Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Style Inspiration

Have you ever been flipping through a magazine, watching television, or perusing the images on the internet, and come across a photo of someone whose fashion and personal style that you particularly admired?  Style can be developed from so many different sources--originality, the retail market, real-life acquaintances, even history and celebrities--and it allows for us to be as creative as we please.  After having seen a celebrity who is a personal style favorite of mine on Sunday evening, during the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London, I decided that my next blog post would be about a few of the famous faces who I find to be fashionably inspiring.

We begin with:


Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham has been one of my favorite fashionistas for several years now.  She's developed an amazing sense of style--with the exception of some of her earlier, more extravagant outfits--and is quite the consummate businesswoman in the area of fashion design.  She now has a line of denim, a line of dresses, and (recently) eyewear to her credit, and her designer's aesthetic has a true sense of class and timeless style while maintaining a modern edge.  

I like that her style--both in her personal wear and the things that she designs--is simple and flattering to the feminine figure, with classic silhouettes and accents.  She doesn't bother with outlandish shapes and over-embellishment.  As evidenced by the outfit that she's wearing in the picture above, she tends to gravitate towards a sophisticated, streamlined look.  She's the cool girl who knows what she likes and isn't caught up with being overly trendy: she stays with the classics--note the oversized sunglasses, roomy tote bag, chic minimalist jewelry, and sharply-tailored blazer--and looks incredibly, effortlessly put-together.  And as far as her taste in her hairstyles goes?  Two words: the Posh Bob.

The next stylish lady is rather an obvious choice:


All right, so perhaps it's an understatement to say that Duchess Catherine is "rather an obvious choice" to admire for her out-of-this-world incredible sense of style.  Perhaps it could even go without saying to call her a style icon...but I'm saying it anyway, because this lady can do no wrong in her sense of style, as far as I and many other people are concerned.  She always looks so lady-like and put-together: sophisticated and purposeful without veering to the extremes of either dowdy or garish.  I love that she re-wears different pieces from her wardrobe, reworking each item into new ensembles that never seem to be over-repetitive or boring.  And she also wears classic pump high heels and sheer nylons!  The latter of those two items can be irritating to deal with sometimes, but as a girl who--until lately, when nylons have become just not comfortable--has always seen sheer nylons as an indispensable part of her dressed-up wardrobe, I really appreciate that Duchess Kate has brought them back into fashion.  

She is yet another lady who never seems as though she is trying too hard, with any of the looks that she sports.  Her jewelry and other accessories always seems to be delicate and understated--and usually they have special significance, with her new royal station; she never does anything overly dramatic with her hair or makeup, but she never looks boring at all.  I have yet to see her wear any outfit that is anything but immaculately and admirably stylish.   

And third:


Anne Hathaway has a fantastic, comfortable, approachable, everyday chic in her street clothing; her more formal style is also incredible, of course, but for now I'm focusing on her off-the-red-carpet style.  From what I've seen, her street style is classic and down-to-earth--you'll never see Ms. Hathaway sporting slouchy boots with oodles of fringe or jeans that are so ripped up that they look as though a large cat had gotten to them.  (Not that those items can't look all right, to an extent, but you simply won't see Anne Hathaway wearing them.  If she has, I've never seen it...though I'm certainly willing to be gently corrected if I'm wrong.)  

She is similar to Victoria Beckham and Duchess Catherine in that her style is somewhat minimalist and always classic.  She never seems to wear anything that is overly dramatic or overly trendy.  She does wear trends, of course--such as the cap-toe ballet flats and the neutral-hued fedora in the picture above--but she never overdoes it.  And who can't love a girl's style that involves simple, staple wardrobe pieces  like dark-wash skinny jeans, cardigans, and plain tee-shirts?  Ms. Hathaway seems to know that the classics in fashion are her friends--and they've certainly served her well.  

I admire each of these women for their ability to look put-together and stylish in such an effortless and yet purposeful manner.  You can tell that they've learned what looks good on themselves, but they're not scrambling to look on-trend or seeking to draw inordinate amounts of attention to themselves.  Their style includes current fashion trends, to a point, but they also rely on the tried-and-true classics of fashion.  For me, personally?  I like to keep the classic and minimalist pieces in my wardrobe, but I'll also try out some fun items from time to time: glittery platform high heels, printed sundresses, slouchy cowboy boots, and the sequined top here and there.  

Ultimately, personal style is about finding what works for you personally.  It's great to have the ability to take inspiration from the fashions and styles in the world, and it's also wonderful to be able to creatively develop style on your own.  I like to keep it all in balance.  :)

À bientôt!

-- Cait

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