Get the look - Olivia Palermo

| Jan 10, 2013

So this is a tricky one; I feel as if we all love Olivia Palermo's style, but are not sure where we stand on her personality (and sure as hell don't have her body*). She was by far the villain in The City, despite the fact that we all know that show was edited to high heaven, and she gave the best bitch-face - plus she was the work rival nobody wanted to have due to her amazing ability to take credit for someone else's work; remember when Whitney styled Jessica Alba and Olivia claimed it was her?!

Okay, okay, The City trivia aside, there is no denying that Olivia has the best style going! Whether she's in a kaftan on the beach, wearing jeans and a striped top for a casual Saturday or dressed up for a red-carpet event, girl looks gooooood. So I'm going to take a wee look at how to emulate her style!

Pic taken by my own fair hand

The first thing that is apparent in any photograph of Olivia is that she really takes care of herself, and I'm not just talking about that killer bod (warning:Daily Mail link!). Her blow-out is always divine and she is tweezed and manicured to within an inch of her life. It's something I tend to forget about, in a way; your basic grooming can make a huge difference to how well you look, no matter how chic your outfit. You can bet your bottom dollar that Olivia has never been papped with chipped nail varnish or blotchy false tan! While some careful grooming will go a long way towards emulating her look, there are certain key pieces that help put Olivia's impeccable style together . . .

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As you can see, Olivia is a classic dresser - she owns more than one Hermes, loves her skinny jeans and pointed stiletto pumps, and is rarely seen in anything loose or deconstructed unless she's got a tailored jacket on over it. She really knows how to make the most of her petite frame, and plays to her strengths: amazing legs and arms. With her boyish figure, she can wear dresses and jumpers that are high-necked, and you'll be hard pressed to find a pic of Olivia's cleavage!

But it's not all classic cuts and colours; she also likes to play with pattern (check out those gorgeous tropical-print trousers in the above photograph) and texture (see how she's mixed a faux fur gilet with her leather trousers?) as well as using unexpected combinations to keep things fresh (I know I wouldn't think to layer that electric-blue jacket over my boho mini dress, bottom left).

Olivia's trusty leather leggings have seen quite a few wears - grab yours from Missguided for a mere £9.99. Her Hermes is a little out of our price range, but this tote by Mischa Barton at Arnotts, at €125, is a more affordable alternative. This fluffy muted pink jacket, £20 from Boohoo, would look great with your pleather leggings over a plain (or striped, like Olivia's) jumper. Olivia's tropical print trews are from Topshop, so this similar pair (£38) from Toppers might just be her 2013 update - but is she brave enough? (Are you?) Olivia also loves her pencil skirts, but she's careful to keep them short to suit her frame; this number from Asos (€25) would be right up her street - although I'd recommend swapping the belt out for a tan or patterned version to keep it from looking too office-y. And lastly, any flattery-motivated imitation of Olivia needs to start (and end) with a blazer - this zip detail number from Warehouse (€72) is gorgeous, and will work as a jacket, for work and to smarten up a loose dress.

What do you reckon? Do you rate or slate Olivia's style? And would you want to be her mate? (For what it's worth, when I met her - for about two seconds - she was utterly charming and lovely. Really.)

* If you do have her body, congratulations! Also, we could never be friends.