Dressing like Grace Kelly
It was a must that my first issue on muses be about Princess Grace Kelly. Princess Grace Kelly is the woman who had the life I wish I had. Not only was she a successful actress but then she fell in love with a Prince and became a real-life Princess!! Oh, how I wish that was me 🥹 She also had a connection to Princess Diana, another one of my favorite women to have lived. The two women had many parallels in life, which is kind of bizarre and at the same time, wondrous. Their lives are similar to Meghan Dutchess of Sussex, who I also admire so much, (I am in the minority of people who loved her show, but I’ll leave that for a different issue). But I am still holding out hope that if it happened to these women, it could happen for me 🤭 I am not reaching for the stars here.
What they all did with their lives though is what makes them the women they were/are today. Though there are so many reasons to look up to Princess Grace Kelly, from being a model princess to a humanitarian, her fashion is what we will go through today. She is a timeless fashion icon for a reason.
Tops
Let’s begin with tops. Grace Kelly is the reason I began wearing button up shirts. While I know she is not the only one who wears them, to me, the way she styles them makes them look the most fashionable (I will talk about the way she styles throughout the issue).
Something else that she noticeably loved are high necked shirts, covering her chest. These shirts keep her looks very modest and classy – she is a Princess after all.
Bottoms
While she kept her top quite simple, the bottom is where she would mix it up. She loved a pair of tailored (tailored is a must) trousers. She also loved long, sort of A-line skirts that were cinched in at the waist. In the summertime, she would wear tailored shorts. And although she was a Princess, she did wear jeans. Something these all had in common is that they were all high waisted and feminine.
While the tops, bottoms, and shoes seem quite plain so far, she’s a fashion icon for the way she styled her outfits with accessories.
Accessories
Pearl Necklace
I will begin with my favorite of all, the pearls! Her pearl necklace looks are my absolute favorite and what I am inspired by daily. In fact, I think she is the reason I love pearls so much. When I was still in college, I bought a pearl choker off Etsy and would wear a plain black outfit with the pearl choker and loafers. I especially love the look of the pearl choker with an off the shoulder black shirt. It was basically my uniform in college (yes, I am an outfit repeater – it’s better for the environment to be one). She has so many pearl necklace looks, it’s so hard to choose a favorite.
Neck Scarf
Now to probably what was her favorite accessory, her neck scarf. The art of the neck scarf is something that I am still trying to learn, but she mastered it and did it so well. If she wasn’t wearing a pearl necklace, she was wearing her neck scarf. She made it look so chic and you can too.
Belt
A belt was also a must in her wardrobe. As mentioned above, her look was very feminine and would accentuate her waist. The way she achieved this look was with a belt. She wore them with her trousers/slacks, jeans, and even with her skirts.
Gold Jewelry
She also loved gold jewelry. I mean, can we blame her? What is more timeless and classy than gold jewelry that lasts forever? These pieces are the pieces that can be passed down through generations, so they are worth investing in.
Shoes
For shoes, of course she wore heels with her dresses. For her casual looks, she wore loafers and classic flats for a classy look.
Bathing suit
To really embody Princess Grace Kelly, you may want a piece for all occasions including summertime swimming (or just relaxing) at the pool or beach club. For this, there is only one piece that is a must and that is a white one-piece bathing suit. That’s all.
Evening Gowns
Princess Grace Kelly is known for the beautiful gowns she has worn to many occasions (including her iconic wedding dress), but I want to highlight and give a special mention to a very special one: her mint green satin gown designed by Edith Head, which she wore to the Oscars. It’s the most beautiful silhouette and she looked absolutely ethereal in it.
Another dress that I love is her black and white dress from Rear Window. The top is black and off the shoulder and she wears a pearl choker with it. This dress? The main inspiration for my favorite outfit in college.
Here is a summary of the staples to own in order to dress like a modern Grace Kelly:
- White button-down shirt
- High neck shirt
- Tailored trousers
- Long full skirt
- Loafers
- Pearl choker
- A neck scarf (if you’re feeling it)
- Gold jewelry of course
- White one-piece bathing suit
Where to buy:
- For the basics, I love Tala, Ralph Lauren, Zara.
- I like long skirts from Reformation, H&M, ASTR the Label, Banana Republic
- Loafers from Charles & Keith
- Pearls from Etsy or Dior
- Neck scarf from Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Coach, or my favorite, Hermés (if you know the scene from Princess Diaries, you can be my friend)
- White one-piece bathing suit: Norma Kamali, Monday Swimwear, SAME, TALA, if you’re lucky and they have it in stock (it’s not on the site now)
Here is how I express my inner Grace Kelly in my daily life:
Recreating pictures 🤍
Buying beautiful pieces that Grace Kelly would buy 🤍
Styling the Grace Kelly set from Flossy by Freddy 🤍
Watch me feel like a modern day Grace Kelly in the Upper East Side in this vlog 🤍
Ethereally,
Amanda
Fashion Quote of the Day:
“I favor pearls on screen and in my private life.” – Grace Kelly