A Who's Who of Style

This post is dedicated to the fashion lovers out there. The Skinny Chai has decided to do another one of our famous (ha) lists, this time profiling our favorite fashionistas! Marg had the task of choosing her top deceased icons, while Matthew examined current style mavens. Take a look below at each of our top 4 picks, and leave a comment with some of your favorite fashion icons! 

 

MARG'S PICKS:

 

Elizabeth Taylor - Obviously.

 

Taylor is one of my all time favourite celebrities ever. She was so talented, so beautiful, and damn did the woman know how to dress. Some people probably can only picture older Liz - that of giant diamonds and sequined tops - and thus wonder about my enamourment, but I say that her personal style was one that leaned toward glamour to the very end. She loved sparkle, she loved colour, and that can be seen through-out her life. My favourite era for Elizabeth Taylor is of course the 1950s and 60s, her time to shine as one of the world's sexiest, most beautiful women. Sweetheart necklines showed up frequently in her wardrobe, as did super-fitted waists. I wouldn't call it effortless chic - that would downplay the percision of her looks - the hair, the cleavage, the jewelery - everything was very intentional, clearly coming from a love of beauty. 

 

 

 Katherine Hepburn - Pants!

 

It's almost a surprise to myself that I consider Katherine Hepburn as a personal fashion icon. Anyone who knows me knows that I just don't like pants - don't like 'em, don't wear 'em - Hepburn had the opposite view: she loved 'em, she wore 'em - in the 1930s and 40s, this was unheard of! Women (especially Hollywood starlets) didn't wander around in pantsuits for all the World to see. Hepburn bucked conventions - I love her style because she dressed exactly how she wanted to dress, not how society said she should. And she looked sophisticated and classy while doing so. Maybe if I could pull off slacks as well as Katherine, I'd wear some wide-legged highwaisted trousers too (probably not...)

 

 Carey Grant - The Man

 

Oh he was one hell of a sharp dressed and dapper gentleman! Grant wore a suit better than all his peers (they were all wearing suits at this time, so that is huge) - he was manicured and styled and clean and wore dinner jackets like he was born in them (he wasn't, not even figuratively, as he came from shockingly humble beginnings). Grant was the epitome of elegance, juxtaposed with a killer sense of comedic timing. 

 

 

Audrey Hepburn - Bangs!

 

It's not just her iconic look as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (but what a look!) that makes the second Hepburn show up on this list - Audrey was stylish and lovely in all her public appearances. She had a very uncomplicated look - effortlessly looking amazing in simple black turtlenecks and ciggarette-pants. She knew the value of singularly worn bold accessories, refusing to go overboard. Through-out her life, Hepburn managed to look fawn like and fresh, having a wardrobe of clothes seemingly designed to wear on sunny days spent having fun. Also: she had some of the best eyebrows in the history of Hollywood. 

 

 

MATT'S PICKS: 

 

 Tilda Swinton - THE SWINTON

I feel like people either love her style or think she is an alien from Saturn, sent to distract us all while her native people slowly pump all of the fresh water out of the Canadian Arctic in order to create a super race that will eventually kill us earthlings (which is probably why people who love her, love her). Regardless of what side of the debate your on you cannot deny that Tilda Swinton has a look that is all her own, she plays by the book of no rules when it comes to fashion. Whether or not she's dressing for the red carpet, a magazine cover, or day to day life, she has managed to create her own unique brand. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "THE SWINTON!"

Pharrell Williams - Mr. Cool

Clearly this man has style. At times he's a bit prep, sometimes he's a bit urban, and sometimes he's straight up glamor. So there is something for everyone. While this hodgepodge of styles could easily go wrong- I think Pharrell does a bang up job at pulling it off. I think you need loads of confidence to pull off a bold look- and he's got it.

 Helena Bonham Carter - The Crazy

My criteria for this list was to choose people who had their own definition of style. I didn't want to go with trend setters, or the people who always get it "right" on the red carpet. I wanted risk takers, individuals who truly expressed their personality through their clothes. That being said, I also did not pick anyone who I thought used fashion as a way of seeking attention, or shocking people. For me, Helena Bonham Carter fits the bill perfectly. While her red carpet looks always raise an eye brow or two she manages to create her own unique point of view without being to over the top- she doesn't dress to shock, she dresses to express and feel confident.


Nicole Kidman - A Class Act

I chose Nicole Kidman because I think she is someone who manages to combine her own sense of style with trends. She is usually a red carpet stunner, but she isn't boring about it. Sometimes she will use an accessory in a strange way that throws people off, many (including myself) may not like the choice, but good for her for being fresh about it. She's a woman who has the ability to be on top of every ones best dressed list, but lately she's been saying fuck that shit, and she does what she wants, not what a stylist wants. 

We hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to comment below and tell us what you think!