Whether viewers regarded her as refreshingly honest or a hot-headed loud mouth, there’s no question that former top model-turned-author and reality show “villainess” Janice Dickinson made for good copy every time she opened her mouth (which she was never hesitant to do). But despite her harsh statements, she did, in her own unique way, validate both American models and older women in regard to the standards of fashion and beauty.

Born in Brooklyn, NY at some point between 1952 and 1957 (the date was much contested among sources, including Dickinson herself), the statuesque teenager began