You Can Wear Unique Street Style Like a Model

Do you love to watch Fashion Week, and see the incredibly creative street style looks of the attendees? You are excited, and inspired. However, most of these fashionistas are much younger than you are. Therefore, you worry “Can you wear street style chic over 50?” If that’s your question, and you want to don street style chic, you are lucky! This post empowers you to don the look at any age. After reading this post all you need is to dare wearing street style like a model.

 

 

Disclosure: This post has affiliated links.

 

When for You the Best of Fashion Week Is the Street Style

When you are a regular reader of High Latitude Style, you know that my favorite parts of fashion weeks are the photos showing the styles of models off stage, and visiting fashionistas on the roads of downtown Milan, Paris, London, New York, Berlin, … – you name it.

Of course, I am excited about learning about the new trends. However, often most of them are frustrating as they are just impractical to pull off. Just think about off-shoulder looks for winter. Great style and a go-to trend when you live in the Tropics or dress for subtropical climate. But even in Northern California, this trend is at the edge to guarantee a cold.

The bell-sleeves remind me of Popeye the sailor – they are awful when you have to drive, or eat. My doctoral gown has bell sleeves. This sleeve cut scavenges everything from the table when you don’t pay attention!

 

Street Style Is a Look before Main Stream

I love the absolute courage to unconventional, the creativity, paired with the commitment to look effortlessly chic and stylish. You know the “Je ne sais quoi” of a great French look where you can point your finger at what makes a look so cool. I love the uniqueness of personal style. The taste to become a trendsetter. Feeling the vibe of the time before the masses can buy it. The look before it became a look.

…. and to have 101 reasons to wear heels over 40.

 

 

Models with Iconic Personal Style

One of my favorite models is Kate Moss. She is the face of British fashion since she was discovered as a 14 year old teenager. I admire her always right to the point mix of feminine, edgy and effortless style. She never sticks to one particular style. Key pieces are pointy toe high heels, faux fur, bare legs, leather, masculine tailoring, and animal prints.

 

 

How great does Heide Klum look in a floral straight skirt, and a striped top? Or my absolute favorite of her, in a Michael Kors leather trench coat? In a tuxedo suit and strappy sandals? I love her unconventional messy up-do.

Claudia Fischer‘s stripped top with flare jeans are a street style classic.

These models get it right. They have worn so many clothes, they learned what looks best on them. Consequently, they wear it when they dress themselves. This means when they are off stage.

 

 

The Unknown Fashionistas

But what about all those unknown fashionistas at fashion weeks who are caught and photographed looking good? Those who turn the head of photographers and end up all over Pinterest, and social media?

 

No, they are not born with a style gene. Their secret is knowing their personal style, and sticking to it. They learned how to have style by identifying their best looks like the models did.

 

 

 

What’s the Difference?

Like the models, they learned it from wearing different clothes. In contrast to the model, these women identified what’s best for them with less clothes. They may understand the arts of the golden rule, have a great eye for proportions, they listen and observe. Sounds a lot of work, right? The good news is that it means everybody can learn to have style, and look their best ever. Even better, you can learn it at any age.

It’s not too late.

 

 

 

The Pitfall of Street Chic

Of course, like always when learning is involved, it means efforts. Guess what?

To look effortlessly chic, you have to put in effort.

 

How to Get Street Chic in Midlife?

First, figure out your personal style. Don’t know your primary personal style? Find out using this free online style finder. The combination of your primary and secondary style makes up your personal style. Add your signature piece. Accessorize with contemporary pieces that you collected over the years plus current It items.

You build your entire look around some key pieces, e.g., a biker jacket, graphic Tees, cool pants, denim jacket, sequin skirt/top. The key pieces, of course, depend on your personal style. If you have Romantic Style, key elements are lace dresses, floral dress, shirts and skirts, pieces with ruffles, you get the idea.

Tip: Try everything with everything. Then go for the combinations that looks the best wrong.

 

 

Adopt from the Models that Fit Is Key

When you wear unconventional combinations, colors or pair pieces in an unexpected way – street style – it is important that all your pieces fit well. It’s a balance between looking effortlessly street chic, and like you dressed in the dark.

 

 

Take Inspirations from the Sidewalk

The look in the photos below builds on the good girl, bad girl idea. Pleated skirts are very classic and especially the accordion pleats have a very conservative vibe. The silver color keeps the skirt from looking old-fashioned. Pairing the good girls proper classic accordion pleat-skirt with the bad girl’s black motorcycle leather jacket adds the right street chic tension. Socks in sandals is a Euro Chic style No-no, but a street style Do!

 

Normcore anyone? Sure!

 

The Nike socks give the lace-up fall sandals the look of booties. The combined effect is far from stiff. And socks in sandals is the new Do on the streets.

