Since the birth of the silent film starlet in the old movies of the early part of the 19th Century, women have turned to famous people to get ideas for how to dress and for fashion inspiration. Here we look at five fashion role models who influence the way many women dress today.
One enduring style icon from the past is the much-loved actress Audrey Hepburn. The epitome of elegance and grace Audrey’s look is still copied by many women today. Some would credit Hepburn with making the little black dress famous as seen in possibly her most well known film Breakfast At Tiffany’s; top designer Givenchy designed her dresses for this film. Hepburn also pioneered the gamine chic look wearing striped Breton tops paired with slim fitting Capri pants and flat ballerina pumps – a look which still looks fashionable today.
Top model Kate Moss is another fashion queen whose look is copied by women over and over. Kate’s look is very accessible and easily recreated with high street shop purchases. The ultimate rock chick, Kate’s look is simple and understated, you rarely see her without her ubiquitous skinny jeans, teamed with boots in the winter and stilettos in the summer. Kate finishes the look off with a simple t-shirt and a jacket that features sharp lines and straight edges. Kate takes her inspiration from two other fashion icons from the 60s, Anita Pallenberg and Marianne Faithfull and can sometimes be seen finishing off her rock chick look with a retro large floppy hat.
Someone who possibly takes inspiration from both Audrey Hepburn and Kate Moss to create her look is pop singer turned fashion designer Victoria Beckham. Beckham has her own clothing line which features tight fitting pencil dresses designed in simple shapes and with clear-cut defined lines. The look is very simple and smart and is usually finished off with a pair of sky-high towering heels. When dressing down Victoria usually favors the plain skinny jeans and t-shirt look but her style is always very smart and we rarely see her wearing a pair of flat-heeled shoes. Like Moss and Hepburn, Ms Beckham’s look is classic and unfussy with plain blocks of color and clean lines.
A newly emerging fashion role model is the singer Rihanna who sparked a million copycats when she dyed her hair flame-colored red. Rihanna’s look is young and edgy and she changes her style a lot to go with what’s in fashion at the time. Sometimes you’ll see her in a figure hugging body-con dress at other times she will be wearing a floating maxi dress in a vibrant shade of color. Rihanna also likes sports wear like hoodies and high top trainers on her days off and is rarely seen out and about during the day without a pair of designer sunglasses.
Another younger celebrity fashion role model is Cheryl Cole with each week’s appearance on The X Factor putting her in the fashion spotlight. British Vogue even featured her on their February 09 and October 10 editions thus sealing her status as a fashion icon. Cheryl’s style is young and fashionable and she generally follows all the latest trends. Cheryl is often seen in designer outfits but hasn’t forgotten her roots and can also be seen wearing items from the high street.