The black jacket
Lucy Choi, 37, footwear designer
Lucy Choi's working life has largely dictated her clothing choices. A one-time City accountant, she used to wear suits to work every day for years. 'I loved the power of a pin-striped suit with bright red lipstick,' she remembers. Then, as managing director of French Sole, she opted for pieces that complemented the brand's signature flat ballet shoes. 'I wore a lot of black - little dresses, shorts and jackets to show off the shoes.'
As her career has evolved one thing has remained a constant: the little black jacket. Now in a creative role (she designs her own shoe line), she says her penchant for tailoring has not waned, and she continues to find the structure and simplicity of a well-cut jacket 'reassuring'.
Choi currently works from home with a small team but still dresses sharply. 'I want to give the right impression, but I mix smart and casual so the team don't feel my look is too uptight and formal.' Her jackets used to come from Joseph, Hobbs or Jaeger but she has gravitated to a more designer, high-fashion look. Hanging in her wardrobe are black jackets by such labels as Sophia Kokosalaki, Uniform and Zoë Jordan. They all have something in common, whether a strong silhouette, the odd quirky touch or an interesting texture. The most cherished is by Miu Miu. At first glance it looks simple, but closer inspection reveals details such as epaulettes, a peplum and deep flap pockets.
'As it's fitted but not too tight it's particularly versatile. I wear it with jeans with the collar up. I've worn it over a long black evening dress to a ball. And I always get complimented on it. Jackets have come to define my look. They make me feel safe.' lucychoilondon.com
The Breton top
Stephanie Jones, 27, womenswear buyer for Liberty
Stephanie Jones Photo: JOANNA PATERSON
On a recent sunny weekend in a north London park most of the girls had their bikinis on, but Stephanie Jones could be found in her favourite staple - a simple Breton short-sleeved top, by AG Jeans. For Jones, who has her pick of Liberty's womenswear offering, it's a winning formula. 'A Breton striped T-shirt or sweater is a classic. It's like my version of the white shirt.'
Jones's priority is comfort. A few years ago she was willing to experiment with all the latest trends, but no longer. 'Part of growing up is getting to know yourself and what works for you. At one point I happily bought things that didn't suit me but now I have a specific way of dressing. My waist is small, so I draw attention to it. I live in high-waisted skirts with a printed or patterned top.'
The beauty of the Breton, she says, is that it looks as good with a pair of battered old jeans as with a trouser suit. 'Although they've been very trendy for the past few years they will never go out of style. It's a basic that's turned into a classic. You can dress them up or down. They suit everyone.'
Jones has Bretons by everyone from Sessun and American Vintage to Topshop, with variations between the depth and spacing of those precious stripes. 'I spend as much as I can afford as I know I am going to wear it to death,' she says. As to who does the best, 'I inevitably go back to a Play by Comme des Garçons knit. It's fun and such a flattering shape.'
The scarf
Penny Horne, 64, former buyer and store manager
Penny Horne Photo: JOANNA PATERSON
Penny Horne knows how to shop and how to sell. As a buyer for the renowned Way In department at Harrods in the 1970s, she sold to Lady Diana Spencer, Princess Grace and Princess Caroline of Monaco and even Margaret Thatcher. Now retired, she brings all that experience to her personal style. 'Getting older allows you to develop a look that suits you,' she says. Her secret? A scarf.
'It makes my outfits my own,' she says. In her youth she hated scarves. 'Mother used to buy me Hermès silks and I'd think, "Oh my God - like the Queen!" It was very dating.' But she got into scarves in the 1980s, starting small with Margaret Howell's silk cravats and eventually progressing to vast pashminas. They make her feel 'cosy, relaxed and confident. It's what catches my eye, what feels right, it's not about price.'
Scarves have marked important occasions in her life: a red Pickett cashmere, a gift from her daughter when Horne was recovering from bowel cancer; the reversible leopard print from Le Bon Marché department store in Paris, a present from her brother-in-law for her 60th birthday. She even went on to sell hand-made Nepalese cashmere scarves from her home in Richmond. 'There were hundreds of beautiful colours all in the lightest, gossamer cashmere,' she remembers.
Horne finds inspiration on the street and in magazines. 'I always notice stylish older women. In Italy, for example, they'll wear a plain shift with a scarf and simple jewellery. The texture softens the look. It's like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's in her little black dress and those pearls. Scarves are my pearls; they can light up your face.' A favourite ensemble is a full skirt, grey cardigan and 'either my silver scarf or my paisley'.
Reluctantly she offers up her two favourite hunting grounds - the market in Forte dei Marmi in Italy, where she holidays, and Le Bon Marché in Paris. Sometimes you have to go a long way for sartorial perfection.
The black trousers
Anna Mason, 41, personal shopper and stylist
Anna Mason Photo: JOANNA PATERSON
She has worked for a roster of prestigious labels from Lagerfeld and Valentino to Amanda Wakeley, so it's no great surprise that Anna Mason's style is impeccable. She wears a strict palette of black, creams and dusky pastels and has worn black trousers, in her own particular way, since college. 'I had this amazing pair of flat-fronted vintage men's trousers that I wore with either a vintage pale-green blouse and Ann Demeulemeester lace-ups or with a cream T-shirt and K-Swiss white trainers.' They were so perfect she had them copied and is forever trying to reinvent the look.
When she meets new clients, finding 'the perfect black trousers' is a common request. Her advice: 'It all comes down to fabric and cut.' And what you wear them with: 'Some trousers only look good with one type of shoe,' she says. A Joseph pair with a shirred waist and a medium-wide leg only look good with heels. ('You can wear trainers or flats with really wide flares but not with a mid-width.') She likes the French labels Maje and Sandro, though they tend to be a bit narrow in the thigh for her (she's a petite pear shape), and she rates Zara and H&M for cut if not for durability. But she now believes she has found the holy grail of black trousers - a pair by the French brand The Kooples. 'They are like a posh tracksuit bottom, silk crêpe, with an elasticated waist and skinny at the ankle, which means you can show off your shoes - whether that's sporty, high-top trainers or sophisticated heels. 'They're awesome and timeless. I'm getting another pair.'
Via: Basics Instinct
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