Find Your Signature Style

LOOKING GREAT GETS PERSONAL: From pearls to peep toes, four women discuss their signature style.

"What I look for in vintage furniture is what I also want in clothes: great construction and a timeless design." - JANINE CARENDI MACMURRAY, INTERIOR DESIGNER, AREA Interior Design

THE LOOK: Architectural

HER STYLE MANTRA: "Understated elegance that is absolutely beautiful but never screams, 'Look at me!' It's all about silhouettes."

WARDROBE STAPLES: "Solid, neutral dresses, skinny trousers, and pencil skirts paired with colorful handbags, especially in Kelly green. I love buying heels--with stilettos and peep-toes, the higher the better."

SO NOT HER STYLE: "Pastels. Appliqués. Ruffles and frills. Any pattern that's not bold, graphic, or geometric. And if anyone saw me in yellow, they'd be very surprised."

HER INSPIRATION: "I was born in a Mexican silver-mining town, so I still wear lots of silver jewelry, chunky necklaces, and cuffs. What I look for in antique furniture is what I also want in vintage clothes: great construction and a timeless design."

PUTTING IT TOGETHER: "Just like a room, clothes have to be beautiful but livable. I recently decorated a bedroom all in black and white, and then added a bright-red chair. I do the same with splashes of color in my clothes."

JANINE'S STYLE TIPS:

"I like a dirty-army-green trenchcoat paired with sequins. I like that contrast." - AIMEE CHO, OWNER & DESIGNER, GRYPHON NEW YORK

THE LOOK: Playful/Quirky

HER STYLE MANTRA: "Eclectic, layered, overly romantic, and never polished. I'm OK with crazy."

WARDROBE STAPLES: "Basic pieces in neutral colors - that way I can play with a lot of different textures and styles without it being overwhelming. I mix in vintage finds, like this lace top, or things with gorgeous beading, color, or a really special lining."

SO NOT HER STYLE: "Pants or jeans, especially low-slung ones, because they make me look short and boyish. Instead, I go for short shorts or a short skirt with tights and heels. And even though I like the look on some other people, I don't mix prints."

HER INSPIRATION: "Everything. In high school, I used to raid my parents' closets - take my dad's sweater-vests or work shirts and belt them, or my mom's equestrian blazers and costume jewelry."

PUTTING IT TOGETHER: "I like a dirty-army-green trenchcoat paired with sequins. I like that contrast."

AIMEE'S STYLE TIPS:

"I wear a lot of tailored, fitted jackets with skinny trousers. A jacket can make an otherwise plain outfit look special." - JENNINE HANNAWAY, VICE PRESIDENT OF PR, REVLON

THE LOOK: Minimalist

HER STYLE MANTRA: "Clean lines. Lots of jackets, especially with military-inspired details. A jacket can make an otherwise plain outfit look special."

WARDROBE STAPLES: "Solid pieces in gray, blue, black, or brown. Then I add a nice pop of color with a red shoe or hot-pink bag. I love scarves. And I wear a lot of tailored, fitted jackets layered over tanks with skinny trousers."

SO NOT HER STYLE: "Anything puffy. I don't feel comfortable in things that are billowy because they're overpowering. I don't wear one designer head-to-toe; I try to mix Phillip Lim and a great designer shoe with more affordable pieces from Uniqlo or Club Monaco."

HER INSPIRATION: "The sheer, neutral lip tints in our Beyond Natural collection - I think of them when I wear a sheer blouse under a jacket. It looks polished without trying too hard."

PUTTING IT TOGETHER: "Instead of wearing chunky jewelry, I'll take delicate pieces and layer them, two or three necklaces deep. And to change a work outfit to an evening one, I trade my big bag for a clutch and my flat boots for heels."

JENNINE'S STYLE TIPS:

"I pick things up in different cities, so my wardrobe is kind of a souvenir chest." - HILARY HAHN, GRAMMY-WINNING VIOLINIST

THE LOOK: Classic

HER STYLE MANTRA: "Graceful and elegant. Since I perform internationally year-round, I need durable pieces that always look good, even after months in and out of a suitcase."

WARDROBE STAPLES: "Gorgeous dresses and skirts. Ornate necklaces - but only if they lie flat so they don't get in the way of my violin. And since I'm standing for three hours daily while I play, I've traded my stilettos for 1- or 2-inch heels."

SO NOT HER STYLE: "Bright pink. Minis and skirts with high slits. Since my field is very formal and made up of mostly men, that's not the way I want to stand out."

HER INSPIRATION: "Fabrics like the beautiful silk I found in Japan and had made into skirts. I pick up things in different cities, so my wardrobe is kind of a souvenir chest. Oh, and my violin, made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume in 1864."

PUTTING IT TOGETHER: "I've always been very young-looking; now I'm 29, but people think I'm in college. I like to dress as elegantly as I can so I'll look my actual age."

HILARY'S STYLE TIPS: