The Style Series: Camille Charrière

Camille Charrière needs no introduction. With over 1.3 million (and counting) Instagram followers, the half-French, half-English aesthete and newly minted Elle UK Contributing Editor has become one of the most looked to content creators of our time, thanks, perhaps above all else, to her penchant for playing, sartorially speaking. “I think there’s something to be said for not always looking perfect and having an element that’s a little outlandish or interesting or sexy or unexpected,” Charrière muses from her London flat. “It means that your style isn’t something that everybody could just copy.”

Here, she discusses the cornerstones of her closet, the shoe she’s pleased to see make a comeback, and her latest vintage obsession, which she calls “just a very practical thing to own.”

How would you describe your style?

Playful, timeless, and feminine.

Part of your job is promoting new brands and pieces, but what are the essentials that you return to again and again?

I think I have always lived by the mantra that you can never have too many pairs of jeans, which really shows when you come into my wardrobe. They’re such an easy piece that you can dress up and down, and there are so many different styles that you can really fit all the different aspects of your personality and mood.

I also have a bit of a leather fetish. I’m obsessed with leather jackets and have one in every single length, from floor to mid to to short tight to blazer…. I literally have one in every shape. It’s the only thing I can never seem to get rid of, maybe because you wear a leather piece for such a long time that it becomes filled with memories and you do become attached… I don’t know what it is, but for the time being I haven’t found a way to shed my leather layers.

That said, I’m quite good at keeping my wardrobe in the circular economy. As soon as I notice that I’m not really using something, I’m very quick to take it out of my wardrobe and sell it or pass it on, depending on its worth, because I really do live by the philosophy of one in one out. Actually, it’s more like three out and one in; I accumulate quite quickly because of work, so I’m always trying to keep my wardrobe edited down. Plus, I think you tend to dress better when you have less to choose from. In my opinion, the people who have the best style develop a proper signature — and clothes look better when they’ve been worn in.

Do you have any style rules?

I always rip off Khaite’s Cate Holstein, who said in an interview that her mantra is classic feminine with a twist of trash. I think that unlocked something in me, which I always knew but I found hard to articulate. Maybe it’s because I’m French, but I do think that a lot of people around me are very attached to the idea of always looking elegant and never looking like they made a mistake. If I’m completely honest, I think Instagram is a little bit to blame, too, because spending so much time documenting and recording our outfits has made people become almost obsessive about projecting a perfect image of themselves, and there is no way that they look like in real life. There is a whole generation that’s created a very false narrative of what they look like. As a reaction to that, perhaps, I’m a little bit more playful with my outfits. I think there’s something to be said for not always looking perfect and having an element that’s a little outlandish or interesting or sexy or unexpected; it means that your style isn’t something that everybody can just copy. Bad taste is a matter of perception anyway; being elegant is about your attitude and behavior, I think.

Do you remember your first vintage purchase?

I’ve always shopped vintage. My first luxury purchase was a vintage Vuitton Speedy because I couldn’t afford luxury goods at the time. I bought it off of my ex-boyfriend’s little sister. Those were the eBay days when you’d spend time looking for Marc Jacobs flats or something… My early fashion days were either buying high street or second-hand luxury pieces. Then, as I got more comfortable with my own sense of style, I stopped equating buying something new or something from a brand name with having good taste. For a while, I thought you had to work your way up to be able to afford brands. I hadn’t really taken in that actually having great style is about picking the right pieces. It doesn’t matter where they’re from — you can buy something great on the high street or from a vintage brand or something new — but you have to find a balance.

Why are you drawn to vintage and secondhand?

I think the pandemic was a huge reset in terms of realizing just how much stuff I owned and wasn’t using; I’m a lot more mindful these days of how and where I’m spending my money. Around the same time, I found this vintage shop in London and got to experience all of these designer pieces from the nineties and the noughties. It really brings back home how well-made things were back then and kind of makes you fall a little bit out of love with buying from all the big brands. You just realize that actually the prices are too high; most of that money is going into marketing, if we’re completely honest. So, it’s almost smarter to go and find things that have stood the test of time and are still doing the rounds. And when you’re buying secondhand, you’re more likely to find something that not everybody owns, which I think is a super way of developing your own sense of style.

