A Style POV: Sienna Miller
what Sienna Miller's style can teach us about the importance of having a strong POV
Hi Readers,
Happy Sunday!
A quick update before I get into the post — I, like I’m sure many of you, love reading all the amazing content on this platform but I also sometimes feel inundated with the amount I see and the time I have to consume it with intention.
In the spirit of less is more, I will be updating this journal to be released 1 x week on Sundays. I don’t know about you but I love starting my Sunday with Substack and a coffee in bed! I will also continue to share my monthly High-Five on the first of each month. This aligns with what the majority of readers who responded in a recent chat voted for so I hope this change is for the better. I can’t guarantee I won’t throw in extra newsletter here or there when the inspiration strikes but I promise to be mindful!
Speaking of content, there are so many newsletters flooding my inbox with NYFW recaps and all the Fall trends! colors! brands!
I could write about the trending colors of the season or the hot new designers for Fall, but if you subscribe to this journal, you are probably more curious about how to discover and be confident in your personal style so you can cut through the noise of what’s in vs out every season.
In order to have more confidence in your personal style, you need to develop a strong POV.
But what does that even mean?
I believe our style is a sum of all our parts — who we are, the values we hold, our upbringing, our preferences, what lights us up. It’s about knowing what resonates with us and listening to our gut…what we instinctually like or dislike. It can’t be found in any one style guide or newsletter or trend report. And if you try to define your style by what’s on trend or what everyone else is buying, you will usually end up feeling unsteady again by the time the next season rolls around.
So how do you develop a strong POV?
Probably a larger discussion for another time but a couple tips:
Start to shift from being a consumer to one of an intentional observer. One of the best ways we can get to our authentic personal style is learning to observe and just appreciate — remember, not everything needs to be for consumption or adoption.
Next time you click on a shopping link, or are about to be influenced by your favorite influencer, stop and just observe how it makes you feel and let it sink in before you consume it. It could be the difference between a forever piece and an impulse buy that gets donated with tags on next season.
The reaction you have to it can lead to understanding more about your taste. Is it the color you are responding to, or the shape, or the fabric? Do you feel compelled to buy it because of the brand name or because someone you admire owns it, or because you actually see the value in it for your wardrobe?
It’s ok to buy things to welcome in the new season and I think seasonal items are much needed to refresh and evolve our wardrobes. It’s when you aren’t clear why you are buying something, or are feeling the need to keep up with the trends, that actually lead to problems in your wardrobe. One of the reasons why you may have ‘nothing to wear’.
Start to get curious:
Read, watch, observe, explore. Not just within the fashion space but the industries and spaces outside of it. Museums, interiors, books, films, travel, food, music. Whatever interests you!
Get comfortable with yourself — not who you are to others as a mom/daughter/wife/coworker/boss — but who you are to yourself, when no one is watching.
Scan memories and learn from your experiences. You will most likely see recurring themes — whether it’s within your closet (ie: the pieces you shop for but never wear, the pieces you feel drawn to that remind you of influences you had growing up, the recurring ethos of brands you gravitate towards) or within yourself (ie: how you want to feel seen, or not be seen, how you want to be perceived).
What does having a strong style POV look like?
Enough writing — let’s use some visuals to show how a strong POV comes to life in your style! For this topic, I am going to share through the lens of Sienna Miller.
I have a handful of style icons I look at for inspiration — read about my favorite style learnings from Zoë Kravitz here.
I obviously don’t know Sienna Miller but I’ve gleaned some invaluable insights observing her style over the years. Her 7 Days, 7 Looks episode for Vogue is my absolute favorite. So effortless! So cool! So authentically her! Watch here for an immediate dose of inspiration.
I also recently read this book by Bay Garnett. Bay is a long time stylist and editor and is considered a pioneer in bringing “thrifting” into the mainstream by being the first to include vintage pieces in fashion photoshoots. Her book shares a wide range of influences and their journey and perspectives on personal style including Joan Didion, Patti Smith, Maya Angelou, and Chloë Sevigny. Highly recommend!
In the book, Sienna talks about learning to become truly comfortable in her style after years of being in the public eye:
I still love clothes but mostly I just want to look nice and be comfortable, though it’s wonderful to be in a position to wear a beautiful dress from time to time. I’ve always wanted to feel like myself vs creating a persona to hide behind. So I continue to try to dress in ways that feel instinctive and comfortable and then not worry too much about what I look like and who’s watching.
