Style Icons: Old School

Having made the decision to break into the fashion industry, I've had to take some time to reflect on and identify my personal style. It's a difficult process because I don't think anyone is really conscious of their style - the best style tends to be intuitive. Also, my taste in clothes has gone through more cycles than America's Next Top Model and has only really developed in the last few years since I left college. But if I had to define my style in a nutshell, I would call it "urban-preppy-girly-chic" (I tried to think of something more succinct but, sadly, "urbeppirlic" is not a word). Some of my style icons are:

Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy

I'm a politics junkie so my appreciation for Jackie-O stems from an obsession with the rise and fall of her first husband John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert F. Kennedy. I know that she's been a universal style icon since the 1950s but I only really fell in love with her sophistication and glamor after seeing this photograph of her and JFK taken at their wedding in Newport, RI in 1953.

Grace Kelly
Another beautiful woman and a princess to boot! Her on-screen presence and outfits in Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window blew me away. This film was made in 1954 yet she still looks like the epitome of the modern woman.

 

Katharine Hepburn
Forget Audrey, I prefer this Ms. Hepburn. She was the quintessential tomboy but she could also pull off showstopping eveningwear. I loved her in The Philadelphia Story - those wide leg pants are so hot right now!

 

Photo credits: http://www.jfklibrary.org, http://www.imdb.com