Some Vogue critics will cry that the fashion bible pushes a consumer culture, encouraging readers to buy, buy, buy all the hottest new trends each season.
But behind the scenes, the top tastemakers at the magazine are more about the ‘investment piece,’ the items they can wear again and again.
Just take longtime editor-in-chief Anna Wintour: The 68-year-old rarely wears anything shockingly trendy or experimental, and tends to stick to a three-piece fashion formula for nearly all of her outfits.
Tried and true: Anna Wintour rarely wears anything shockingly trendy and sticks to a few signature pieces (pictured at Wimbledon on July 12)
Outfit: The 68-year-old favors floral dresses, which typically fall anywhere from just below her knees to the floor (pictured in NYC on June 20)
Must-haves: She has been wearing the same style of nude Manolo Blahnik sandals for decades, and the designer sends her new ones each season
As Who What Wear points out, Wintour sticks to a ‘power triangle’ of items to make getting dressed in the summer a breeze.
First, there’s the dress. Wintour, who took over as the top woman at Vogue in 1988, tends to stick to the one-piece look for effortless dressing.
She certainly gravitates to a specific style too: She’s a big fan of florals, but might mix them up with patchwork, watercolors, and more abstract patterns.
They tend to have similar sihloettes, as well, with fitted fabric across the bodice, a defined waist, and either a sheath or A-line skirt that reaches to her shins, ankles, or the ground.
Then, there are the shoes. The editor favors a pair of nude Manolo Blahnik sandals she has been wearing for years.
Skirting the trends: Typically, her dress is a sheath or A-line shape (pictured at Lincoln Center in New York on May 29)
Figure this: Her dresses are nearly always fitted on top and defined at the waist (pictured at Alexander Wang’s fashion show on June 3)
Bling bling: Wintour loves colorful gems around her neck (pictured at Wimbledon on July 13)
Staples: She often stacks the strings of gemstones for a colorful look
Of course, she isn’t exactly hanging on too long to a raggedly old pair of heels. Her go-to shoes are made-to-order just for her — and she gets several new pairs every season.
The nude, low-heeled slingback sandals were first designed for Anna over two decades ago by Blahnik himself. The designer made a wooden model of her foot, then sculpted the shoes around them — ensuring that they’re a completely perfect fit.
So it’s certainly understandable that she’d keep returning to shoes that mold so perfectly to her and offer utter comfort, a rarity for high heels.
However, it seems like the designer would be willing to give her whatever she wants — but whatever she wants is just plain, nude sandals.
Making it easy: She has been sticking to the same formula for years (pictured in New York City on April 19)
Recycle master: She’s also not afraid of rewearing things she has been seen in before (pictured left at the June 4 CFDA Fashion Awards, right on April 9)
Unwavering: Sticking to a fashion formula gives the Vogue boss a distinct personal style (pictured June 5)
Wintour wardrobe: Anna (pictured on February 20) opts for a near-identical fashion formula during the colder months, but swaps her sandals for heeled boots, and adds a coat to the look
Over the years, she’s updated and tweaked the style, but just ever-so-slightly. Her favorite ones seem to be a pair with thick crisscrossed straps and a thin strap around the heel, though she does have a style with slimmer crisscrossed straps in front, too.
‘I never comment on the number of pairs anyone orders, but Anna always likes to have her shoes, like everything in her wardrobe, impeccable at all times,’ the designertold Vogue in 2011.
‘I often talk to Anna about what’s inspiring her that particular season and what she’s ordered for her wardrobe. Anna has fantastic legs, and her feet are always meticulously groomed.
‘We’re always discussing materials and adjusting the heel heights and whether or not straps should be wider or stay the same. In the end, it is always up to Anna.’
Last year: The look is her go-to for the summer (pictured May 2017)
Tested: Though she sometimes slightly tweaks her shoe design, she tends to stick to very, very similar styles (pictured left July 2017, right April 2017)
Options: Weather depending, Anna (pictured in September 2017) will sometimes choose to wear a sleeved dress
The floral dress, the nude Manolos, and finally, the necklace. Wintour loves to top off her look with the same colorful gem collar necklaces.
Naturally, she finishes every outfit with a pair of dark sunglasses, but at this point those are less an accessory and more part of her being.
While the dress, sandal, and necklace combo is her go-to look for the summer, she only switches it up every so slightly for colder months.
In the winter — like at Fashion Week in February — she tends to stick to similar dresses and jewelry, but will swap toe-baring sandals for knee-high, chunky-heeled leather boots.