Audrey

Audrey Hepburn....a fashion icon.

While perusing the internet, and also thinking a bit ahead to our June 2013 Europe trip, I can't help but continue to think about Audrey and her classic style.
A young woman came into Hot Mama just a week or so ago, herself leaving for Europe that weekend, needing to add a few more pieces to her suitcase.
She, of course, had packed mostly black, which is about as European as you can get, but needed a few more basics to take with her.

My reply was to think classic, simple, and when determining if something works, just ask yourself:
Would Audrey wear it?
I believe that this not only works for thinking about dressing for or in Europe, but also just in determining what works on your body every day. If you are questioning it, just ask this simple question: Would Audrey wear it?
If the answer is yes, you've got it, but if not, you need to re-think what it is you are going for with the ensemble you've chosen.

Here's a little bit more about Audrey, to help you envision what her style encompassed.

Audrey grew up a poor chorus girl. It was said that she owned only one blouse, one skirt, and one pair of shoes, 
but 14 scarves that she used to fashion a variety of creative looks.

Keogh attributes Audrey’s timelessness 
to her European background: 
(I LOVE this description
....exactly the wardrobe I hope to have!)

A French shopgirl will spend an entire week’s wages for an Hermès scarf, or the "perfect" shoes that last for years. Audrey had much of this extravagant European frugality. She was born in a time when women owned fewer clothes, but they were of highest quality. A reasonably fashionable woman might have two dresses, a couple of suits, a handful of blouses, and (after the late 1960s) a few pairs of pants, but each item was meticulously chosen and perfectly tailored. Audrey’s fashion sense was rooted in this long-standing European tradition, where women invested in a wardrobe rather than bought scattered pieces.

Audrey’s fashion advice to women centered on inner beauty. Audrey carried herself gracefully. She stressed the importance of wearing your clothes, rather than letting them wear you. By developing an authentic and confident self, a woman can learn to let her clothing be in its rightful place, as an adornment of a more beautiful person.

Audrey's closet mainly included the following:
-LBD (little black dress): simple, yet chic
-black turtleneck
-white blouse
-black crops: with black turtleneck + black flats
-scarves
-black, black, black

For more about Audrey's style, check out this site, which describes both her dreams of being a dancer as well as her sense of style & grace.

If you want even more of a glimpse into her style, check out the book, Audrey Style. This book contains pages upon pages of black & white images of Audrey as well as sketches of her by Givenchy, Vera Wang, McQueen, and others!

And remember, as you're packing for Europe, or trying to determine if your outfit "works," simply ask yourself: 
Would Audrey wear it?