 

 

 

Try a Pleated Silver Dance Skirt at Day

I bought this cheap silver skirt to wear for dancing on the weekend because shiny and pleated are trending. So far, I have worn it for dancing only once. However, I wore it several times for a great street style look.

 

Can You Wear a Pleated Silver Skirt Over 50?

It is very versatile to style. Because of the conservative vibe of pleats you can wear this metallic clothes at work on Casual Friday. Because silver looks cool, not boring, you can wear a pleated silver skirt over 50 without looking like an “Old Lady.” 😉

The following street look features a pleated silver skirt with a black motorcycle jacket and a graphic T-shirt. The look remains posh due to the structure bag that picks up the colors of the T-shirt in a slightly different shade. The studded pumps complete the look with some edge.

 

 

Alternatively, try the silver skirt with a denim jacket.

 

Athleisure Plus Pleated Silver Skirt Equals Street Style

Silver serves as a neutral. Black, of course, is also a neutral. Therefore, the outfit is a neutral look with a pop of color, i.e., very simple. The tension between the sport jacket and the preppy silver skirt create interest. The studded booties add an edge.

 

 

 

Tip: Try the silver skirt with a floral bomber.

 

Weekend Street Chic with Birkenstocks

Remember when Leandra Medine, the founder of Man Repeller made Birkenstocks cool? The shoes are so uncool that they are cool again. They are my It shoes for running errands on the weekend. Why? Because they provide good track on the slippy concrete floors of our grocery stores when it is wet outside.

 

 

 

What about a Rock’ N Roll Inspired Outfit?

Do you love Rock’ N Roll music and some elements of that dress style like everything motorcycle, or studded? Plaid belongs to this category. Sometimes a motorcycle jacket and sheath are just enough to not be under- or over-dressed. If it’s a plaid sheath, even better!

The next look shows a plaid sheath dress over a long sleeve T-shirt under a white motorcycle leather jacket. Because it is a classic all black and white theme, you can wear the look even at the office as a Casual Friday outfit. Accessorize with a snow-leopard print scarf knotted in a “weave” with three vintage brooches for extra interest.

 

Tip: Mix metals for an effortless vibe, street-style inspired look.

 

 

 

A tartan sheath dress is very versatile:

• Try it with a denim jacket,
• Pair it with a green sweater as an St. Patrick’s Day outfit, and
• Wear it as a skirt with a leather shell, or sweater.

 

What Are the Best Street Style Accessories?

A pearl necklace would be overkill on the good-bad front. This style calls for individuality. Therefore, DIY accessories can go a long way.

In the first inspirational outfit, I added a silver pendant that I made in a college recreational class. Back then, I drilled holes in a silver oblong metal, hammered the metal to an oblong cookie form, and filed off the edges. I soldered another piece of metal to the back as an eyelet for a leather or rubber band to carry the pendant.

The belt is made from a piece of silver metal in which I drilled little dots. I cut a loop to attach the buckle to the belt. I filed a piece of 0.16 inch (0.4 cm) thick wire, 0.4 inch (1 cm) long wire to the form of a mushroom. Then I soldered it onto the back of the buckle. The material of the belt is actually a leather shoe sole. I asked a cobbler to sew on a piece of pony hair leather to hold the buckle. On the opposite side of the belt, the cobbler punched holes for closure.

 

Style Your Shoes with Shoe Jewelry

I like to toughen up this full leather skirt as it has a girly vibe to it. Thus, to add edge to this girlie skirt I wore my light wash denim shirt, and pearl necklaces mixed with some metal. Furthermore, I decorated my Harley Davidson booties with shoe accessories. These shoe jewelry pieces are silver colored charm bracelet-like chains with a hook at each end and a long chain with charms. These shoe charms can be worn alone or in combination with the chains. The hooks can be easily hooked into the zipper and the ring on the other side of the booties.

 

 

 

Try a Full Skirt Leather Skirt with Business Casual

I always think of this full leather skirt as a contradiction in itself. Leather stands for edgy, hard, and tough, full skirts for  girly, playful, and sweet. To keep this tension style the full leather skirt with leopard pumps, a denim shirt, and a red cardigan. Knot the tails for accentuating the waist. Herein the denim and leopard repeat the tough element, while the knot and red read girly.

Other methods to play the good-bad thing are to combine black leather with innocent white in one outfit or wear a straight skirt over a shift dress which has a girly print.

 

 

 

Get Inspiration from Fashion Week Street Style

This look features a net-dress over pants.

 

 

 

Street Style Outerwear

For the commute to work, go with a statement coat like this motorcycle coat. Accessorize with a silk printed scarf, a beret or hat, and gloves in a matching, but bold color.

 

 

 

Wrapping Up How to Have Street Style Like a Model

Key elements of street style are unique items, and personal style. Build your look on a contrast or the unexpected. Stick to what looks great on you. Dare to be different! Street look is meant to turn heads.

 

Photos of me: G. Kramm

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