In every era there are those high profile women who posses a personal sense of style which others try to emulate.
These women (and men) often embody an intriguing lifestyle making their fashion sense even more desirable.
This results in the general public and other high profile women (lacking in their own sense of panache) mimicking a version of the aforementioned person’s wardrobe, thus granting that person style icon status.
Often or not designers throw clothes at these women making the whole process of being a style icon somewhat easier and adding longevity to their public exposure.
At WhatBestToWear we have compiled a list of female fashion icons of the 20th century who have had an effect on the clothes we buy from designers and the high street.
Fashion Icons:
Katherine Hepburn
Hepburn had a film career spanning 60 years and was renowned for her boyish fashion sense after mostly being seen wearing trousers.
This may not seem anything too outrageous but in her day Hepburn was unlike all the other starlets in their silk gowns, full length gloves and furs.
Her audacious style stands the test of time and continues to inspire designers’ collections even in the noughties.
Coco Chanel
The woman behind prim twin-sets, quilted bags and tanned skin as a fashion statement is mademoiselle Chanel.
As the creator of the eponymous fashion house, Chanel’s legacy still lives on in the fashion world as younger and younger stars adorn themselves in the demure and ultra-feminine Chanel inspired designs.
Jackie O
Wife to a US president and a shipping tycoon, Jackie Onassis was famed for her wardrobe as well as her husbands.
She wore shift dresses, pill box hats, gloves and pea coats and the ubiquitous large sunglasses.
Everyone talks about owning a pair of ‘Jackie O sunglasses’; therefore if an item you wore is continuously used to describe a particular trend then you definitely deserve to be called a style icon.
Marilyn Monroe
Fancy dress shops would probably go under if it wasn’t for the infamous shot of Marilyn Monroe standing above a subway grate blowing up her white dress in Seven Year Itch.
Aside from her many movie roles, Marilyn is one of the original pin-ups. Her figure-hugging dresses, circle skirts and high rise jeans are 1950’s trends which still inspire fashion today.
Twiggy
The Swinging Sixties wouldn’t be so swinging without the figures that are epitomise that era, one of them being Twiggy.
Twiggy stood out for her height, pixie crop and gamine features, unlike the buxom models of the previous generation.
Wearing mini-dresses and psychedelic Biba ensembles, Twiggy was the effervescent personification of all that was hip and happening in Swinging London.
Anna Wintour
As possibly the most famous editor of the many Vogue editions, Anna Wintour evokes that icy cool aloofness.
Maintaining the same hairstyle for 20 years is not everyone’s favoured look, but for Wintour, her crisp bob and dark shades are all part of her guise which makes up her style icon status.
Additionally Anna wears lady-like and unfussy dresses and two pieces which are mostly patterned.
Anna Della Russo
Ever-present at fashion week and often photographed for style blogs, Anna Della Russo is the quintessential style icon who lives and breathes fashion.
Dubbed a “fashion maniac” by Helmut Newton, Della Russo can be seen wearing absurdly eccentric clothing such as giant cherries on her head and glitzy vivacious mini-dresses showing off her endless, tanned and toned legs.
Her motto seems to be ‘the more impractical the better’, showing that fashion is everything for this editor-at-large of Japanese Vogue.
These women (and men) often embody an intriguing lifestyle making their fashion sense even more desirable.
This results in the general public and other high profile women (lacking in their own sense of panache) mimicking a version of the aforementioned person’s wardrobe, thus granting that person style icon status.
Often or not designers throw clothes at these women making the whole process of being a style icon somewhat easier and adding longevity to their public exposure.
At WhatBestToWear we have compiled a list of female fashion icons of the 20th century who have had an effect on the clothes we buy from designers and the high street.
Fashion Icons:
Katherine Hepburn
Hepburn had a film career spanning 60 years and was renowned for her boyish fashion sense after mostly being seen wearing trousers.
This may not seem anything too outrageous but in her day Hepburn was unlike all the other starlets in their silk gowns, full length gloves and furs.
Her audacious style stands the test of time and continues to inspire designers’ collections even in the noughties.
Coco Chanel
The woman behind prim twin-sets, quilted bags and tanned skin as a fashion statement is mademoiselle Chanel.
As the creator of the eponymous fashion house, Chanel’s legacy still lives on in the fashion world as younger and younger stars adorn themselves in the demure and ultra-feminine Chanel inspired designs.
Jackie O
Wife to a US president and a shipping tycoon, Jackie Onassis was famed for her wardrobe as well as her husbands.
She wore shift dresses, pill box hats, gloves and pea coats and the ubiquitous large sunglasses.
Everyone talks about owning a pair of ‘Jackie O sunglasses’; therefore if an item you wore is continuously used to describe a particular trend then you definitely deserve to be called a style icon.
Marilyn Monroe
Fancy dress shops would probably go under if it wasn’t for the infamous shot of Marilyn Monroe standing above a subway grate blowing up her white dress in Seven Year Itch.
Aside from her many movie roles, Marilyn is one of the original pin-ups. Her figure-hugging dresses, circle skirts and high rise jeans are 1950’s trends which still inspire fashion today.
TwiggyThe Swinging Sixties wouldn’t be so swinging without the figures that are epitomise that era, one of them being Twiggy.
Twiggy stood out for her height, pixie crop and gamine features, unlike the buxom models of the previous generation.
Wearing mini-dresses and psychedelic Biba ensembles, Twiggy was the effervescent personification of all that was hip and happening in Swinging London.
Anna Wintour
As possibly the most famous editor of the many Vogue editions, Anna Wintour evokes that icy cool aloofness.
Maintaining the same hairstyle for 20 years is not everyone’s favoured look, but for Wintour, her crisp bob and dark shades are all part of her guise which makes up her style icon status.
Additionally Anna wears lady-like and unfussy dresses and two pieces which are mostly patterned.
Anna Della Russo
Ever-present at fashion week and often photographed for style blogs, Anna Della Russo is the quintessential style icon who lives and breathes fashion.
Dubbed a “fashion maniac” by Helmut Newton, Della Russo can be seen wearing absurdly eccentric clothing such as giant cherries on her head and glitzy vivacious mini-dresses showing off her endless, tanned and toned legs.
Her motto seems to be ‘the more impractical the better’, showing that fashion is everything for this editor-at-large of Japanese Vogue.
Posted in: Fashion trendz