And knowing instinctually what she likes, having fun, and letting her style and tastes evolve as she does:
“For now, I’m really into elegance and beautiful tailoring so I buy Phoebe Philo-era Celine when I can find it on Vestiaire Collective. I like clothes that fit in an unusual way, and weird colors. At the moment I seem to be wearing lots of brown. I have a thing for shoes, especially boots, but I don’t really care about handbags. Belts on the other hand…I love them. So my style is mostly about elegance and simplicity, though sometimes of course I just want to have fun and break out the sequins. If I’m staying at a friends for a weekend then by the end of it I’ll be wearing eight million scarves and a hat and loads of jewelry and having a lovely time. Boho is all still in there!”
So here’s 5 style lessons to learn from what I have observed about Sienna Miller’s style POV -
Lesson #1 - Your wardrobe becomes truly lived-in and over time, the pieces become a story only you can tell
I always say the best wardrobe is one that’s well lived-in. I have met a lot of clients who save their “best” or more expensive purchases for only special occasions but that can result in you never wearing your favorite pieces! Our clothes are meant to be worn. It’s ok if they get a bit dirty — you can wash it! Or they get a bit worn-in — you can repair it!
I think the little imperfections in our clothes — the small stain from a wine-filled perfect night with your best girlfriends, the little hole from your favorite vintage tee from high school, the snag created while running to catch your train while traveling solo in Europe — are what make our clothes cool and interesting. They tell a story about you as an individual. Way more than any shiny new piece you purchased in-store ever will.
I also love how older pieces become part of “your” style over time. They become harder to find, harder to duplicate. They may have a story all their own — passed down from a relative, discovered at an antique shop in the middle of nowhere, purchased as a necessity on a trip that quickly became a favorite piece. They also become part of what people remember you by — like the caftans my grandmother always wore around the house. The reason I love flowy house dresses and robes is because it reminds me of how I saw her dress growing up!
Lesson # 2 - You wear the clothes vs letting the clothes wear you
When you have a strong POV, you can wear any brand and wear trend and statement pieces outside your norm with confidence and ease. It (usually) never feels like cosplay because you know why you’re wearing it. You pick those “it” pieces with intention because you can sense in your gut why you are drawn to it and how to wear it in your everyday life while still feeling like yourself.
Lesson #3 - You value your “You” pieces, regardless of what’s trending
Ok, this lesson is for you if you are constantly questioning if something in your closet is “in” or “out”. I always tell clients that it’s not about whether something is outdated. It’s all about how a piece reflects your style preferences and how you style it. The key to creating outfits that evolve with you isn’t just buying new pieces. It’s styling in a modern way and letting those old pieces evolve with you and with the times.
Lesson #4 - Repetition equals consistency
The fastest way to finding your personal style? Repetition!
If you always try to bring in new pieces, you don’t get to spend enough time playing with your existing clothes. When you learn to outfit repeat and tweak in subtle ways, you learn what you like vs dislike and build your styling muscles. Once you achieve this, your outfit options are endless!
This playful repetition is what leads to consistency in your style. Consistency is what allows you to feel confident in what you wear, what you buy, and knowing the versatility it can bring in your wardrobe and lifestyle.
Lesson #5 - Confident dressing for any occasion
One of the biggest challenges I see with clients, and readers based on what I observe in the chats, is what to wear to the bigger moments in life like weddings, vacations, and other social events. The first reaction is typically “What should I buy?” instead of “how do I want to feel?”
Yes, we all love a beautiful new dress but I’ll let you in on a secret — most of these larger life moments don’t require some magical new piece to make you feel confident walking into the room.
When you know your style POV and have the right pieces in your wardrobe, you can confidently wear and rewear pieces for these events using what you have vs buying new because you lean into the overall feeling and vibe you want to create. Not just with your clothes but your makeup, hair, jewelry, and accessories. That feeling and inner “vibe” you create is what will allow you to walk into any occasion with confidence.
Note the outfit details were pulled through this well documented IG account - a great deep dive if you are curious what other pieces Sienna wore and re-wore over the years!
I hope you liked this post! I thought it might be helpful to read about some alternative style lessons as you navigate Fall trend newsletters as inspiration to play more with your closet and figure out what really resonates with you as an individual!
If you are interested in finding and refining your unique style POV, I’d love to connect with you on a discovery call to see how my 1:1 services can best support you!
Have a great Sunday and thanks for reading ❤️
xx
Angie
You nailed this post! Sienna Miller is such an iconic fashion girl but I deeply admire the well-documented rewears. Any time I see those posts of her wearing something over many years I am inspired to (1) take my time to buy special pieces and (2) keep them around and wear them out.
Loved this Angie!