We've been into British born, New York based fashion girl Eleanor Strauss for a while now, on account of her omnipresent vermillion lips and her punky (rather than Park Avenue Princess) blonde schlick schtick. Having garnered an impressive back catalogue of publishing experience in the UK at _Company and The Fac_e, and Lucky mag in the US, she switched to digital retail and is now Fashion Director at one of our favourite e-tailers, Shopbop.
From her home in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, we got the lowdown on her style smarts for the latest installment of The Debrief Dissects.
1. Effortless doesn't mean easy
'I like to think what I wear looks effortless - but in all honesty I probably tried on around fifty outfits and was then late for work,' says Eleanor, refreshingly honestly. 'I'm definitely aware of trying to dress down my look before I walk out the door. I think adding an edgy piece like a leather biker jacket or distressed denim jacketcan add that balance to a dressed up look.'
**2. Build your uniform of pieces will fit into both your wardrobe and your life **
'Dress for yourself - if you feel like wearing a ball gown do it! Find what works for your body shape and stick with it - and then style around it with more affordable pieces. Start with a well cut blazer, you won't regret it,' advises Eleanor.
3. You don't have to go high, or low; mix those price points
'I love [very affordable] labels Joa and For Love & Lemons and [mid bracket] Jacquemas and Elle Sasson, but I also love Acne.'
4. We know you've heard it a thousand times before - but you can't go wrong with skinny jeans and a breton tee
'I'd describe my style as feminine, chic (I hope!) and with a hint of rock n roll. I live in skinny jeans - faves are Paige, Mother and Frame - and a striped top, particulalry one from MiH. I also love my pointy court shoes from Alexander Wang and moto jacket from vegan label, Blank Denim. My style icons are classic - Jane Birkin, Emmanuelle Alt, Kate Moss.'
5. Try white on white this spring - like, duh!
'I have my eye on this fab white Whistles dungarees dress. I'm also loving anything 50's inspired - I can't wait to pair my trusty Tibi full skirt with a statement Jacquemus tee, converse and a baseball jacket from Acne.'
6. Shop the unexpected
'I always check out East Dane, Shopbop's men's department which has fantastic hidden gems. I love their grey v-neck jumpers by Theory, they're the perfect fit, oversized but not too oversized! Perfect with skinny blue jeans and white Supergas. As a stylist I'm also always trawling through the flea markets for one off special finds, too.'
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Pictures: Courtesy of Shopbop, Vanessa Jackman
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.