Princess Diana has been a style icon of mine since she married Prince Charles in 1981 and remained so until her very sad and premature death. She started off as a young natural beauty, typically English in every way. I think my attraction to her began because she actually looked very much like my mother – in coloring, in bone structure and in hairstyle. There was also the fact that she was a princess, and what 7 year old girl can resist a princess?..
Last post on Jerry Hall. Hope I haven’t bored you. There are just too many great photos not to share.
So obviously the last chapter is the one of her with Mick Jagger. Although I love the stylized perfection of her and Bryan Ferry, I am also moved by the more natural quality of her style in her years with Mick, compounded by their obvious love for each other. It’s plain to see that this was a happy relationship and a happy family, at least for a time...
During her modeling years in the 70’s and 80’s Jerry Hall embodied American high-gloss glamour at it’s very best. ..
Although I was alive at the time, I regret not being old enough to witness Jerry Hall and Bryan Ferry walking the world as a couple in the mid 70’s. The combination of her overt glamour and his understated cool puts them at the top of my most stylish couples list. ..
Continuing with my interest in classic American beauty, I’ve been looking at lots of pictures of Jerry Hall recently. I just love how she transformed her girl next door looks into total high fashion glamour. For her, it has always been and will always be all about the hair and make-up. The way I see it, this worked for her because she never went too far out there with the clothes. One of my favorite 70’s looks is a woman in jeans and a t-shirt with big hair and glossy makeup. Jerry Hall took part in defining that iconic look and then stuck with it through subsequent decades. She had a brief, more decorative period in the 80’s (didn’t everyone?) which was genius in its own way, and I will share that with you in a future post.
But for now I want to start at the very beginning of Jerry’s career, when she met legendary illustrator and photographer Antonio Lopez. ..
As you know, I always have a style icon lurking in my head. Whether real or fictional, alive or dead, man or woman, having someone to inspire me always makes getting dressed more fun. Lately I’ve been obsessing over women with classic American style, particularly from the 70’s. The simplicity of casual sportswear with a bit of grooviness like oversized sunglasses, flared jeans or muted colors make American style look sexier than it has in other decades. My latest discovery in this vein is Ricky Lauren. I have seen some of these pictures before, but never have they spoken to me so clearly.
I love seeing how iconic designer clothes integrate themselves into everyday life. I’m not talking about party pictures or photo shoots – I’m talking real life. How they get worn at home or on vacation, how they get mixed together with things you already own or adapted to work in your particular lifestyle. The below photo I took of my friend Lulu Anderson in the south of France in the late 90’s. She was fashion editor at the London Telegraph at the time and was so delighted to get her hands on this Tom Ford for Gucci dress from his famous hippie collection...
Ever since I cut my long hair to shoulder length, it’s been a total crapshoot as to how it dries naturally. The simple summer solution I’ve found is to wrap a headscarf around it while it’s drying – it keeps the roots nice and flat and amps up the waves at the bottom. So just this past weekend, I walked out of my bedroom with my Chanel camellia print scarf tied in a do-rag on my head, when my tweenage daughter with much disdain in her voice said, “Ugh Mom, if you’re going to wear that again at least let me make it look less nerdy.”..
