The girls who sparked my outfit envy

A look back at the wardrobes I wished were mine

When I was given my first laptop at the age of 14, I felt like I gained access to a whole new world of fashion. Until then, my style 'research' had been limited to raiding my mother's wardrobe and obsessing over TV shows (lest we forget my endless attempts to recreate Hannah Montana’s outfits).

My new favourite pastime became typing [insert celebrity name] street style. I’d save hundreds of photos into a folder titled “Fashion” (creative!) and would spend hours foraging through my wardrobe, attempting to recreate outfits donned by my favourite celebrities—though, considering my wardrobe was tragically underfunded and I had about $10 to my name, the results were… interpretive, to say the least.

I look back on these times with joy. They were the golden days of the internet—when Tumblr was thriving, and Vogue was feeding our collective ‘It-girl’ obsession with the In The Wardrobe and In The Bag series’… it was such an era.

I was thinking about this era recently, realising it was probably the most formative period for my personal style. There was a specific group of girls whose looks I studied with an almost scholarly dedication. Even now, they remain my ultimate references for that elusive je ne sais quoi.

These are the girls who defined fashion for me as a teenager.

Lily-Rose Depp

I am the same age as Lily-Rose Depp, and she started stepping into the limelight around the same time I really began to care about how I dressed and presented myself.

I remember watching her episode of In The Bag and being, for lack of a better word, obsessed. The fact that she was a Chanel ambassador at just 16—I still remember her first campaign for Chanel’s Pearl eyewear collection, shot by Karl Lagerfeld—and that her parents were Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp was naturally alluring. But what really captivated me was how effortlessly cool she was. Her American accent with a French twang. Her frilly socks. The ratty makeup bag she stashed in her Chanel backpack. She had a unique charm.

What set Lily-Rose apart—and what fascinated me most—was her apparent indifference to trends. She never seemed swayed by fast fashion or fleeting aesthetics; instead, she dressed in a way that felt quite personal to her. I look at her style now, and the only way I can describe it is that her outfits always seem to have a ‘lived-in’ quality—she seemingly returns to the same pieces again and again.

When I think about the people whose style I admire most, they all share this same endearing quality—they dress in pieces that aren't necessarily polished or new (I think it’s easy to look ‘stylish’ if you are wearing new season pieces that are straight-off-the-rack). Instead, style—true style—is the intangible, indescribable way a person pulls an outfit together that transcends seasons and the concept of being 'outdated’. It’s the way Jane Birkin’s most iconic looks remain timelessly relevant, while Olivia Palermo's Dior 'So Real' sunglasses and bomber jackets feel firmly anchored in their era. This distinction between fashion and genuine style is something I constantly contemplate.

Isabel Lucas

This is niche, but I hope I reach the right audience here… The CHOKEHOLD that Isabel Lucas had on me when I was 15-17 remains unmatched. I will acknowledge that her breathtaking beauty definitely had a role to play in my obsession (I was just as envious of her looks as I was of her style), but Isabel’s outfits were it.

Isabel's style captured the boho-chic aesthetic of the era, but unlike others who treated it as a passing trend, it never felt like that on her—even now, her look has evolved but still carries that same whimsical, free-spirited energy. There was something about the simplicity of her outfit formulas that shaped my broader view on fashion—a masterclass in the less is more approach.

It’s also interesting to note that Isabel, an activist, has been very public about her ethical approach to fashion—so, her considered, intentional attitude towards consumerism is very much reflected in her outfits. I'm not sure if anyone cares about that fact, but I find it interesting. I do think that it is hard to find a true sense of personal style if you are consistently buying new things without being forced to be creative with what you already have.

Sienna Miller

My next muse: Sienna Miller. I’m really enchanted by the British charm that seemingly emanates from It-girls in the ‘90s/’00s (like Kate Moss, Alexa Chung, etc)—they all strike a perfect balance between feminity and a grungey flare… there’s something about the way they present that screams “I don’t take myself too seriously.”

At the time, Sienna was the reigning Queen of boho-chic. Her outfits never felt overly stylised, which ties into what I said about Isabel and Lily-Rose earlier—an outfit looks best when it feels true to the wearer. Sienna embodied that perfectly. Her looks were always laid-back and authentic, and that’s what made them so influential at the time.

Also UM LOL, I watched Sienna in the film Alfie when I was 18 and then immediately cut my hair into bangs to try and be just like her. Proof below (I’m laughing at how seductive that polaroid of me is, like… okay babes x)

Suki Waterhouse

Another one of my favourite British It-girls, Suki Waterhouse. I feel like Suki is more of a household name now, but before she was a singer and married to Robert Pattinson, I knew her from her features in Vogue. More specifically, when she appeared on the ‘Inside the Wardrobe’ series on Vogue’s Youtube.

In the now-iconic video, Suki sashayed around her closet revealing her most treasured pieces. These ranged from a perfectly tattered Prada blouse, monogrammed silk underwear, a white jumpsuit to end all jumpsuits… but the real standout? A royal blue coat with fur trimmings on the neck and wrists. In her words: “disgustingly to-die-for.” The coat inspired a whole line of Charlotte Simone coats and sparked my decades-long infatuation with her style.

Alexa Chung

When I think about true influence—not the social media kind, but the ability to genuinely shape how people dress—Alexa Chung immediately comes to mind.

I really fell in love with Alexa after watching the episodic series she did with British Vogue called ‘The Future of Fashion’. I used to watch it religiously and would wait in eager anticipation to see what she wore next. The way she could hold her own in conversations with designers was fascinating—she wasn't just wearing the clothes, she seemed to really understand them. On a slightly separate note, I actually think the series still has a lot of relevance today, and I’m so sad they stopped making videos like that (they need to start making longer form videos/series again—people are sick of watching the short form clips that are fed to us on TikTok and Instagram Reels).

Impossibly cool, Alexa rewrote the rulebook when it came to dressing. Metallic dresses with gum boots, graphic tees and mary janes—her outfit pairings were/are iconic. She inspired me to have more freedom with my dressing.

Jeanne Damas

Jeanne Damas is the epitome of effortless French style. At one point my entire ‘saved’ folder on Instagram was filled with photos of her outfits.

My love for Jeanne really reached new heights when she launched her brand, Rouje. Her style—this perfect mix of tailored basics and romantic, feminine pieces— essentially became available to me through her collection. I’ve visited her stores in London and Paris and, let’s just say, I’ve never left empty-handed... As for her hair? It’s my forever reference.