Synonymous with style

There are some people for whom style appears to be no effort at all. These are the people who, we imagine, roll out of their satin-sheeted bed in the morning, barely pat their hair, pop on some pearls and heels, apply a coat of lipstick and walk out onto the street approximately four minutes later, looking like they’ve just stepped out of the pages of Vogue.

You know who I mean, don’t you? The Sades, the Audrey Hepburns and the Jackie Os of this world. However, the one person synonymous with style was of course, the late, great, Coco Chanel.

Ms Chanel opened up her fashion house in the 1920s and brought us some fantastic essential pieces, which are still very much a part of everyone’s wardrobe today including the trouser suit and that must-have Christmas favourite, the LBD.

Portrayed in various films over the years, Chanel was once more immortalised in the film which was released worldwide last year, “Coco avant Chanel”, starring the classically beautiful Audrey Tatou. She was rarely seen without her trademark faux pearls and her immaculately tidy outfits which were at once both casual and elegant.

Sadly, those queens of understated glamour, Chanel, Onassis and Audrey Hepburn are no longer with us, but whether you’re 20 or 90, you too can copy their seemingly effortless fashion style.

Plain colours are “de rigeur” – blacks and browns also having the advantage of making a person look slimmer. Black and white can also work well with this look, however.

Sunglasses add to that air of mystique and sophistication, but remember to fit the size of the frame to the size of your face – there’s nothing attractive about a small-framed girl wearing a huge oversized pair of shades.

Pearls are an absolute must. Real pearls are extremely expensive, but even Chanel herself opted for faux pearls, most of the time. Elegant, simple and understated, they simply shout class, if not overdone. A simple pair of studs and one or two strings of pearls around your neck or wrapped around your wrist should do the trick.

And finally, a beautiful pair of leather gloves will really complete an outfit, making you stand out from the crowd.

So let’s end by celebrating our beautiful style icons, for whom classical grooming was and is simply a way of life. Stunning women who, unlike the “celebs” of today, didn’t feel the need to outdo each other and had confidence in their own beauty and class.