What about Timeless... With a Twist?

Breakfast at Tiffany's. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Updated April 01, 2016.

There's a reason we look to images of women like Katherine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, and Coco Chanel for style inspiration years and years after the height of their fame. No matter the decade or the current wave of trends, we always look to these iconic women as examples of timeless style. Somehow, their looks—which capture distinctly different moments in fashion from 1940 through the 1970s—always feel relevant.

So how can the rest of us, the non-icons, create a wardrobe that feels timeless? Will our grandchildren look back at our Instagram feeds and remark that our outfits still look good decades and decades later?

The truth is, it's impossible to say. We could do our best to emulate the nipped waists and full skirts of Audrey Hepburn in the 1950s or the wide-leg trousers of Diane Keaton's Annie Hall in 1977 and succeed but here's the thing. That wouldn't be your style, because it's already theirs.

In trying to look timeless, we are most often just trying to look like someone else. Timeless is safe, and timeless is beautiful—but you know what timeless isn't? It isn't really fun. Or personal. Or unique!

So what about trying timeless style—with a twist? We can still idolize our favorite style icons, of course, but what if we take some of those classic and traditional elements of a stylish woman's wardrobe—and put our own spin on them, ensuring that when our grandkids look back at our old photos they'll think, "Wow, Grandma had a great sense of style!"

Ahead, we have 10 tips for mastering timeless style. Master them, make them your own, and then remix them any way you want to feel your best.