Hear ‘Anna Wintour’ and what springs to mind? The bob and the sunglasses, probably. It is the Vogue supremo’s instantly recognisable style that has helped cement her status as an icon of our times.
The In Vogue documentary now airing on Disney+, with a commentary from Anna, leaves one thing in no doubt: approaching 75, she is as committed to her personal style as ever, and it works as well as ever.
This October, her flair will again be showcased, in the West End debut of Elton John’s musical The Devil Wears Prada, based on the blockbuster film and 2003 novel said to be about author Lauren Weisberger’s experience as Anna’s assistant in New York.
Here, we list five ways that the grandest dame of fashion continues to win in the style stakes, and how you can incorporate these into your autumn wardrobe – access to Vogue’s fashion cupboard not necessary.
Anna in a custom version of a £2,104 Prada dress in April
Un-granny florals
When asked to describe her style, Anna self-deprecatingly said ‘boring’. What she meant is consistent. Often, this is expressed in a floral dress. Crucially, this isn’t an ageing, ditsy floral – often the reserve of Mrs Doubtfire et al.
Flower pattern dress, £159, karenmillen.com
Rather, Anna favours colourful, graphic florals by the likes of Erdem and Prada. Retreating to sludgy greys and neutrals as the years pass has the reverse effect of the one you’re after. Instead, bold colour and pattern imbue an outfit with youthfulness.
When once asked how to add excitement to an all-black outfit, Anna replied: ‘Don’t wear all black. It seems too gloomy, as if going to a funeral.’ Quite. Head to Karen Millen for graphic florals that could be mistaken for those of fashion house Emilia Wickstead.
Invest in accessories
We can all learn something from Anna’s luxury accessories. She still wears the same style of custom-made Manolo Blahnik shoes he created for her in 1994.
For we mortals, good shoes or bags are key to elevating a high-street look. Demellier has bags starting at £300 with the quality and elegance of the Prada and Chanel £3,000-plus styles favoured by Anna. For shoes, The Outnet (theoutnet.com) has Manolo Blahniks with 70 per cent off. Timex’s £75 Cavatina watch is akin to her Ralph Lauren Saddle watch.
Tailoring
Wearing a tailored dress and bouclé jacket to attend Carolina Herrera’s fashion show in New York this month
Light blue and white check Jacket, £110, sisterjane.com
Green jacket, £79.99, mango.com
Tailoring stands alongside bold florals as one of the cornerstones of Anna’s consistency.
In the 90s, this came in the form of Chanel mini-skirt suits – she wore them throughout both her pregnancies, reportedly just undoing the skirt’s back zip and covering it with the jacket as her size increased. With age, she’s replaced the Chanel suits with floral dresses but kept the bouclé jackets atop, – and both the dresses and jackets are still impeccably tailored.
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Again, the beauty of this is that it’s a democratic shortcut to elegance. Even the least expensive high street dress can be made more Anna with a trip to the dry cleaners to have it tailored exactly to your body, while Chanel-inspired jackets to throw over said dresses abound on the high street. Head to Sister Jane for designs you won’t find on anyone else.
Clever signatures
Anna’s signature styles are not merely decorative flourishes – they fulfil a purpose. Those dark sunglasses? She is said to wear them so designers can’t see her reaction to their collections when on the front row.
Another of her looks adaptable for the masses? Her large signature necklaces. She layers up her favourite, a lilac-stoned creation from jeweller S.J. Phillips estimated to cost £15,000, with several others in an array of colours – you’ll notice she’s hardly ever without them.
Wearing colourful glass beads close to the face is the jewellery equivalent of a facelift – it casts a flattering light onto the skin that can be recreated with costume jewellery.
Essentiel Antwerp and Dominique Denaive have lovely options under £200. If on a tighter budget, try Zara’s £25.99 charm necklace (zara.com).
Cocktail coat
Anna wears a bespoke embroidered coat by Loewe to this year’s Met Gala
Gold tweed coat, £95, riverisland.com
Pink silk coat, £355, shibumistyle.com
Blue velvet coat, £275, nrbyclothing.com
Enter the cocktail coat – the wardrobe staple you never knew you needed.
Anna’s loyalty to statement coats demonstrates her clever way of combining practicality and style, for they provide warmth alongside a whimsical, fairy tale-worthy beauty.
Their opulence harks back to a time when the coat was a focal point of an outfit, worn to glamorous events, such as the opera.
Anna wore a floor-sweeping, embroidered-to-the-nines Loewe creation to the Met Gala this year.
No Met invitation? The cocktail coat’s appeal lies in its versatility – it adds elegance even to jeans. Just don’t tell Anna. Independent brand Shibumi make silk iterations in vibrant shades, while River
Island’s gold, bouclé, sequin-embroidered coat is serious bang for one’s buck at £95.