What’s really interesting with the rise of TikTok is seeing the reaction against our millennial way of dressing, which, online certainly, was a very curated clean girl aesthetic. The younger generation is very clear in their idea that an identity is built on looking unique. It’s been really inspiring to see kids going into thrift stores and buying items of clothing that I think my generation would have just disregarded. They’re reclaiming them and making them cool again and proving that actually something doesn’t have to be expensive to be worth wearing again. I think that’s a super positive trend that we’re seeing in fashion right now.

How do you incorporate vintage into your wardrobe?

I tend to go through shoes quite quickly, so most of my shoes are new. I also think that the shape of your shoe does a lot for a silhouette, so by switching that up season after season and changing just that one detail you can update your wardrobe. Other than that, I now have so much vintage that my wardrobe really is a mix. When I put my outfits together I don’t think about vintage versus new because once items enter my closet they become part of my repertoire. A lot of brands are copying vintage pieces anyway. Once you realize that, and you destigmatize the need to buy things that are new and box fresh, I think that’s when you can really make a positive change for yourself. I totally understand why some people still find shopping secondhand harder. It does take a little more time, and it also means trusting your taste a little bit more — there is an ease that comes with buying new — but it’s something you work on. As soon as you get comfortable, it’s much easier.

What’s your greatest vintage find?

I recently found a really amazing vintage Dolce & Gabbana biker jacket, which is black, white, and blue. I was aware of its existence and have always loved that collection; there’s a really cool picture of Victoria Beckham wearing it back in the day. Unfortunately, it was very expensive, but I told myself that it was justified because it was a rare item. Other than that, I have a few absolutely incredible Galliano for Dior dresses. Anything that he made is worth the moon.

Are there any vintage pieces that you’re still trying to track down?

Like a lot of people, I’m really into Tom Ford for Gucci. There are some incredible pieces in those collections; it’s very much what is being ripped off by almost everyone at the moment… The thing about those collections though is that they’re either outrageously expensive or just hard to find, so it’s just about being able to find the right piece at the right time.

What else is on your wishlist?

I’m eyeing the Miu Miu satin ballet flats. I think ballet flats have come back in a big way this season, which is very convenient and a much nicer trend than the huge, heavy, chunky shoe that we’ve been seeing. Ballet flats are just very easy; you can pack them, and they go with everything. They also feel quite romantic. I used to really hate them when I was growing up because that’s all anybody wore in France. It just felt too good girl for me, but now I almost feel like the good girl thing is quite subversive; it makes you feel like, Who are you calling “good girl”? I have a few pairs that I was wearing a lot a few years ago, and, now that they’re back again, I’m back in them. If you go through a period in which you’re not wearing them as much, you can hang onto them because you know that they will always come back around.

What are you packing for your summer vacation?

I’m going to Sicily and it’s going to be very hot, so I’m bringing a lot of bikinis, as well as a few really gorgeous slip dresses that I can just throw on without having to think too much. I recently bought a few nighties — sheer dresses from the 30s and 40s — which I’ve become obsessed with. I love how floaty and ethereal they are. It’s almost like faded grandeur; there’s always something a little bit damaged about them, which is rather beautiful. A lot of brands try to recreate that look, but they’re not the same; the fact that they’ve been worn before and washed is really part of their charm. I’m also loving very simple low-slung skirts with little mules. And boob tubes, which are quite Carrie Bradshaw. It’s about mixing in all these old school trends, which are making a huge comeback at the moment. I think we’re very nostalgic for the past because we spend a lot of time looking at old images and recreating them. Even the biggest celebrities in the world, like the Kardashians, are rewearing Marilyn Monroe’s outfits because they feel like that would be the biggest honor rather than getting something tailor made. It really does confirm the fact that things that already exist have a higher value than things that have just been made.

What is your beauty staple?

Lip liner. I love Iconic Nude by Charlotte Tilbury.

What’s your secret London address?

My dry cleaner on St. Helens Gardens is a genius. He’s obsessed with clothes as much as I am. He works with a few of the vintage stores around Portobello. Because of the items I was bringing in, he figured out that I was also shopping at them, so he shows me the pieces before they go into the shops. I’m so excited because now I have all this insider intel. When you are shopping vintage and buying pieces that are fragile, you do develop an emotional attachment — and you won’t be able to buy them again, if they get damaged — so it’s important to find a great dry cleaner who you can really trust and who cares about taking care of your clothes.

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