“Just because you have the freedom to wear anything you want and don't need to care what others say, you should not ignore a sense of good taste.” - Annette, Lady of Style
“Attractive, mature and self-confident woman certainly don't need to cover up or wear conservative clothes in muted colours.” - Annette, Lady of Style
How would you describe your personal style?
A feminine, elegant style which friends and fellow bloggers tend to call “sophisticated”. Dresses are my favorite type of clothes and I wear them as often as I can! Even when I was younger (I turned 50) I was never a casual girl and over the years my style more and more evolved. When I call it “ladylike” people always associate it with a beige cashmere twinset and a pearl necklace! But that’s not me – I love combining trends, youthful elements and colours with more elegant pieces. That’s my style!
Where did you get your passion for fashion?
I grew up on the countryside with not much inspiration when it comes to fashion and trends! Yet my passion started early by reading fashion magazines and putting together my outfit for the next school day the night before. I even made little drawings of my outfits ;-) Many years I worked for an international airline, traveled a lot and always have been fascinated by what we nowadays call “street style”! I love the natural elegance of Italian or French ladies, something I often miss here in Germany.
Where do you find sartorial inspiration?
I follow a lot of blogs, international magazines and naturally I am addicted to Pinterest ;-) My 18yr old daughter started her blog FashionFlirt in 2011 and I was involved in getting her started. It was Alena who introduced me to the blogosphere before I started Lady of Style - a fashion and style blog for mature women - in January 2013.
We share our passion for fashion, we go on shopping trips to London together, with her I watch livestreams of fashion shows and we even share clothes and accessories!
My style icon is Olivia Palermo. Even she is a lot younger, I love her ageless style.
What is the difference between fashion and style?
I wear a lot of high street fashion, whether it is MANGO, ZARA, H+M or Wallis – that is fashion. The way I combine a new dress with the right shoes, add a vintage necklace or an old handbag from my wardrobe and people say “you look so elegant!” – that is style.
Very often my readers can’t believe that a dress I am wearing actually was on sale for 15€ at H+M. It is not about designer pieces… ok, I wouldn’t refuse a Céline bag ;-) but it is about how you put your outfit together. I am far from being perfect but for me styling is quite easy.
Any advice for a woman who is starting to find her personal style?
Usually a woman knows the type of clothes she naturally feels comfortable with. That is a good start! It doesn’t help if you are an outdoors person and somebody tells you that you should wear a shift dress and high heels.
Go from your comfort zone and find accessories to enhance your current look. I always find
shoes most important as they can be the highlight of your outfit or completely kill it. Don’t pick accessories randomly, put some effort in creating a new look.
Go shopping with a friend and try out various themes like spring floral prints, pastel colours, try on a dress in a bright colour! Let her take photos, compare the looks and see what flatters you. If you are not sure it might take a while until you really know “that’s me and this is how I want to look!”
It is true, if you feel good, it shows.
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The purpose of the Friday True Fashionista series is to show women who use clothing to express their personal style. Each woman has a different, unique look and opinion on clothing and fashion. These women inspire me in my clothing choices, and possibly their bold sartorial statements will inspire you. Stay tuned, there will be a featured True Fashionista every Friday. And if you know of a True Fashionista in your life, tell us about her in the comments... you never know she may end up being featured!