What do you all think of Jane Birkin's style now?

[Pheasantlysurprised]

I mean in recent years, as she has grown older?
I wasn't particularly a fan of her younger style, not my thing really, and her recent choices wouldn't really work well on me personally - but what I DO notice and admire about her is how comfortable she looks in herself.

Does anyone know what I mean?
Her recent approach to dressing is obviously leaning towards the oversized, slouchy, etc and yet it is quite atypical and particular to herself, which comes over as really genuine and interesting. I think she really stands out in this sense.
I love that she hasn't tried to reappropriate the stereotypical 60's look that she was famous for and just does her own thing. She is neither super on trend nor dated.

Pic for one example!

She has never cared about being 'on trend', she has always had an awesome style. Huge difference.
She knows what suits her, from willowy 20-something to now, and has changed her style accordingly.
Fashion is fabulous but no-one should follow every passing trend. JB is a shining example of style over trends.

Well she's clearly following the oversized trend, hence the trousers!
But what I think she's really clever at is selecting which trends to follow and then absorbing them into her own personal style so that it looks like she doesn't care.

She always looks fabulous. I love that look.

She’s not massively tall, though. I was standing behind her in a queue in Paris years ago and she wasn’t more than an inch or so taller than me, and I’m 5 ft 6’. (Was wearing very nice brogues.)

@Floisme my point exactly; choosing which trends to follow instead of desperately trying to be 'current' makes a stylish person.

I think it's the word 'desperately' that I disagree with valerian. I don't see anything wrong with wanting to look current, and besides some posters clearly think those trousers do look a bit desperate. Me, I don't really care - I think there are worse things than making style mistakes and that it's far more important to enjoy your clothes. But I'm fascinated by people like Birkin who manage to figure out a path between the two.

She's quite scruffy now (I don't believe she makes any effort to have a certain 'style' and more power to her- why should she?!) but she's Jane Birkin and will always be an icon to me.

I do envy women who can manage to wear scarves with flair! On me they either choke me or fall off.

I quite like that scruffy look on people who can carry it off. I couldn't!

She has the advantage of being quite angular. A more “rounded” figure - even a sim one - just can’t pull off her look. If I wore oversized stuff and slouchy trousers I’d look like Angela Merkel meets Sandi Toksvig.

I love her look. Slouchy, stylish, confident. You've sent me off on an image search rabbit hole now, OP, when I should be working!

I dunno about her not making any effort - my guess is that a lot of thought (and probably quite a bit of money) goes into that look, which is why it's hard to pull off.

Reminds me of the Monty Don style love on here a while back, when several posters made the observation that his artfully dishevelled look was probably very expensive to recreate.

Like it. Like her more recent work as well. And she should be proud of her daughter's work too.

I love her look, but agree having height and slimness helps! I think Patti Smith has a similar look too.

DottyHarmer I have a friend who has quite wide shoulders, very small bust, 5ft 8, thin, clothes love her, it’s the angular thing. Me 5ft5, 38D bust and that’s in a minimiser bra, narrow shoulders, 2 stone over weight there is no item of clothing looks good.

@viques, I found that when I wrap the thing around because it's freezing, it looks tres chic, when I try to 'style' it, I look like a catalogue model🤬

I think her style is an example of something extraordinarily beautiful women sometimes do - it's studiedly shapeless, dowdy and unflattering, almost as a statement of "Look, I'm literally dressed like a mediaeval beggar and I STILL look gorgeous".

The results of importing such a "look" into the lumps-and-bumps population of ordinary mortals do not bear thinking about

I can think of many larger women who would look fine in this sort of look. I'm always puzzled at those comments which 'explain' and 'excuse' any good looking woman as only being so because she is 'thin'.

There is a LOT more to style, confidence and beauty than how skinny one is.
I am built like Jane, but I can tell you now I would look like a clown in that stuff. She is who she is, and that's why it works!

Go back to the 50's and not a living soul would suggest a woman only looked good in clothes simply because she was skinny with no boobs!
It's all about perception and cultural trends.

It's the confidence and the smile. Je nais se quois.

I have a friend with a similar style and she always looks amazing. She is younger than Jane Birkin, middle 50s, slimish, medium height, with grey hair that she cuts herself. If I tried to cut my own hair it would be instantaneous bag lady, but somehow it works for her. She wears almost exclusively charity shop clothes or something that belonged to her late father (and sometimes her maternal grandmother). I'm talking workman style jeans, battered brogues and cashmere jumpers that were extremely expensive when new but are a bit moth eaten 60 years later. And yet she has such self confidence, combined with great posture, razor sharp intelligence and wit that it creates an aura around her. People are just drawn towards her and she turns heads wherever we go.

@sadpapercourtesan

I think her style is an example of something extraordinarily beautiful women sometimes do - it's studiedly shapeless, dowdy and unflattering, almost as a statement of "Look, I'm literally dressed like a mediaeval beggar and I STILL look gorgeous".

The results of importing such a "look" into the lumps-and-bumps population of ordinary mortals do not bear thinking about

Is this a version of comments on the Cos/Toast recent thread that got very heated, where people had lots of theories about why people wore such 'unflattering, shapeless' garments?

I wear slouchy, oversized things, and a lot of men's clothes, and I'm neither a beauty nor rail-thin. I think they suit me, and my 'cycle/walk everywhere' lifestyle.

@Grinling I have no idea, I rarely venture onto Style and Beauty, being naturally blessed with neither

I dont want to dress like a bag lady so not for me. I think all the Cos smock type stuff loved on here is vile to. I hate androgonous fashion. I like to look and feel feminine.

@MiddleNameJane

Reminds me of the Monty Don style love on here a while back, when several posters made the observation that his artfully dishevelled look was probably very expensive to recreate.

That's one of my favourite threads

Agree littleburn that Patti Smith's another. I once read an interview with her where she was talking about trying to buy a new T shirt while away on tour - oh my word, let's just say, she might look to some like she doesn't care but she's very, particular!