When I first discovered Linda V Wright about five years ago, it felt like a coming home. Here at last was a woman over sixty who wore the sort of clothes I loved and made them look fabulous. Not only that, she had natural grey hair, wore very little make-up and yet always looked put together and chic. I immediately printed off several of her ‘looks’ and began to incorporate her ideas into my daily outfits. Since then, I’ve followed her on Instagram, where she posts pictures of her outfits with some interesting snippets on her travels and life philosophy. For me, in a sea of Instagram influencers, Linda comes across as authentic. thoughtful and warm.
About Linda
Born in Texas in 1948 and following a career as a model, Linda moved to Paris to work in the fashion industry. She describes this period of her life on the “About’ page of her blog:
A quick look over those last 38 years warrants special mention to several areas in the fashion world, but I will mention only one. Working for Ralph Lauren changed my life. My experience working in the creative department, allowed me to learn and grow in several directions.
My most valuable lesson? Accepting my own individual style. I left to start my own brand and never looked back.
In the ever changing and versatile world of fashion, I do believe I have stuck to my simple roots philosophy. Jeans make up the most of my weekly wardrobe along with an unending supply of shoes, scarves, tee’s and cashmere. Oh, OK, throw in some earrings if you will!!! That’s it. We’re done. I’m dressed.
Linda’s Style
The essence of Linda’s style is timeless classics with a twist. She is feminine but not at all fussy. Most often wearing trousers, she’s a tomboy, but with chic Parisian elegance. Everything she wears looks effortless and comfortable. It’s a look that suits most people’s lifestyle these days, and I know that she has many young Instagram followers.
Linda owns and runs a luxury cashmere boutique called Crimson Cashmere, which is cosily nestled between the Seine and Champs Elysee in Paris. Here she curates and sells beautiful knitwear and accessories to the discerning residents and visitors to Paris. She also has an online store.
Linda’s outfits are usually made up of wonderful knitwear and scarves sourced from her shop, worn together with well-loved, timeless pieces from her wardrobe. Here is an example; In this photo Linda teams a twenty-year-old bespoke velvet jacket made by Henry Poole in Saville Row, with straight leg jeans, a voluminous scarf from her shop and embroidered Turkish slippers. This look embodies her philosophy of buying timeless, quality garments that will last forever.
Buy Quality That Lasts
Whilst I agree with Linda’s ‘buy best quality’ philosophy I have to add the words ‘that you can afford’. My budget is unfortunately limited. Instead of cashmere, I buy quality merino. My favourite store for basics is Uniqlo. It’s a good source of classic styles at a reasonable price. One of the good things about getting old however, is that if you’ve bought wisely in the past, you should, like Linda, have some quality items tucked away in your wardrobe. My own timeless classics include, a Tod’s handbag, every type of leather brogue imaginable, a classic black Hugo Boss trouser suit and a tan biker jacket. I blend these with carefully selected new items to get a (hopefully) uniquely me style.
I know that Linda’s style is not to everyone’s taste. Do you have an alternative inspiration? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Sian.
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