The Background

Some fashion icons grow from humble beginnings, others start a little further up the ladder. Olivia Palermo, born February 28^th 1986, grew up on New York’s Upper East Side. An area of the city known for its high concentration of wealth and privilege, Olivia comes from suitably rarefied stock.

After attending university in Paris and classes at the Parsons School in New York, Palermo soon made a name for herself as a bona fide New York socialite. Snapped out and about, Palermo’s wardrobe started to gain some serious column inches.

Olivia’s fame really took off when she landed a guest role on reality TV show ‘The City’. An East-Coast spin off from hit show ‘The Hills’, Olivia was filmed working alongside main draw, City star Whitney Port.

But ask most people about Olivia Palermo and it’s her style that has really got her noticed. The mix of high-fashion with classic shapes has put Palermo on the watch-list for every fashion magazine, and this April, Olivia was asked to be the ‘Today I’m Wearing’ girl for www.vogue.com. Chronicling every outfit for a whole month, the feature has predictably been a resounding hit.

But what is it that has Olivia Palermo riding high on everyone’s style radar?

The Look (and how you can get it)

Google photos of Olivia and one thing becomes very apparent: she’s not shy about showing off her legs, and frankly – who can blame her?

Olivia is adept at working proportion. Look at those same pictures, and you’ll spot a common thread: when the legs are on display, everything else stays covered up. Whether it’s with blazers, cardigans or jackets, it’s a simple style equation (probably the simplest there is), but when Olivia shows off one half, the other gets more modest treatment. It’s what keeps her look in the ‘cute and chic’ territory: no matter what she’s spent on a particular outfit, it never looks cheap, and that’s why. It’s all about balance and pay-off. A little style restraint goes a long way.

Olivia’s love of shorts has been exhaustively dissected on fashion spreads, and she’s proof that this season’s hottest must-have can be work-able. Whether it’s for night or day, shorts are a Palermo staple – much more interesting than the micro-mini.

Another favourite is the jacket. Whether it’s a blazer, cropped or heavily embellished for night, you’ll see every kind of look on Palermo’s back. The most important buy for S/S 2010, Olivia was partly responsible for its re-emergence as a style essential; pairing Isabel-Marant style tweeds with shorts for day, and a heavily embroidered blouson jacket by Topshop at London Fashion Week that had everyone dashing to their nearest branch the morning after.

Olivia isn’t afraid to cross-over a favourite look from day into night. It can be super-sharp neutrals for work, to a softly tailored cover-up with an emerald-green dress. It’s taking an element of the unexpected and making new classics. Shorts for evening, embellishment for day: it’s all part of the Palermo experience.

The last piece in the puzzle is Olivia’s love of accessories. Put simply, you can’t fail to notice the accents - they get equal billing with the main pieces and that’s the whizz-kid part.

Shoes and bags are the jewel in the crown for Olivia’s wardrobe. With leg-baring outfits, navy day shorts are paired with daring, boundary-breaking sandals to lift a nautical look into something truly fashion-forward. Olivia keeps the overall silhouette classic, but pumps it up with the shoes. It doesn’t always have to be heels either. Olivia scored serious attention for her silver Sergio Rossi brogues, triggering a wave of high-street copies.

Olivia’s loyalty to her accessories really shines through in her choice of bag. In an age where some celebrities make it their mission never to be photographed with the same bag twice, Olivia is conspicuous by her absence of ego.

Her go-to accessory is the Gemma bag by Chloe. A neutral colour in a classic shape, ‘Gemma’ is the perfect companion to Olivia’s work-horse wardrobe. Challenging the stereotype of the ultra-consumerist socialite, Olivia’s choice of bag is not only smart, it’s bang on trend.

 

 

The bag that goes the distance is now the option that’s most in favour. Even Olivia’s Hermes Birkin offers a master-class in doing un-conspicuous consumption.

On this point, getting the perfect day-bag doesn’t have to mean mega-bucks: you can find decent bags in stores like Reiss and All Saints, plus the leather and suede designs at high-street stores like Zara and Topshop. Keep an eye out for high-street designs that stand on their own merit – don’t feel obliged to buy something because it’s a dead ringer for its designer equivalent. Try to source bags in neutral colours with a killer detail, like a buckle or a fastening. It gives you an instant style upgrade, no matter how much or how little you spent.

Finally, the only way you know a bag’s for you is if it gives you that ‘must-have’ fever. Don’t love it? Don’t buy it. Accessories are a brilliant way of stamping your personality onto an outfit – so don’t sell yourself short.

The cornerstone of Olivia’s look is her ability to mix and match, and Palermo does it so well it could practically be her mantra.

 

 

Olivia is known for being able to blend the best of the high-street with luxe additions. To prove the point, Olivia once turned up to a New York charity event wearing a Diane Von Furstenberg jacket, YSL Tribute sandals and a skirt from American Apparel.

Fit and finish are the most important issues to consider here. When pairing a statement jacket with a more affordable skirt, look at the fabrics. Do they go well together? As for fit – ignore the label and go for what works on your body. Don’t get hung up on sizing – often switching up or down a size is the key to making luxury and bargain work in perfect harmony.

Also apply the theory of mix and match to different fashion genres. Olivia once paired a faux-fur scarf with boyfriend jeans and it brought a whole new freshness to the boyfriend, slouchy trend that made Olivia an instant stand-out.

Look at colour and texture: sometimes pairing a soft grey cardigan with a gold metallic dress is just what you need to apply your own twist to black tie dressing. Think laterally: developing a personal style is knowing what suits you – not just your body, but your lifestyle. Feel uncomfortable being too pristine? Butch up summer florals with leather gladiator sandals, or soften a tailored look by teaming it with harem trousers. Keep your style on its toes and don’t be afraid to try something new: that’s the way personal style works. It’s you, plus know-how and a helping of (simply) divine inspiration.

The Summary (What Makes Olivia a Modern Fashion Icon)

·         The holy trinity of mix and match: proportion, texture, colour

·         Accessories (spend on pieces that last, rather than flash-in-the-pan)

·         Think outside the dressing-up box (knits for evening, glamour florals, faux fur with ripped jeans)

Olivia is often credited as a real-life Gossip Girl, blending Serena’s sex appeal, with Blair’s loving attention to detail and Jenny’s too-cool-for-school street attitude. But the fact of the matter is Olivia has created an entire image around being different: she is nobody’s follower. Frank Sinatra sang about it, and in New York, there really is something to be said for doing it your way. In a city of uber-groomed women, Olivia stands out because she’s a rule breaker. When it comes to style, Olivia is the real deal.

With Palermo, the genius is in the detail. The hair and make-up is always noteworthy, but never distracting. Her accessories become part of the outfit, rather than bolt-ons.

But the best thing about Olivia is that the look is never too perfect. There’s nothing in Palermo’s wardrobe that can’t translate to real life: brogues, blazers, shorts and day-bags: not exactly the stuff of unattainable dreams.

The beauty of Olivia’s look is that it not just works on a budget: it flourishes on it. Olivia is famous for her championing of high-street design. Topshop and H&M are just as prolific features of Olivia’s wardrobe as the big designer brands.

Despite her lofty beginnings, Olivia’s look is anchored in reality and that’s why we love watching what she’ll wear next. She may have come from the Upper East Side, but her look is pure City Girl: smart, sophisticated and sartorially, just impeccable.

HELEN TOPE