17 style lessons from Jenna Lyons
Sometimes, when we can't think of what to wear we just Google pictures of Jenna Lyons.
News has just dropped that the J Crew icon has left her position as Creative Director for the brand. What will she do next? Only time will tell.
Regardless, she is the perfect example of a woman who has learnt what suits her and still looks at fashion with a sense of playfulness. She is a master of combining smart and casual, feminine and masculine, high-brow with high street. Everything she wears we want with a mad lusty passion.
As we step into spring 2017, clear out our wardrobes and make some improvements, we look to Lyons for style lessons. And as she proves, it's not necessarily about buying more, but how you wear and modernise your existing favourites.
Let Lyons show you the way:
Getty ImagesDo invest in a jazzy trouser
Statement trousers are a wardrobe staple for Lyons and a great way of nailing that nonchalantly cool look.
Getty ImagesExperiment with wearing head-to-toe colour
This is an easy way of looking put together and on-trend in a subtle, understated way. Like Jenna, choose your colour wisely - navy, cream and confident are all flattering shades.
Getty ImagesDefy eveningwear conventions
For the 2015 China-themed Met Ball, Lyons made other guests look like overdressed try-hards when she hit the red carper in a beaded pyjama-inspired suit. It's undeniably glamorous, but with an air of insouciance. Wear what makes you feel good, not what you think others expect you to wear.
Getty ImagesRestraint can be beautiful
You don't need to wear an attention-seeking outfit every day - a simple white T-shirt with cropped trousers and courts is a perennially stylish look.
Rex FeaturesInvest in statement jewellery
Lyons is often seen wearing statement jewellery, which adds a personal touch and personality to any wardrobe choice. Details, whether it be a necklace or a scarf, matter.
Rex FeaturesAdding a masculine edge equates to easy chic
It's all about the juxtaposition of a look - wear tailored trousers with an oversized sweater and red lipstick.
Rex FeaturesDon't be afraid of colour
Lyons had admitted before that she doesn't always find wearing colour easy, but "it's a challenge. It feels good to embrace a challenge." We'll second that.
Rex FeaturesDouble denim can be done
You just need to consider the right shade and cut. Lyons prefers an oversized, more adrogynous tact when it comes to denim.
Rex FeaturesGo for a red lip or a dark eye, but never both
Both beauty looks are great, but beware wearing them together - you want to look chic, not like Bet Lynch. Lyons never ever ever looks overdone.
Rex FeaturesGood tailoring is essential
You can wear a slouchy jumper and mad trousers if your tailoring is in check. A blazer is a quick way of smartening up any look in a fuss-free way.
Rex FeaturesDon't play by the fashion rules
Have fun with clothes and let them show off your shiny self. Mix stripes with fringing, and yellow with blue. Real style comes from confidence and looking happy.
Rex FeaturesCultivate your signatures
For Jenna, it's her borrowed-from-the-boys, mix and match look and slick-back hair. But, more than anything, it's her oversized, Moscot Mensch glasses - which not only frame her face, but are also telling of her interested-in-everything personality.
Rex FeaturesA tux is an excellent evening look
Don't feel you have to stick to dresses and skirts for the evening. A tux is one of the sexiest looks you can wear - it leaves a little to the imagination and requires oodles of confidence and nonchalance.
Rex FeaturesCashmere is always a good idea
Cashmere gives everything a luxurious appeal, and looks great worn in the evening with more glam pieces. It's also a great gift and the ultimate treat.
Getty ImagesGo all out but in your way
The outfit Jenna Lyons wore to Solange Knowles' outfit was widely applauded for being imaginative and so very, very cool. Not many would have conceived that a fur coat, T-shirt, and maxi-feathered skirt would look good together, but Lyons was brave enough to experiment. She knew the wedding guests were going for all-out glamour, but did it her way.
Getty ImagesLayer shirts under trophy jumpers
A classic crisp white shirt smartens up every look and adds a masculine, fresh edge.
Rex FeaturesMix smart and casual
Lyons takes risks with her outfits, mixing the overtly glamorous with something low-key. Who'd have thought a cropped denim jacket would work with a silk cocktail skirt?
