Magazines and outlets of the fashion industry hailed earlier this year that the ladylike trend is the new quiet luxury. However, the style (or trend, if you can even call it that) has been around for decades. Think Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, Grace Kelly, or the famous Bar Jacket and midi dress pairing from Christian Dior’s The New Look collection.
Traditional ladylike styling is very polished, precious, and preppy. And truthfully, sometimes it can also feel a little matronly or dowdy. But the good news is that the modern interpretation of it is much less about being so buttoned up and perfect.
Instead, the key to make these feminine pieces feel current is to pair the classic silhouettes with more casual, everyday items like sneakers, loose jeans, chunky knits, and t-shirts. The mix between feminine and casual provides great balance and feels much more approachable and less stuffy than ladylike dressing of years past.
Here are the key pieces for a ladylike wardrobe, and how to master the modern ladylike look for today.
Key Pieces for your Modern Ladylike Fashion Wardrobe
Earlier this year I started shopping at EVEREVE. And while I originally discovered the retailer because of the extensive denim assortment – they sell some of my favorite brands like AGOLDE, Citizens of Humanity, and AGOLDE – I also love that they highlight and style with products that you can actually wear for every day, real life.
I found tons of great pieces at EVEREVE that work seamlessly with the ladylike trend, so I’ve curated my favorites here.
Ballet Flats
Ballet flats have always been around, but their popularity has skyrocketed over the last couple of years. They’re a great flat shoe alternative to sneakers or loafers.
To prevent ballet shoes from feeling too matronly, offset them with a slouchy pair of jeans or something current and unexpected, like barrel pants. Or, try ballet flats in a fun, trending color like this red pair.
Low Heels
Over the last several years, sky high stilettos have taken a backseat in footwear, and the modern woman currently craves sensible, sturdy or low heels she can actually walk in.
As an alternative to ballet flats, low, pointed toe heels are timeless pieces in a ladylike wardrobe. They’re a great option when you want to dress up your outfit while still maintaining comfort.
The pointed toe is super flattering, leg lengthening, and you can wear them with midi dresses, pencil skirts, trousers, and straight leg jeans.
Tweed Jacket
You can’t talk about ladylike dressing without talking about the lady jacket. A lady jacket is reminiscent of a Chanel piece, slightly cropped and typically without a collar. Usually, lady jackets fall somewhere between a cardigan sweater and a tweed jacket, but casual denim versions have also gotten recently popular.
To give a ladylike jacket a modern twist, pair yours with of-the-moment wide leg jeans instead of the traditional matching skirt.
I’ve had this tweed jacket for several years and it’s a go-to for me. It runs a bit small, so I recommend going up one size. For a more affordable tweed jacket option, you can’t go wrong with this one; I love the black and white.
Elevated Sweater
Every closet needs a few great, elevated sweaters. Consider looking for luxurious fabrics like cashmere or high-quality cotton, as well as sweaters that have special details like texture, stripes (a ladylike classic!), buttons, and puff sleeves. I love the ribbed texture of this cardigan and the large flat buttons.
Midi Skirt
The ladylike fashion trend embraces longer and more modest hemlines, so you may want to add a midi skirt to your closet if you’re looking for an alternative to pants or jeans. Look for pencil skirts, A-line skirts, and even full skirts if you really want to lean into the ladylike aesthetic.
There’s something super chic about a longer skirt paired with a tonal turtleneck or a chunky knit, and knee-high boots.
Wide Leg Jeans and Trousers
Although wide leg jeans and trousers aren’t traditional key pieces to the ladylike trend, for a modern closet, they are essential.
Juxtaposition has always created great interest in life, especially in fashion and interior design. By mixing something that feels more casual or masculine with traditionally feminine pieces, you have something that feels modern and fresh.
This is also my personal style trick to wearing pieces that feel too girly or cutesy when worn together. Balance and offset more feminine items with cooler, slouchier, menswear-inspired ones.
Accessories
Last but not least – accessories. One really easy way to dip your toe into any trend or style is to start with accessories.
This trend is all about simple silhouettes and elegant finishing touches, so less is more here and there’s no need to over accessorize.
I always think a touch of gold can make any outfit feel more expensive, so try a delicate chain necklace or a pair of gold statement earrings.
And if you’re cringing at the phrase statement earrings – don’t. Statement earrings nowadays are less gawdy than those from early 2000s. Instead, they have clean lines that feel classic yet somehow very off the moment.
Ladylike style doesn’t have to feel dowdy or preppy. If you’re looking to try the trend in a more modern, cooler way, incorporate one piece at a time and balance the ladylike silhouettes with easy, casual pieces like jeans, tees, and even sneakers.
Thank you EVEREVE for partnering with me on this post. All thoughts are my own.
