The ‘Forever’ Classics

I’m a girl who loves the timeless classics. Movies, books, and most definitely my wardrobe. That might not make me ‘cool’, but personally I’d rather spend my money on the sort of pieces I know I’ll wear and love for years to come (and that won’t make me cringe when I look back on photos of myself in a decade or two).

Fashion Week has just kicked off in New York, and already my Instagram feed is full of images of girls in cycling shorts, cowboy boots, fluro puffer jackets, and the sort of ugly sneakers Jerry Seinfeld might have worn. I have the utmost respect for the girls who are cool enough to pull off even the most outlandish trends and still look chic (it helps that they’re usually blonde, tall and supermodel thin so could look good in literally anything), but I am definitely not one of them. Although I’ll sometimes dip into new trends each season, I live by the rule that anything new must work with my own style and still look good years later.

Wearing: Dress // Hat // Sunglasses // Earrings // Gold Necklace // Pearl Necklace

I’m a firm believer in buying yourself special pieces to mark particular moments or milestones in your life, and for me those pieces usually come in the form of a bag, shoes, or piece of jewellery I’ve been wanting for years. This bag is probably my most treasured possession and I wear it constantly. I bought it for my 21st birthday; it was admittedly a lot of money (I was a student at the time and it is still the most I’ve ever spent on anything in my wardrobe), but I justified it on the basis it was a gift from my beloved mama. She didn’t get to give me an actual present before she died, so I allowed myself to buy one special thing with my inheritance as a special gift from her. Then I bought myself these shoes on my birthday in Paris earlier this year. They were much less than the bag but still definitely not cheap, but I don’t mind investing in good shoes if I know I’ll be able to wear them all the time. I used to spend all my money on the sort of fanciful high heels that made my heart skip a beat, but have come to accept that I’m better off spending more on classic flats and heels I can actually walk in – so that way I get to wear and enjoy them every day rather than just on special occasions.

I apply the same rule to my whole wardrobe. Although I generally prefer to spend more on accessories than clothes (a great bag will transform even the most basic outfit), I’ll take a chic, classic dress I can wear 20 different ways over something more trendy, any day. My friend Rachel sweetly sent me this dress from her collection (she has her own fashion line which is all utterly gorgeous and feminine), and I couldn’t wait for the temperature to drop enough that I could wear it. It’s the perfect midi length, so easy to dress up or down (one of my requirements for a good dress), has pockets (yay), and a bow tie at the waist (which I realised after I took these photos I was meant to tie at the front rather than the back, oops!). You could wear this whether you were 20 or 70 and you’d still look timelessly chic.

Give me a chic white dress, pearls, and red lipstick and I’m a happy girl. What can I say? I like what I like.

Wearing: Rachel Parcell Collection dress c/- // Gucci hat // Karen Walker sunglasses (also in black) // Kenneth Jay Lane earrings (sold out, but similar style here) // Astley Clarke necklace c/- // Missoma necklace // Kenneth Jay Lane bracelets (past season, but similar style here) // Chanel bag // Chanel shoes // Charlotte Tilbury ‘Red Carpet Red’ lipstick. 

Love, Briony xx

Photos by Joe Galvin