The Star Sign Style Stakes: our Leo fashion icons

This article was originally published on July 30th 2019 on The National Student.

We’re now officially over halfway through our Star Sign Style Stakes series in which fashion editor Charlie celebrates her style icons born under each sign, and there may be no sign quite as magnetic as those born under Leo.  

They are dramatic, creative, and confident, which makes for quite the combination when it comes to styling oneself.  Here are our picks of the best-dressed Leo stars:

Audrey Tautou

The actress chosen to play the one and only Coco Chanel was always going to have a certain je ne sais quoi about her, and Audrey Tautou lived up to expectations.  The world has never exactly been lacking in French fashion icons, but Tautou, with her signature jet black locks, contemporary tailoring, and penchant for red lipsticks, brings that trope into the 21st Century and makes it her own.

Dua Lipa

In a few short years, Dua Lipa has become an icon: New Rules provides nightclub catharsis to the newly-single all over the world and her sleek black bob is fast approaching Rachel Green waves-level icon status in hairstyles. Luckily, her style is just as great; neon co-ords, crop tops and cargo trousers take pride of place in her day-to-day wardrobe, but come red carpet season no one pulls out the stops like her.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

I’ll be honest, initially I only included Coster-Waldau in this piece to appease his no.1 fan - our lifestyle editor Ruby.  But after trawling through his Instagram (my job is honestly so taxing), I found that he’s quite the dapper style star.  Pastel suits, UNICEF t-shirts, twinning with Gwendoline Christie? He’s got it covered. And don’t even get me started on this perfect Paris red sweater/tweed jacket combo.  

Jennifer Lopez

In a world that’s currently obsessed with the I-woke-up-like-this, “effortless” aesthetic, J Lo’s unapologetic commitment to crystal-encrusted glamour can only be celebrated.  No one wears a sequin, oversized shades, or a pair of hoops quite liker her: she will be the ultimate Girls Night Out style inspiration, always and forever.  

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Despite being the wife of one of the most recognisable presidents in history, Jackie Kennedy Onassis’ Wikipedia page has a category dedicated to her status as a style icon because she was just that iconic. In 1961 she actually spent more on her wardrobe than her husband even earned as president (and it paid off). Originally known for her simple tailored dresses, jackets, and pillbox hats, she branched out later in life to wide-leg trousers, Hermès headscarves and, wait for it… jeans.  Truly a versatile style star.

Madonna

Although she’s recently tried to give the humble eyepatch sartorial appreciation to varying degrees of success, there’s no doubt that we have Madonna to thank for decades of brilliant fashion. Big bows (sorry Jojo Siwa, Madonna got there first), lace gloves, red lipstick, and a mess of curls all burst onto the scene with Madonna herself. In short, she set the tone for every Year 8 school disco between 2006 and 2010. In all seriousness, her collaborations with Jean-Paul Gaultier are nothing short of iconic, and worth every penny they’ve been auctioned off for in the last few years.

Cara Delevingne

Is there anything Cara Delevingne can’t pull off?  For years, she was a Chanel muse who looked completely at home with sleek blonde hair and preppy plaid ensembles, with the odd PVC-clad Victoria’s Secret interlude happening every now and again. Nowadays, she’s a bonafide grunge icon, favouring flannel shirts and a scruffy almost-pixie cut.  There really is a Cara for every mood.

Joe Jonas

In a rebranding matched only by Miley Cyrus, Joe Jonas has gone from wholesome child star to surprisingly cool adult. As if it wasn’t enough that he wore a scarlet suit to his rehearsal dinner while guests wore white, and his extensive collection of interesting jackets has earned him a spot as a heavy hitter on the street style scene. We look forward to many more years of Joe Jonas/Met Gala moments.  

So that rounds up our Leo style icons.  We’ll be back next month to dissect the sartorial choices of those born under the Virgo sign.  In the meantime, you can see our previous signs here!