Cheryl Shops

Kate Moss has been my style icon for as long as I can remember. She's only four years older than me, which makes her the perfect age to idolize—she's old enough for me to look up to, but close enough in age that we're of the same generation. While some may criticize her for not evolving her style over the years, I love that she remains true to herself and doesn't feel the need to "dress for her age." At 45, Kate looks just as cool and sexy as ever. She also has some go-to outfit formulas, and a Who What Wear story dissecting one of them, Kate Moss has been wearing the same outfit for 15 years, inspired this post. The two key pieces are a leopard-print faux fur coat and a little black dress, but I made a few adjustments for winter (and the fact that I don't roll around in a chauffeur-driven car like she probably does). Here's how I recreated one of Kate Moss's most iconic looks.


I know I went on a semi rant last week about real vs. faux fur, so it may seem slightly hypocritical at first that this is a faux fur coat. BUT, it is vintage, so it's even better for the environment, and if you've ever compared a vintage faux fur coat to a current-day one, well, they don't make 'em like they used to. This thing is pretty much indestructible, and the fur feels really thick and luxurious—it's from a time when faux fur was supposed to look real. I bought it years ago from a woman named Ellen who read this blog and ran a vintage store in North Dakota, I think. Ellen, if you're out there, I still wear (and love) this coat! What I really like about it, however, is the print, which is actually more of a cheetah than a leopard—it feels a little more polished. I found a (new) coat that's very similar to this one, that I've linked below.




I don't know about you, but I own quite a few little black dresses—like at least 10. This is one of my winter LBDs, and while you can't see it very well in the photos (it was COLD when we shot these, so no way was I taking my coat all the way off), the sleeves are split in front. It creates a kind of dramatic, 1960s vibe, and it's great for showing off your bracelets. Plus, this is my favorite shape, which is a shift (I am ridiculously short waisted and often struggle with fit when I wear a dress with a defined waist). This one is from Zara from several years ago, but I found an almost exact replica that I linked below.




Footwear is where I diverge from Ms. Moss—she's more of a bare-legs-and-heels kind of woman, but since it was a bit chilly when we shot these, I went with boots. I have been looking for the perfect pair of black over-the-knee boots for ages; I probably just need to suck it up and splurge on the Stuart Weitzman boots, but instead I got these on sale at Zara for a price I couldn't pass up. I love the heel (low and chunky, with cool silver details), but I do not love that they're faux suede, and that they don't stay up very well. I know a lot of women out there have trouble finding boots that fit; my issue is that my legs, especially my ankles, are too skinny, so my boots are constantly falling down. I know, you're playing the world's tiniest violin for me right now, but it really is annoying. Then again, at my ripe old age, I should know that you get what you pay for.




It's been awhile since you've seen my Jerome Dreyfuss bag; the clasp on the strap is actually broken and I keep forgetting to take it in to get repaired, but for this shoot, I fixed it with duct tape—problem (temporarily) solved! I'm guessing Kate Moss doesn't have to MacGuyver her vast handbag collection, but hopefully she'd appreciate the rock-and-roll-ness of it. I also added a little luxury with my favorite Hermès bracelets, because that's totally what Kate would do.



OUTFIT DETAILS: Vintage jacket (similar here) | Zara dress (similar here) | Jerome Dreyfuss Bobi bag | Zara boots (similar here) | Hermès Clic-H and Rivale bracelets