First up on the style icon list is one of my favorite women of all time, Emmanuelle Alt.

Not only is she Editor In Chief of French Vogue (do you think she knows Miss Piggy?), but she has an effortlessly cool style that almost any woman can adopt and make her own.

Alt in her office at French Vogue.

As a gal who admittedly wears a lot of black, I am always looking for new ways to break up my outfit’s starkness with layers or accessories. Alt makes this sometimes daunting process look effortless. She is often rocking either a blazer, sky-high heels (or both!), which I love, and somehow makes an ordinary t-shirt look expensive.

Alt and her daughter. Please adopt me.

You know what else is great about her? She shops where the little people shop! Alt has touted that her favorite jeans in the world are from Topshop - and for under $100, you too can look as cool as she.

MOTO Black Leigh Supersoft Skinny Jeans by Topshop.

Shortly after she became editor of French Vogue in February 2011, she gave an interview about her vision for the future of the publication. What I gleaned most from the article was her appreciation for the art within itself (something I’ll cover in a future post featuring my favorite fashion editor of all time - you’ll see…) Alt was a fashion editor with Vogue for years before she took the helm, and still sits in on most cover shoots, even styling them. She has a deep appreciation for vintage pieces from designers like Balmain and is confident enough in her French/Parisian style to let it emulate from the pages of her publication. Très cool, if you ask me.

If you’re looking to up your cool game, I found a few pieces from lines that Alt sports, as well as some that she doesn’t:

• I love the Best Leather Trousers and Hurricane top by ACNE! 
• Check out the Isabel Marant Fall/Winter 11-12 collection for inspiration - my favorite is look #39. 
• Don’t forget to up your shoe game with some ill boots, like these from Nine West or Mod Cloth, or some heels from ASOS. 
• If you’re in the market for tees, I recommend Alternative Apparel… super comfy!
• And to layer over that tee? I love the Salt And Pepper Jacket II, New York Coat (by American Vintage) and Shearling Lined Jacket, all of which can be purchased on Need Supply Co.’s website (one of my fave online retailers - *cough*).

So thank you, Emmanuelle Alt, for giving smart, empowered women someone to look up to. One day, I might look as cool in skinny jeans and a tee as you, and until then, I’ll just hide everything else with a blazer.

x