an online store dedicated to trendy, high-end fashion, points out that sites like these have also helped redefine the way celebs dress, which is a plus for their fan base. "Celebrities are the trendsetters of our time. And they are wearing clothing and accessories that are more accessible to the general public. Instead of wearing Chanel and/or couture all the time, they are shopping at places like Girlshop.com or Shopkitson.com , which makes it easier to imitate their style."

So which celebrity-worn trends have taken the fashion world by storm? "One is the Supa-Dupa sunglasses by Dita, as seen on Nicole Richie and the Olsen twins. The second item would be the Bulga bag as seen on Jessica Simpson," Doll says. "Each of those items are completely sold out when they arrive because the waiting lists are so long (reaching up to 300 people at any given time). So, what's Doll's own celebrity-inspired purchase, you ask? "I've never purchased something just because a celebrity wore it, but I have definitely seen items that I liked [on celebs]. I think the last item I purchased that I saw first on a celebrity was the large Bulga bag that Jessica Simpson has. The bag is amazing in itself, but I did see it first on Jessica."