GUEST BLOGGER: Kaycie, fashionista

Kaycie shares her Fashion Icon — who’s yours?

When you think of fashion icons, who do you think of? Coco Chanel? Givenchy? Calvin Klein? How about your older sister or cousin? Whoever it is we all have one. We find ourselves drawn to their style and may not even know why. All we know is that we like it. Aesthetics are only one part of why we like a certain style, but comfort can be super important, too. Finding that perfect combination can sometimes come from a fashion icon who has inspired us with their own style.

Grace, poise, style. Those are just a few words that describe Audrey Hepburn. She entertained us all in her films, and wowed us when she was on the red carpet. Ms. Hepburn’s style was simple, elegant and original.

She is by far my icon de fashion, and I often think of her when I wear my black ballet flats and Capri pants. Even when she stood in a crowded room, she found a way to stand out. Whether you’ve seen her in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or The Children’s Hour, Audrey Hepburn always had a certain air of sophistication about her. But she was never haughty or snobby.

She found a way to say a lot by doing very little. Her outfits ranged from a simple black turtle neck and straight leg black Capri’s, to glamorous gowns. Whatever she wore, she looked great.

Inspiration comes to us in many different ways. For some women it’s VOGUE. Others it’s TV or the new Twilight movie. For me, other than my gal, Audrey, it’s Mad Men. Why? (Mad-icts know why!) A couple of reasons. First off, TV lets us see clothes in motion and under different lights. It gives us a 3D look that we don’t get from print. Second, it’s just plain inspiring to see my fave characters prance around the set. Mad Men character Joan Holloway has helped me create several great outfits I didn’t even know I had.

I digress. Back to Audrey. My fave Audrey Hepburn inspired outfit is a black & grey hound’s- tooth dress that has a high collar and big buttons. I top, or bottom, that off with black stretch leggings and my black and white hound’s-tooth shoes. I then create an up-swept bouffant hairstyle to give it that 1960’s twist and line my eyes with thick black liquid eye liner.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is don’t be afraid. That’s what fashion is all about. It’s like experimenting with new foods in the kitchen. Is every recipe going to be award winning? No, just like how every outfit won’t be a fashion must have. But we must be bold, be brave, be strong and above all, have fun. Throw tradition and rules out the window and just have fun. I’m sure that’s what Coco and Calvin did too.

We’d love to hear from you. Who’s your Fashion Icon?