Channel Your Inner Classic Diva

Think of classic fashion icons and three names come to mind: Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy. They stood for class and for classic fashion. Some may call them staid beside their contemporaries. That is unfair. They did not push the envelope on sexuality the way Marilyn Monroe or Jane Russell did, but each was a trendsetter in her own right. Each one led her time, changing what was thought fashionable and not only wearing what was in fashion. They made fashion.

Here is what each of them wore.

Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy was a style icon for the whole of her public life. As First Lady she wore the designs of Oleg Cassini and helped to create what became known as the ‘Jackie Look’. Later she was known for a more bohemian style: wide-legged trousers, black polo necks, Hermès scarves and her famous sunglasses.

To channel Jackie today: wide-legged trousers, a black polo neck, a silk scarf and the biggest dark sunglasses you can find.

Grace Kelly

Arguably one of the most beautiful women who ever lived, Grace Kelly was also a style icon. Her style was elegant, graceful and polished in its simplicity. When she became a princess her wardrobe turned to haute couture, and she tried up-and-coming designers such as Hubert de Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent. She was so popular, and so closely watched for what she wore, that the Hermès bag she carried during one of her pregnancies was named after her. It is still called the ‘Kelly Bag’.

To channel Grace Kelly: keep it simple and polished. A crisp blouse, a full skirt or tailored trousers, one good structured handbag and very little else.

Audrey Hepburn

Slender and elfin, Audrey Hepburn went against the fashion of her time for more shapely actresses. The designer Hubert de Givenchy took his cue from her natural grace, chose her as his muse and designed clothes for her all her life. Her look was expertly cut clothes, worn with exquisite but simple accessories.

Later in life Miss Hepburn said: “[Givenchy] gave me a look, a kind, a silhouette. He has always been the best and he stayed the best. Because he kept the spare style that I love. What is more beautiful than a simple sheath made in an extraordinary way in a special fabric, and just two earrings?”

Still: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Paramount Pictures

To channel Audrey: a plain black sheath dress, flat shoes and, as she said herself, just two earrings.

Where to buy vintage

If you are looking for vintage clothing from names like Jane Norman or Laura Ashley, there are plenty of websites to hunt on, such as Vestiaire.