How to dress like a substantial- close custom at High Street costs

By editor
March 20, 2024

Clothing watchers have meticulously examined every starlet and front-row celebrity’s clothing in the hopes of absorbing their style secrets after a fortnight of runway shows.

But there’s one, really important, party whose personal style is typically unfairly neglected: the manufacturers themselves.

These designers, who are mostly women in their 50s and upwards, are the brains behind the airport looks that influence the High Street and have spent decades thoroughly developing their wardrobes to showcase their personal style, while flattering an older figure, from the colorful Miuccia Prada, the 74-year-old matriarch of contemporary European fashion, to the super- polished, 49, who also managed to make a pair of crutches look fashionable on the catwalk of.

We show you how to steal their high fashion secrets on a tight budget here.

Classic with a kooky twist: Miuccia Prada

The colourful Miuccia Prada, the 74-year-old matriarch of modern Italian fashion

‘I think many people have different characters in themselves: the feminine part and the masculine part, the gentle and the tough’, Miuccia has said. And this is the key to emulating her style: juxtaposition. Try pairing men’s shirts with bejewelled earrings with feminine dresses with penny loafers.

Appearing on the cover of Vogue last month, Prada wore a pillar box red silk coat over a citrine sweater, both from her first Prada collection, completing the look with thick- as- bicycle- chains gold necklaces. In a different way, she paired her suit skirt with stompy monk shoes, adding a little androgyny to it. Chinti & Parker has a sweater reduced to £76 ( harrods.com ) that’s just as zingy as Miuccia’s archival Prada one, while Baukjen has a recycled wool version of her red silk coat more appropriate for British climes ( £179, baukjen.com ).

Coat, £179, baukjen.com
Sweater, £76, Chinti + Parker at harrods.com
Earrings, £16, accessorize.com
Loafer, £63.70, laredoute.com
Necklace, £150, loel.co.uk

Tasteful maximalism: Diane von Fürstenberg

To emulate DVF¿s style, look for intricate florals, geometric prints and a splash of leopard

The beige hue of “stealth wealth” is a welcome change thanks to DVF’s devotion to print. To emulate her style, look for intricate florals and geometric prints, and don’t be afraid of the odd splash of leopard.

(£32.99, zara.com) There is a floral shirt by Zara that appears to have been painted by Cezanne himself (£32.99). Tuck into Boden’s tomato- red pencil skirt ( £77, boden. co. uk ) for an unapologetically feminine DVF- inspired look. And don’t neglect her most iconic creation: the wrap dress, which she invented in 1974 and still wears on repeat at the age of 77. Hobbs has a geometric version that’s all kinds of Fürstenberg ( £99, hobbs.com ).

Heels, £35.99, zara.com
Dress, £99, hobbs.com
Shirt, £32.99, zara.com
Skirt, £77, boden.co.uk

Polished poise: Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham shortcut to chic is tailored, floor-sweeping, flares that exude '70s glamour

When VB stepped out in Paris earlier this month wearing crutches, on one foot she was wearing a medical cast and on the other a pair of £860 Alaia heels, she demonstrated how committed she is to her ultra-polished personal style.

Tailored flares from her own brand are usually the 49- year- old’s shortcut to chic — floor- sweeping and immaculately cut, they exude’ 70s glamour. However, your next best bet is courtesy of Boden with a price tag of upwards of £500. Their Westbourne flares ( £80, boden. co. uk ) come in an array of colours in a flattering ponte fabric. Typically, VB wears her flares with a roll-neck in a clashing color, such as red with Cadbury purple and lime with lilac. Oh, and sunglasses that are the size that scream “my dad had a Rolls Royce.” Naturally.

Trousers, £80, boden.co.uk
Sweater, £85, stories.com
Bag, £35.99, mango.com
Sunglasses, £9.99, hm.com

Cool casual: Stella McCartney

Stella's essentials are tailoring, tailoring and more tailoring, with the golden rule? Size. Up. In. Everything

Talk about putting the cool into Cool Britannia. The aesthetic of Stella is approachable and wearable, but it is also the epitome of aspirational and chic at the same time.

Her essentials? Tailoring, tailoring and more tailoring. See the power-shouldered, London bus-red blazer she wore to an art fair last October or the grey suit she wore for her Paris show last week.

And the golden rule of this tailoring? Four words: Size. Up. In. Everything. Reserved has a scarlet jacket (£69.99) and trousers (£39.99, reserved.com) that, in several sizes bigger than your usual (don’t hold back here), will give the perfect McCartney menswear- inspired silhouette.

By day, Stella, 52, makes her suits errand- running appropriate by pairing them with white trainers, by evening, stilettos reign supreme.

Trainers, £65, gola.co.uk
Trousers £39.99, reserved.com
Jacket, £69.99, reserved.com
Heels £35.99, zara.com
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