Style that transcends

As defined by Merriam-Webster, style is a distinctive manner of expression. My definition of style is simple – being yourself and adding your own signature to whatever it is that you're wearing.

Style is an outward expression of your inward self, and it is a journey of self-discovery. While I’m still on the journey to finding myself, I always look to these timeless style icons whenever I need inspiration.

Grace Kelly, princess of Monaco has inspired women for decades with her porcelain beauty and self-awareness. She could make even the simplest of fashions look effortlessly glamorous. Epitomizing the '50s style, from her carefully coiffed hair, shirtwaist dresses and fitted sweaters to the tailored jackets, full skirts and satin evening gowns, combined with her poise and confidence, brought forth a timeless style.

 

 



Another style icon hailing from America is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Known more fondly as Jackie O, she represented the style and sophistication of 1960s America. From her chic, perfectly tailored suits and dresses to delicate details like elbow-length gloves and three-strand pearl necklaces, she was credited with not only making politics fashionable but also inspiring women around the world to adopt her classic Jackie look. 

Her mantra on the importance to see a person before the clothes combined with her wholesome yet sophisticated look — neat twinsets, full skirts, and pearls continues to influence the likes of Hermès, Tommy Hilfiger and Mad Men's costume designer Janie Bryant. 

With her straight bangs, calm stare and gapped teeth, the woman for whom the famed Hermès Birkin bag was named embodied the cool nonchalance of mod London and yeh-yeh Paris in the 1960s and '70s. Yes, I’m talking about Jane Birkin, the lady who is the quintessential combination of British quirkiness and French chic. Her approach to dressing was never ostentatious or overdone, very much like the Hermes Birkin bag named after her. The bag has remained one of the most coveted luxury handbags today, proving its everlasting effect, much like Jane’s own sense of style. 

When mentioning style icons, how can I ever forget my ultimate style icon, Audrey Hepburn? With her bat-wing brows, luminous doe eyes and disarmingly broad grin, she was the effervescent girl everyone fell for. From black cigarette pants worn with schoolboy pullovers to headscarves worn with oversize sunglasses, the fads she sparked are too many to enumerate. But perhaps the most famous example of Audrey Hepburn look is the narrow black satin Givenchy column worn by Holly Golightly, her character in the 1961 classic, Breakfast at Tiffany's. That still remains as an enduring template of sophistication, elegance and grace to all women today.

-Fal