Guest Post: Celebrity style, Influences and Fashion – I heart it!

What happens when a Brit is transplanted to Greece? She becomes “A Brit Greek” of course! The author of this fabulous blog is a kindred spirit: not only do we share a love of fashion, beautiful editorials, shopping, and stunning photography – we also both blog anonymously! She found her own Mr. Perseus and made the move to Greece for the love; I would make that move for the love of baklava and the beautiful islands alone.

Her blog is full of striking imagery, lust-worthy trends (including some to-die for shoes!), closets that will inspire you, and a fabulous series called “I Want This Job” which offers a behind-the-scenes peak at various jobs in the fashion industry.

I was honored when she agreed to be a contributor in my monthly guest blogger series, and found her topic of choice quite interesting considering her own prior life as a fashion insider. Read on for her thoughts on celebrity style and how it influences us everyday.

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I am so so flattered that B invited me to guest post, although I must admit I felt a little nauseous at the beginning, the thought of having to turn in a well written and executed post that lives up to the Beautifully Invisible standard is not going to be easy, but I will certainly try! (Note from Beautifully Invisible: It was never my intent to make you feel nauseous, doll.  I adore you, and I know all my readers will as well!)

If you must know, I have a huge thing for Celebrity style, in fact I heart it massively; it’s an irresistible allure that sucks you in. Just checking out what celebrities are wearing gets me fizzy dizzy all over. Call it occupational hazard or buyer’s instincts, when I used to have my finger on the style & trend pulse all the time compiling reports, reading magazines, daily papers and the weekend supplements, online blogs, celeb sites like Just Jared, WhoWhatWear, and The Fashion Spot etc., to see who or what’s shakin’ up & setting trends and reacting to them.

I’m still blown away by how celebrities have a significant impact on what we buy and the way we dress now as well as other powerful dominating and influential factors, such as the catwalk, media, shop windows, movies, street style and even famous Blogger’s style. Anyhow, love ‘em or hate ‘em, most of us just can’t help being fascinated by celebrity style (and the gossip columns).

Never has society been more impacted & infiltrated by modern starlets of today than in the past decade or so.  The stars in the golden ages reflected our hopes, our dreams and our obsessions to some degree or another. They still do now, but they also hold the key to how we dress, because retail pays attention and can pull a line forward & send out newsletters to coincide with a ‘most-wanted’ celeb look to bump up sales. Basically, celeb inspired looks are everywhere!

Retailers have been cashing in big time for some time now, working on faster turn around times or trends that invariably imitate the copy-cat celebrity related fashion looks. With the likes of ASOS – aka ‘As seen on screen’ pocketing profits and fashion retailing giant’s amazing marketing campaigns, which imply you can look and dress like your idol with their ‘Get the look’ products. I’m still amazed at how popular bloggers are now used to market/model/be the face of a brand or are invited to sit front row at the shows.

Forever21 Style Icons via Forever21

Jessica Szohr for ASOS

Some of the biggest celebrity style influences that come to mind include the ‘Rachel’ haircut, Zoebot style; remember the ridiculously oversized sunglasses teamed with oversized bag and the controversial size ‘0’ shape, going crazy for scarf wearing in 2006 – particularly the skulls scarf (by McQueen) or even a Keffiyeh?

As a die-hard SATC fan, I went banana’s over oversized corsages and loved Carrie’s way of wearing corsages in her hair, tucked into a belt, pinned to a blazer or worn on simple vest top, gotta love her! A quick flashback tells me how I (much younger and more easily influenced me) used to desperately want to adapt Carrie Bradshaw’s looks into my wardrobe.

A few well-known celebrity-inspired trends include "the Rachel" haircut, Zoebot style, and Keffiyeh and McQueen Skull scarves

Carrie Bradshaw's famous corsage style

Over the past decade or so, I’ve kept an eagle-eye on these drop dead gorgeous celebrities (some newcomers), whom are also my fave style crushes:

• Kate Moss – Queen of the noughties, Vintage queen, wears shorts, blazers, leopard, wellies, girly florals and gorgeous frocks like no other. Popularized the skinny jean & denim super hot-pants.

• Nicole Ritchie & Sienna Miller – for their hippy, boho chic sensation. I was smitten with Sienna’s styling back in the early days with Jude, circa 2003/4.

• Drew Barrymore – quirky, interesting and has nearly always surprising red carpet picks & does twisted grunge-glam rock best, love her to bits-her personality pops right through to fashion.

• Thandie Newton – great red carpet choices through and through.

• Kate Bosworth – impeccable, flawless style and such an oh-so gorgeous thing. She’s well known for what she’s wearing these days than what she actually does (does anyone remember what film she was in last?), but she’s definitely one of my faves.

• Blake Lively – it’s impossible not to love her, although I’m not sure it’s all her own personal style however, she always oozes self confidence and is dressed in swoon worthy outfits for Gossip Girl.

• The Olsen twins – kooky glamour, with a lick of grunge. I’m not obsessed with these guys but I like how they have their own thing going on, their bling is pretty delicious.

• Olivia Palermo – Park Avenue Princess who looks ultra polished & works masculine/feminine tailoring like no other. She looks effortlessly super chic and girly at times but I do wish she would mix it up a little.

• Rachel Bilson – off duty looks are always stylish, relaxed and fuss free.

• Jessica Alba – incredible style both on and off the red carpet.

• Anna Della Russo & Vivianna Volpicella – Bold, fun, fashion bunnies outright!

Whoa the list goes on! Anyhow, they all show some impressive fashion intelligence and extraordinary sense of style.

One of the processes I have really enjoyed through celeb style stalking is how everyone in the spotlight has grown or developed their style through time.

I’m not after the supernova life that comes with being a celebrity (seriously who would want to??? Ok…, maybe for an hour or two), and neither am I a complete slave to celeb style, (loving & being comfortable in your own skin is the key to any great fashion moment remember) but I must admit that celeb style ogling is just one of life’s greatest pleasures, there’s no denying it!

Alas life must go on… back to flicking through magazines, drooling over the net for wardrobes to die for.

Image credits:Forever21, Coco’s Tea Party, Style.com, Celeb Style.com, Just Jared, WhoWhatWear, Asos, Jak & Jil, Olsens Obsessive, MarieClaire.com, Instyle.com

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if you haven’t already, check out her blog here: A Brit Greek
and follow her via Bloglovin’ here.