I Want To Dress Like A Roitfeld
jeudi 15 juillet 2010 
My dear friend Kate Ringo Suzuki paid me the ultimate compliment and invited me to write a guest post for her blog Everyday Glamour. Of course the subject is Carine Roitfeld...
Would you like to learn the secrets to dressing like a Roitfeld? Specifically we will focus on how to dress like Carine Roitfeld, perhaps the most challenging of all. I say "challenging" because if you wish to dress like her son Vladimir, it is simple: don black trousers and either a black or white shirt underneath a black jacket, likely Armani. Julia is a bit less formulaic: a short dress by a newly discovered designer, stilettos and bag by Miu Miu, and stunning original jewelry designed by an FOJ (friend of Julia), perhaps a classmate from Parsons. Loads more variety, yet Julia's style choices are achievable provided you have the figure and the dough.
Now we come to the mother lode of style: Carine Roitfeld, editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris and editorial director of Vogue Hommes International among her many influential roles in the world of fashion (amFar and ANDAM come to mind immediately as other examples).
How to dress like Carine Roitfeld:
1. Awake at 7 a.m., stretch, Pilates.
2. Scent with Opium Body Lotion by Yves Saint Laurent.
3. Create smoky eyes using Yves Saint Laurent liner, groom brows.
Yes, this is all part of dressing like a Roitfeld! Ambience, ma chère, plus nonchalance. Très Roitfeld. Never forget that Pilates provides the perfect underpinnings for any chic ensemble. Carine's signature look combines classic designer pieces, a blouse, a tailored jacket, a knee length skirt, often in black with bare legs and killer shoes. She is most likely to be seen taking risks with transparent clothing underneath a professional exterior while peering mysteriously out from behind her hair. Like I said, challenging...
I will leave you with a few thoughts from Carine Roitfeld's Twitter account:
- Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.
- Make style an expression of your soul.
- Fashion is something you buy, STYLE is something you OWN!
- Fashion is not about utility. It is merely a piece of iconography, to express an individual's identity.
- Fashion isn't to make you look attractive, it's to make you look different.
- Never wear anything that panics the animal.
- I dress for women and I undress for men.
Carine Roitfeld photographs courtesy of Fashion Spot.
Reader Comments (22)
Great post, Kellina! Yet I still won't get to look like the mother of all style, sigh...
Kellina, thank you so much for being a guest blogger for Everyday Glamour, it is such an honor!! Well done, but of course how could I expect anything less than stellar from I Want to Be a Roitfeld? xoxo
Brilliant! Dropping knowledge via her twitter - I love it!
She's just perfect. Love her twitter statements!
I know, Amina, one can do only so much...
Kate, it is absolutely my pleasure! Thank you so much for the honor of appearing on your site, I am happy that I could contribute.
Renee, thank you for commenting! It is great to be able to absorb a bit of Carine's knowledge firsthand.
Nice to see you in the comments, frenchlittlething! Carine IS perfect.
; )
Kellina, you know how to pick the best pictures of Carine. Somehow she has a different look in each one of these images, yet she looks so hot in each one. I am liking this much better than the pantless look.
Merci, darling Michel! Nice to see you back after only 25 days of no commenting... but who's counting...
I like how you explained her style, it is very unique indeed! She does dress properly her ages though there is something that makes her interesting to young people. Never borring.
That is so cool, Maya, this particular photo is one of the first I remember seeing of Carine as well! That was my reaction too, WHO is this?!
; )
Thank you so much, I am glad you liked the explanation. You also bring up a nice point I did not mention which is that Carine dresses appropriately for her age yet always looks about half that!
So I don't need to tell you that this is going into my "all time favourite posts" folder, but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading.
My question is this; there are thousands of photographs of Madame Roitfeld out there (and on this blog), what made you choose the ones above? They're so fitting to the post and Carine. Even more remarkable is the fact that even her shoes look nice : )
"Fashion is something you buy, STYLE is something you OWN!" - one of the best quotations EVER!!
Kellina that was a great post- Carine is the epitome of mystery and I think that is one her most endearing qualities. Her twitter quotes are inspiring! I'm definitely going to start working my expressions a little more with my Roitfeld-inspired looks!
Merci mille fois for your kind compliments, Milla!! I appreciate you noticing and commenting on the photos that I chose. The short answer is 'editorial prowess'...
; )
The longer answer, my criteria for selection:
1. I like the images that I add to the site to be appearing for the first time whenever possible. Without researching, I know that at least 2 of the 5 here are new.
2. I want the outfits that Carine is wearing to illustrate my points, of course.
3. Carine needs to be included from head to toe in the frame, no cutting off of head or toe allowed whatsoever.
4. I want to share Carine working the various looks in her range and I do not want all black.
5. I have a certain size determined so that limits the selection as well.
6. Of course the content of the photo is the final criteria:
In the first photograph, office punk, she is working all of the details to literally bring it to a point, amazing and powerful nuances that she makes look casually sophisticated. This is the Roitfeld that I wish to dress like. And that Chanel bag, siiiiigh.
The second photograph commemorates the beginning of my style crush on Carine. I must admit I did not know her skirt was a Margiela deconstruction, I thought she really had worn an overcoat as her bottom. So this all began under false pretenses basically...
In the third photograph I love how Carine works the horizontal line. Also must include her beloved Alaïa shoes somewhere here... She wears the Elsa Peretti pendant shown frequently as well.
The fourth photo is office power, soft neutrals with strong cuts. McQueen brought this vision to life and it fits Carine perfectly. The César pendant is another favorite from Carine's collection that I felt must be included.
In the fifth photo, Carine is so modern yet so unaffected, another shot that I loved on sight. She could kick your arse but she prefers not to, y'know. I like it coupled with her quote preceding it as well, "I dress for women and I undress for men." Oh and do you see any jewelry on all that skin showing? Incroyable.
Thank you so much, Shelly! Have fun experimenting with your new looks and let us know how it goes...
"editorial prowess" - you're so badass!! : )
Another great thing is that Carine is able to pull off showing a lot of skin and still look classy. I think it becomes harder to do as you age but if anybody can, Carine can!
Tee hee, a phrase I simply had to use when opportunity struck.
; )
LOVE being referred to as badass, merci bcp, m'dear. And yes Carine's many talents include revealing everything and showing nothing.... she is the true badass here!!
Inspired post Kellina!
You continue to educate me on all things Roitfeld in delightful, artful and intelligent ways. On the phone with my pilates instructor right now (time to start back up again).
Merci beaucoup, Noelani!! I am thrilled to hear that you liked the post. And I love that you are inspired to get back to Pilates (though it does not appear as if you ever stopped!)
; D
TOTALLY agree with you!
I love LOVE Carine's style
same outfit on a different person and it wouldn't work, she totally owns it
Julia can pull anything because she's so cute, I followed her during the month in vogue, and I like her style but its more predictable
Carine on the other hand is a box of surprises!
Thanks so much for the back up, Luci! Carine does OWN whatever she wears, truly amazing.