We all have tried and true feminine elegance icons we’ve admired since childhood. These women include time-tested beauties such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Marilyn Monroe.
But as modern women, we can’t help but desire a modern icon to look up to. One who understands the importance of striking a balance between a feminine appearance and exuding the crucially important air of confidence and self-assured independence that matches the current social climate. A modern, “old money” icon for the feminine-minded woman of today.
Style icons nowadays need to be both a feminine inspiration as well as a force of influence in a world that is determined to claim that women cannot be both a “boss” and a soft, alluring female, at the same time. The truth is, a confident woman can be both feminine and strong, all at once. And the best way to communicate this blend of influential feminine power to the world around you is through your personal style.
Here are ten iconic, Modern women you can look up to for “old money” style inspiration right now:
01
Queen Rania of Jordan
Public Relations Professional and Philanthropist
Rania’s style is a bit unique in that she is often seen wearing outfits that are reminiscent of the traditional dress of Jordan. This middle-Eastern beauty toes the line elegantly between bringing cultural awareness to the traditions of her country, while representing a modern feminine businesswoman that rules with grace and firmness. If you love incorporating traditional cultural elements into your looks, Rania’s style will help you do this.
02
Sophia Richie
Socialite & Model
Sophia’s style can be described as youthful sophistication with an Old Money vibe. She’s fresh and modern but stays within the parameters of her contemporary lifestyle, which includes a lot of time showing her face and outfits on TikTok and appearing at red-carpet-style events. Look to Sophia for vacation and special occasion style inspiration.
03
Priyanka Chopra
Mother, Wife & Actress
Priyanka’s style is on the sexier side of feminine elegance. She has gorgeous curves like her icon counterpart of bygone years, Sofia Loren. If you want to make bold statements and love bright colors and patterns, Priyanka is your style muse.
04
Lauren Amiri
Former model and current brand ambassador
Lauren’s style is the definition of conservative elegance. Her looks are reminiscent of 1940s and 50s style. So, if you’re into vintage vibes with a modern flare, look to her for inspiration on leisure wear, day wear, elegant office wear, and pretty dresses to relax in.
05
Carla Bruni Sarkozy
Musician and France’s Former First Lady
Carla’s style is simple and sophisticated. She’s a former model who has rocked plenty of couture runway fashion, but her personal style is decidedly French-girl chic. Her best accessories are her trim figure, elegant manner, doe-eyed makeup looks, and soft hair. Carla is your girl if you’re looking for non-fussy, cosmopolitan inspiration.
06
Amal Clooney
Attorney and Civil Rights Activist
Amal is among the most diverse fashion muses you’ll find online because she has a wide range of interests, and the media loves reporting on her. You’ll be able to find images of her in everything from classy casual day wear to red carpet and special occasion outfits to pregnancy styles and corporate chic ensembles. Amal is your go-to lady for everything from what to wear to a snappy casual networking event to a formal evening wedding.
07
Rosie Huntington-Whitely
Businesswoman, Founder of Rose Inc., and Luxury Brand Ambassador
Rosie is your style icon go-to if you love neutral palettes, sleek sophistication, and model-off-duty vibes. Her wardrobe, which is full of breezy pastel clothes, will inspire you for casual day wear, office looks, elegant evening events, and even date nights. Rosie is your perfect style pairing if you’re a warm color palette girl with blonde hair.
08
Rosie Thomas Van Sandwijk
Writer and Lifestyle Curator
Rosie is the quintessential, jet-setting girl next door. Think of her as a modern Sarena Vanderwoodsen, all grown up and with her life together! She’s the perfect example of how to do motherhood without losing your sense of style. Her looks are easy, simple, feminine, and comfortable. Her blog has dozens of outfits and style pairings to browse through. Visit her Instagram to see different outfit ideas for various events, occasions, and situations.
09
Kate Middleton
Duchess of Cambridge, Mother and Philanthropist
Kate is the OG modern feminine style icon. Her consistency, attention to detail, demeanor, and respect for the situation she’s attending set her apart as one of the great style icons of the century. Kate’s icon superpower is two-fold. 1. She always dresses for her body type and color palette. 2. She considers the environment she will be in when she gets dressed. This empathy for herself and others is why she’s so perfectly dressed and hits the style mark every single time. You’ll never have to worry about showing up wearing the right thing if you take cues from Kate’s style choices.
10
Hope Hicks
Former White House Director of Strategic Communications
If the dictionary has a definition for “the modern Old Money It girl,” Hope is it. She’s the most difficult to find online from this list, but her style is flawless, from the hair to the shoes, so it’s worth digging to get ideas from her well-served looks. She does an excellent job of mixing youthful elements with ladylike Americana charm. At only 35 years old (as of October 2023), Hope is the second youngest woman on this list (only surpassed by Sophia Richie), but the depth of her personal style identity is already iconic. Look to Hope for Jackie-O or Blair Waldorf vibes if your lifestyle entails corporate environments and events, networking, and after-hours cocktail meetups with friends and colleagues.
A note about duplicating these style icons looks for your lifestyle:
When searching online for style inspiration, you may notice that many women with “Old Money style” are royals who wear hats, tiaras, and headdresses to every type of event. While I do think those little confections of tulle, jewels, and feathers look incredibly chic and fun perched atop the head of a beautiful woman, it’s not reasonable for 99% of us to drop a small fortune on a hat or head-piece that matches every single outfit.
Getting the same look without buying hats is where your personal style rules can come into play. Switch out hats for elegant updos, a fluffy ponytail topped with a structured hairbow (yes, adult women can wear hair bows when styled tastefully!), headbands, hair clips, hair combs, or attention drawing statement earrings. Choose whichever element fits your personal style principles and compliments your face shape.
How to choose the right style icon for you to be inspired by:
While going online is a great way to get style inspiration, we tend to forget that many iconic, elegant, impactful women are not online at all. In fact, your style mentor or style icon may be someone you haven’t met yet but is closer than you think!
My most impactful style mentors in my 20s didn’t even have social media accounts. They’re women on charity boards and in corporate leadership positions who spend time cultivating their community by giving back, supporting the arts, and partaking in their hobbies. These usually include non-online activities such as self-cultivation, supporting causes that are important to them, and spending quality time with friends and family.
The best way to find your style icons and fashion mentors is to network to earn proximity to them. That is how I found mine. And these women continue to mention my name in rooms full of opportunities and encourage and support me to this day.
There is a wealth of knowledge and experiences, as well as incredible character-building opportunities, that will turn you into the most confident version of yourself through the art and dedication of networking with – what I refer to as – an Old Money mindset.
Remember that networking isn’t just about gaining contacts to make you money. It’s about conscious relationship building, allowing yourself to see differing viewpoints. Networking is stretching your perception of the world and cultivating an open-minded sense of authentic empathy that will connect you more deeply to other people than anything else ever can.
Change your mindset to view networking and paying for proximity not as simply a way to gain access to opportunities and income-earning potential. Networking is so much more potent than that. It is the best way to grow your character and refine the edges of your personality that don’t serve you on your journey to experiencing the life of financial independence, time freedom, respect, relationships, and influence you desire.
Visit me on Instagram and share your thoughts about modern-style icons with the community! Who do you look up to and why?
