photo Charming_zps24b0f6e3.png

2.13.2012

{style icons and a winner}

Audrey-Hepburn-7 elizabeth-taylor Jackie O

{audrey hepburn, elizabeth taylor, jacqueline kennedy onassis}

I was on Pinterest, looking for examples of how far from classy our culture has come since the days of Jackie O. and Elizabeth Taylor, but I couldn’t figure out why exactly I was wasting my time. You all know what I mean; my head was starting to hurt just from trying to find a picture of Snooki to use. The infamous Jersey Shore cast member isn’t the only example I have, of course. It’s the Kim Kardashians of the world, Ashley Olson’s frumpy style, and Nicki Minaj’s unfortunate choice of dress at the Grammys that get to me too.

It’s funny, because as Ms. Minaj was walking the red carpet on Sunday, I was just getting home from the wedding I’d worked. I remember telling the girl working with me how impressed I was with the guests, because they were all so well put together. I noticed that many of the Japanese and Korean women there were very conscious about what they wore, and many of the young women even wore pantyhose.

I’ve been to so many weddings, and there is always someone dressed inappropriately. Whether it’s a skirt too short, a dress too tight, or heels too high, it seems like young women just don’t know how to dressed. So I’m sure you can imagine how impressed, and in awe, I was to see a young lady at the wedding on Sunday in a beautiful pink tweed dress wearing nude stockings and a sensible pair of pumps.

It seems to me as if style “icons” these days are anything but. Are these really the women that we are supposed to look up to? Is that all that I can hope for for my daughter? But then I remember that I didn’t grow up watching Audrey Hepburn. In fact, I don’t think it was until college that I even saw Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the first time. And I like to think that I turned out alright, so maybe young women these days do have hope.

We can choose who we look up to, and we can choose who we have our daughters look up to. We don’t have to settle for role models and style icons who don’t fit our standards, because there are plenty of women out there today who do. They may just not be as flamboyant as Kim Kardashian.

Natalie Portman1B2D3A42 110801_PS_LC_AugSepReese Witherspoon Gwenyth Paltrow Emma Watson

{natalie portman, kate middleton, lauren conrad, reese witherspoon, gwenyth paltrow, emma watson}

Who are your style icons?

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I also want to announce the winner of the Anthropologie giveaway…

Anthro Giveaway

There were over 250 entires {say what?!}, but the $50 gift card to Anthropologie goes to…

Jillian from Coffee, Light and Sweet!

Congrats lady! Be sure to email me with your info so I can send you the gift card. Thanks to all who entered!

8 comments:

Christianna said...

You are so right about what you are saying. The social norm is to be as crazy as you can. Though I'm all for individuality, it can be expressed in different ways. The ways that can be chosen are sometimes a little cray cray.

My style icons would have to be Zooey Deschanel, Kristen Dunst, and Reese, just to name a few!

Jenna said...

Ah, so true that while our society appears to have lost its class, it can be found in so many places if we are just willing to look!

Love Natalie Portman and Kate Middleton, they are two of my very faves!

xxx
Jenna

Amanda English said...

You are so right, thinks have changed so much. I love the class that you have shared today!

Stop by sometime, I'd love to hear what you think about my Valentine post!

xoxo
http://eloquentenglish1.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

These women had style and grace. But they had a sense of what you can wear and what you can't.
Nowadays it's more about picking up this and that, it does not have to match, it does not have to be beautiful.
When I was a young girl, my Icon was Jackie Kennedy. My tastes did not change. She is still my favourite!

Awesome post Joelle! Thanks and have a wonderful Valentine's Day! xx

Lindsay @ Trial By Sapphire said...

I completely agree with your picks! True elegance is so much more lasting than 20-something sex appeal and flaunting everything your mama gave you.

Unknown said...

Jackie Onassis is timeless! Love that she is your icon too!

Nikki said...

Love Kate Middelton and Lauren Conrad's style. I wish I had 1/2 the fashion sense that they do :)

Nicole Rene said...

LC is for sure my style icon. Haha, I just adore her! And whoa I am either really tired & losing it or something but LC & the princess look strikingly similar in those pictures? Ya.. I'm just getting really tired haha.