In her new book, “The Style Mentors,” which hits stores next Tuesday, fashion historian Elyssa Dimant surveys the world of celebrity style and breaks it down into eight signature looks.
“There are timeless fashion looks that represent themselves over and over again, and in effect, if we look at fashion that way, it takes a little bit of the trend-guessing and the mystery out of it,” says Dimant, who began her career as a curatorial research associate at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
And her glossy new book has plenty of practical advice. Here, Dimant discusses these inspiring idols — and how to achieve their looks.
1. The Siren
The Siren is the “sultry sex symbol” — “curvy, voluptuous women not afraid to show off their shape,” explains Dimant.
Think the sexual display of Marilyn Monroe and her modern-day style heir, Beyoncé.
“Beyoncé has very much inherited Marilyn’s role as all-American seductive starlet,” says Dimant. “Everything she puts on [says] ‘I am woman, here are my curves.’ ”
Actress Angelina Jolie, on the other hand, “embodies the black widow of this category: a real dark seductress.”
A Siren’s must-haves: a sexy black dress, cleavage-enhancing undergarments, red lipstick
2. The Icon
“These are women who have had an inarguable impact on fashion history, and on the populace’s understanding of how to be fashionable,” says Dimant.
They include Jackie Kennedy, who helped “define the modern wardrobe”; model Kate Moss; and Sarah Jessica Parker, who will forever be remembered as Carrie from “Sex and the City.”
An Icon’s must-haves: a statement dress, oversized sunglasses, “It” bag, status shoes
3. The Minimalist
Minimalists rely on “key pieces [they] adhere to as basics and don’t veer from too much,” says Dimant. “There’s not a lot of pattern — everything is bold and graphic and is meant to service as a blank slate. Minimalists are often somewhat guarded people.”
Though Dimant identifies Grace Kelly as an icon, she also serves as a “minimalist role model.” From her crisp-collared white shirts to her graceful princess line gowns, “she sets a clear foundation for her wardrobe and rarely deviates from it.”
Modern-day minimalists include Sofia Coppola, who “sticks to a functional wardrobe” (shift dresses, pencil skirts, etc.) and Gwyneth Paltrow, who “knows how to accentuate her body in a covert way. She shows off without showing off.”
A minimalist’s must-haves: Fitted blazer, fashion tee, basic pump, box bag, sheath dress
4. The Maverick
“The maverick is someone that traditionally has been afforded a great deal of exposure to culture and art in her life,” says Dimant, “and therefore is able to dress very flamboyantly and adapt a really artistic manner in her clothing.”
Mavericks include heiress Daphne Guinness and the late Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.
“Both turned to surrealism to contribute a rather unique perspective on fashion,” says Dimant. “Daphne with her heel-less shoe and shocking white streaks in her hair.”
“, and Elsa with a career’s worth of surrealist designs, including insect-button dinner jackets.”
And with her use of “corsetry, lace and second-skin jumpsuits,” Lady Gaga is the “ultimate fetish symbol.”
“This is part of the maverick persona,” explains Dimant. “Their tastes and aesthetics are heavy-handed with intrigue and drama.”
A maverick’s must-haves: Wearable art, elaborate jewelry, statement hat
5. The Classicist
“A more straightforward term for this would be conservative. These are people with a really attuned eye to quality and very traditional shapes,” says Dimant.
Yves Saint Laurent muse Catherine Deneuve embodied the master of tailoring with “her beret and trench and those very simple sheaths that skimmed the body without really exaggerating it or shouting out at all,” says Diamant.
Her modern-day equivalent might be Carla Bruni. “Every girl in the world envied Bruni’s political wardrobe designed by Dior,” says Dimant of the traditional stylings worn by the wife of the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. And key to designer Tory Burch’s current success are the “classic shapes she reinvents time and again,” from the flat to the cardigan.
“She always looks really well put together because she’s able to reinterpret within what’s actually in a very classic space.”
A classicist’s must-haves: White button-down shirt, all-purpose trench, demure clutch
6. The Gamine
“The gamines are lithe, with long limbs that are both graceful and childlike and a wide-eyed wonderment with the world,” says Dimant.
Audrey Hepburn epitomized the androgynous gamine, as does her modern-day counterpart actress Anne Hathaway. “What struck everyone when she cut her hair into a pixie is that it’s a really natural look for her, something that really enhanced and complemented her tailored wardrobe,” says Dimant.
Actress Michelle Williams is more “playful as opposed to serious,” in her approach. Rather than opting for conservative colors, Williams “is someone who’s had a lot of success playing with bright yellows.”
A gamine’s must-haves: Tuxedo; capri pants; the “navy” tee (think Jean Seberg in “Breathless); the comfortable, chic shoe
7. The Bohemian
“There are times in fashion when we’re allowed to put on loads of costume jewelry, wear different patterns juxtaposed with one another and, moreover, reflect on this warmer retro age of the late ’60s and ’70s,” explains Dimant.
Socialite Talitha Getty, with her Marrakesh tunics, white flowing pants and long flowing hair, was “so emblematic of that look when it originally surfaced,” says Dimant. “The classic bohemian is well-traveled and she certainly was.”
Actress Sienna Miller is “someone who has definitely appropriated that kind of woman-of-the-world look” with “boho prints and empire dresses suited to a hippie look.”
Vintage enthusiasts the Olsen twins, on the other hand, have “done an incredible job combining high-fashion boho with those more authentic Talitha Getty pieces.”
A bohemian’s must-haves: Baby-doll dress, heaps of jewelry, offbeat headwear, messenger bag
8. The Rocker
“With rockers, it’s free-for-all, attention-grabbing, assertive fashion.”
Punk rocker Debbie Harry parlayed this spirit with “sports-inspired, Lycra dresses, leggings and sweat tops.”
That sportswear element also comes into play with Rihanna — whose street-style wardrobe of Nike Airs and camouflage balances her iconic performer’s wardrobe. “She’s strong and assertive, but wardrobed by everyone from Dior to Versace in these really sexy body-revealing studded lace-gloved gowns,” says Dimant.
Gwen Stefani (top) has also “used the classic rocker strategy of fusing street and haute to great success,” adds the fashion historian, pointing to her “rainbow gradation of hair tints and Dior wedding dress dipped in her signature electric pink.”
A rocker’s must-haves: The corset, extreme footwear, spandex pants or leggings