You Can Wear Unique Street Style Like a Model

Do you love to watch Fashion Week and see the street style looks of the attendees? This post empowers you that you can 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.
Updated: 11/5/2021

 

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.

The best of Fashion Week are the street style outfits in town. #streetstyle #streetchic Click To Tweet

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? Don’t get me started on them! Not only that I don’t like their look – it reminds me of Popeye the sailor – they are aweful when you have to drive, or eat. My doctoral gown has them. These bell sleeves scavenge everything from the table when you don’t pay attention to them!

 

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 secrets to achieve ageless style. The taste to be 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.

Turning fashion into style Click To Tweet

 

 

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 updo.

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 look 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, and 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.

Thus, 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. #stylesecret Click To Tweet

 

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. 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 pieces are lace dresses, floral dress, shirts and skirts, pieces with ruffles, you get the idea.

A way to get the look is to try everything with everything. Then go for the combinations that looks the best wrong. Learn more about the secrets to achieve ageless personal style.

 

 

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.

 

If you liked any of these outfit inspirations, it would help me if you pinned them to your own Pinterest board. It’s a great way that your friends, family, and others can see them too.

 

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.

 

 

If you love street style go for the look. #streetstyle #streetchic Click To Tweet

Try a Pleated Silver Dance Skirt at Day

I had bought this silver skirt to wear for going out dancing on the weekend. So far, I have worn it for dancing only once. It was cheap as shiny and pleated is a trend right now. However, I like the skirt so much that I wear it beyond going out for dancing. This skirt is also perfect for a great street style look and way more as the following photos demonstrate. And yes,
You can wear street style over 50! Click To Tweet

It’s kind of amazing how versatile a pleated metallic skirt is. You can style it so many ways. The pleated style has a conservative vibe for which one can get away with wearing metallics at work at least on Casual Friday. The silver looks cool, not boring. Thus, one can wear the pleated skirt 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.

 

 

For an example of this  silver skirt with a denim jacket check the post at the link.

 

Athleisure Plus Pleated Silver Skirt Equals Street Style

The silver skirt serves as a neutral. Black, of course, is also a neutral. Thus, the outfit falls under the broad category of neutral look with a pop of color so to speak, i.e. pretty simple. The tension between the sport jacket and the preppy silver skirt create interest. The studded booties add an edge.

 

 

 

For an inspiration of the skirt and a floral bomber see the linked post.

 

Weekend Street Chic with Birkenstock

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 store 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 is often also considered to belong to this category. Sometimes a motorcycle jacket and sheath are just enough to not be under- or over-dressed. If the sheath has a plaid pattern, even better!

The next look shows a plaid sheath dress over a long sleeve T-shirt under a white motorcycle leather jacket. It is a classic all black and white theme. Thus, you can wear the look even at the office if there is a Casual Friday culture. The look is accessorized with a white leopard scarf knotted in a “weave” with three vintage brooches for extra interest. Yes, you identified this right. These brooches are mixed metals for an effortless vibe and street style inspired look.

 

A tartan sheath dress is very versatile. I styled the plaid sheath

• for Casual Friday with a denim jacket,
• with a green sweater as an outfit for St. Patrick’s Day, and
• even with a leather shell (see the posts at the links for these looks).

 

Stylist tip: Try to wear sheath dresses with a denim or motorcycle jacket like in the example for in this post on Casual Friday outfit.

 

Best Street Style Accessories

A pearl necklace would be overkill on the good-bad front. This style calls for individuality. Thus, 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 are associated with girly, playful, and sweet. To keep this tension I added leopard pumps, a denim shirt and a red cardigan that I knotted at the tails for playing up the waist. Herein the denim and leopard again stand for the tough element, while the knot and the red of the dyed cardigan again read girly.

When I look through my posts it occurs to me that I obviously like to play the tension game with this skirt. For instance, combining black leather with innocent white in one outfit adds interest to an otherwise classic outfit. I also wore this skirt over a shift dress using the dress as a blouse which has a girly print, but a classic cut. See these looks at the linked posts.

 

Did you know that there is a post with tips how to style a full leather skirt for work?

 

 

Get Inspiration from Fashion Week Street Style

This look features a netdress 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. Thanks for stopping by. I highly appreciate your visits.

Before you leave, don’t forget to hit subscribe to get a notification when a new post goes up. Deep inside you know when I can do it you can do it too.

Photos of me: G. Kramm

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