Modern Style Icon: Olivia Palermo

Olivia Palermo has really sky rocketed to Style Icon status over the past couple of years in spite of her negative portrayal on MTV’s “The City”. But after all, none of us can really know how real reality TV actually is. There is no denying that Olivia is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to style. She veers towards the classic, but always adds a special, unique touch, making each ensemble memorable. Olivia can accessorize like it’s her job—an in a sense, I suppose it has become her job.

Olivia is at every important fashion event, she has the best in fashion at her fingertips and she possesses an uncanny knack for mixing high and low. Whether she’s sitting in the front row at a fashion show or spending a weekend with Mr. Valentino, Gianncarlo Giammetti, and her handsome and equally stylish boyfriend, Johannes Huebel, Olivia always looks amazing. Olivia always manages to look polished, glamorous, and chic, yet she maintains an effortless air about herself, at least when it comes to her fabulous wardrobe. Her style is perfection and she is truly a “Modern Style Icon”.

{Bold Prints Mixed Beautifully}

{Olivia in a Flirty Pink Valentino Dress at the 2012 Valentino Couture Show in Paris}

{The Dashing Duo in Black}

{Olivia was super stylish at the Spring/Summer 2013 shows earlier this year.}

{I still love this look from a few seasons ago. She really nailed the styling.}

{You’ll notice that overall, Olivia sticks to classic silhouettes that she puts her own spin on through her jewelry, shoes, and bags. My wardrobe isn’t a tenth as good as hers, but I stick to the same philosophy of sticking with some basic pieces, such as this shirt dress and adding personal style through accessories.}

{A Relaxed Summer Look}

{When you pair two leopard print pieces, you run the risk of looking like Snooki, but Olivia definitely gets it right.}

{Effortless Summer Style}

{Jeans, Heels, a Basic Sweater, Fabulous Jacket, paired with Great Accessories—Perfect!}

{Easy and Chic}

{I adore this look! Olivia knows what she likes and she actually gets a lot of mileage out of her favorite pieces, like these blue suede Manolo Blahnik pumps, which is refreshing!}

{I love Olivia’s army jacket, simple silk shell, and jeans here.}

{A Great Weekend Outfit]

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Olivia Palermo: Style Icon?

Back in 2008, I wrote a series on Style Icons. It included some of my personal style icons including Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Later that year, I featured Lauren Conrad of The Hills as a hair icon. Not since Jennifer Aniston sported “the Rachel” had so many people clamored for a celebrity’s hair. No matter how Lauren styles it, it always looks cute.
This brings me to Olivia Palermo, Manhattan socialite turned reality star on The City and owner of a very enviable wardrobe. She may not be portrayed as the nicest or easiest person to get along with, but the woman has AMAZING hair and a wardrobe to match. She has been featured on The Sartorialist several times and it has even been rumored that she was the real-life inspiration for the Blair Waldorf character on Gossip Girl.

On The City, Olivia seems to have a lackadaisical work ethic and appears to be impossible to get along with, but her style is pretty darn fabulous. Whether she is wearing a feminine dress or putting together an impeccable, menswear-inspired look, I love just about every outfit she wears on the show. She balances feminine and masculine details as perfectly as some of my favorite interior designers and she accessorizes each ensemble beautifully.

At the end of the day, I’m sure she is actually a lovely person. How else would she have so many friends and contacts? It is MTV after all, so I am sure there is an abundance of editing and scripting. So, is Miss Palermo simply a hair icon or does she qualify as an all-encompassing style icon?

 

 

Are you a fan of Olivia’s style? Who are your personal style icons?

Olivia Palermo for Roberta Freymann

{Olivia Palermo Makes a Statement}

Few people can wear a statement necklace with the same panache as Olivia Palermo, so it was only natural that she would eventually create her own jewelry line. Olivia has teamed up with textiles maven, Roberta Freymann of Roberta Roller Rabbit fame to create a line of gorgeous, hand-embroidered statement necklaces. The necklaces are made of silk and glass beads and were each named after Olivia’s favorite neighborhoods in various cities throughout the world. The necklaces are at once bold and undeniably chic.

{The Roberta Freymann by Olivia Palermo Collection features the blue, clear, and white SoHo necklace and the Marais necklace named after Olivia’s favorite Parisian neighborhood.}

 

{The collection also includes the Mitte necklace in beautiful shades of turquoise and seafoam green. It is named for Berlin’s oldest borough.}

{Olivia Wearing the Beautiful SoHo Necklace}

What do you think of the look? Are you a fan of Olivia’s style? Do you like statement necklaces or do you opt for more conservative looks?

Olivia Palermo: The Queen of Statement Accessories

A couple of weeks ago, my house and I were photographed for an upcoming editorial feature and somehow, the topic of my personal style came up. I do not consider myself a fashionista by any means, so I explained that while I love admiring fashion, I mostly wear neutral colors—black, white, navy, and camel keeping my outfits simple and adding personality through bold accessories. That day for example, I had on a men’s style, white button down shirt by Claridge + King from A Bientot and skinny black pants that I paired with a big statement necklace, some classic gold bracelets, and blue suede pumps like the ones Olivia Palermo is wearing below. I’ve admired Olivia’s style for quite some time now and while she can mix styles and patterns like no one’s business, my favorite looks of hers are when she uses simple, classic pieces as the foundation for her outfits and then adds interesting shoes, jewelry, and bags. When you dress this way, the result is chic without ever looking like you’re trying too hard. Below, you’ll find a round up of some of my favorite looks of Olivia’s along with some fabulous statement pieces to pare with your own chic basics.