Olivia Palermo, Hills-star-turned-fashionista, is one of my personal style icons. Unlike most celebs, Palermo is known for sporting affordable pieces from high-street favorites (albeit, mixed with couture), her go-to’s being Zara and Topshop. What’s more, Palermo is an outfit-repeater — in the best way. Rather than wearing something once and never deigning to wear it again, she reuses and recycles items, making them new and fresh again. Since the vast majority of us don’t have the financial freedom to throw something away after one wear, Palermo’s style is particularly relatable and attainable.
1. Menswear with a Girly Touch
Palermo is a pro at taking menswear and making it feminine. She does this by not only paying close attention to the fit of her clothing, but also to being careful in choosing accessories (chunky necklaces, anyone?) and hair-do’s. She keeps a look going from head-to-toe, whether that be sleek or Boho.
2. Flowy (Not Shapeless)
Palermo loves long pleats and flowy fabrics — but don’t let that fool you: she never forgets to turn those pieces into figure-flattering looks. By wearing a cinched-waist maxi, or putting a belt around the top of a long skirt, she makes sure that her oversized pieces don’t look frumpy.
3. Neutrals with a Flare
Palermo loves wearing neutrals, like army greens and beiges, but avoids looking dull by adding pops of color and/or texture. The dress that she wore for the CFDA (far left), for example, may be a pale shade of pink, but it grabs your attention with rhinestone-detailing and pleats at the waist. To take it a step further, she paired it with chunky bracelets and frilled, grey shoes.
4. Redefining the Little Black Dress
Like all NYC fashionistas, Palermo is a huge fan of black, but just like her unique take on pale neutrals, her looks are anything but basic. Whether her black dress has shoulder cut-outs, bedazzling, or isn’t even a dress at all, she keeps the shape and fit classic. And, of course, she never strays away from adding eye-catching accessories, like a leopard-print belt or a neon-pink, patterned clutch.
5. Pops of Citrus
One of Palermo’s favorite style-choices is to incorporate citrus shades into her looks, whether that be with a mini-dress or a thin clutch. She keeps things unexpected, though, by pairing these bright yellows and oranges with similarly bold colors and prints. She prefers to pair her citrus’ with animal prints and rose hues, and then tones them down with touches of black.