This week I was asked about who I think is stylish. It was for an interview for a magazine, alongside a photo-shoot. More of that in the coming weeks, but talk about being totally out of my comfort zone…
I’m a 44 year old woman with a doughy belly and a double chin, not a model, not by any stretch of the imagination. One look at my Instagram will tell you that. I rarely have my face in shot, I favour a discreet head-turn or the phone obscuring my face entirely. At first, at this shoot, I was bum-clenching embarrassed about the whole thing, but the people I was doing it for were so nice and encouraging that after a while I just thought, ‘Fuck it, who cares about my big nose, wonky eyes and bad tattoos on my loose upper arms anyway?’ (they did cover those up, thank god). You know, we all have our insecurities, nobody is perfect, I’m trying to embrace that thought. Plus, I’m sure the photo’s will be tastefully retouched and anyone can look great with the right lighting can’t they?
So, as I was saying, I was asked who I looked to for style inspiration. This I had to really think about that as I get inspiration from all places, from people I see in the street, people I follow on Instagram, looking at magazines, going to the shops, all over really. There are 3 ladies whose style I do really love though, those are; Sienna Miller, Phoebe Philo and Sarah Harris. They all have a stylish thread that I love, which is simplicity, but all slightly different. We all know who Sienna Miller is, so I’ll start with her…
SIENNA MILLER
So, she used to be that Boho chick, I wasn’t so down wth that. Most of us like a bit of flounce, but I can’t do the whole flowers in hair and maxi dress thing. Over the past few years though I am loving her style, and don’t get me started on her hair. How is it ALWAYS so great? at any length and the absolute perfect shade of blonde. Yes I know, she’s a Hollywood actress and we cannot all have hairdressers and stylists on call, but she has a natural easy style and I like her off duty looks the best. Gucci Loafers, quality sweaters, a great pair of jeans or trousers. Still with a touch of the Isabel Marant vibe. It’s quite simple really…
PHOEBE PHILO
Phoebe Philo, for those of you who don’t know, is the Creative Director of Celine. A fashion label I can only dream of being able to afford, but the core value is absolute quality fabrics and cuts, never complicated, always timeless. She is also the same age as me and a working mother of 3, so she gets extra kudos points for that. She was the one who inspired me to rush out and buy Stan Smiths about 4 years ago when they didn’t even do them in ladies sizes (luckily the Men’s start at 6.5, so I could just about get away with it) She rocks the perfect pair of black or navy trousers with a classic polo neck, a simple white shirt or a well cut tuxedo jacket…
SARAH HARRIS
Sarah Harris is the Fashion Features Director at UK Vogue. I heard an interview with her on the radio a few years ago talking about grey hair and how she doesn’t dye hers. After listening to her talk, I googled her and found out how cool she looks! Apparently her hair started going grey when she was 16, she’s still only in her 30’s I think. Her style ethos is also very simple, she teams great jeans with killer heels and a jumper or a great shirt. Again, it’s simple, easy and effective and her hair looks amazing!
So those are just 3 of my style icons, there are many more I could name but we’ll be here all day. Maybe I’ll do more in a few weeks. Who do you look to for inspiration?
