Your Guide to Urban Chic Style
The term Urban Chic brings to mind images of women on the move, busy but never in a rush, eye-catching but never flashy. Think Victoria Beckham leaving her runway show in black oversized trousers with sunglasses to match, or picture Meghan Markle arriving at a dinner with diplomats in a fully monochromatic look. The Urban Chic style is refined, cosmopolitan, and most distinctively, modern and yet timeless.
In its simplest terms, the Urban Chic archetype means ‘elegant city style’, and while you’ll definitely find this style on the streets of large metropolitan cities, it isn’t exclusive to these locales. The style is cosmopolitan, but it translates everywhere due to its simple elegance.
The style draws its influence from combining Scandinavian minimalism, Parisian effortlessness and New York presence. The clean lines, solid neutral colors and monochromatic looks are an homage to its Scandinavian roots. From Parisian style it takes its use of oversized proportions, especially in coats and sunglasses - but in a more metaphorical sense, it borrows the French air of effortless taste a la Isabelle Huppert. Finally, Urban Chic style found its finishing touches in New York in the boots, heels and leather pants that exude the power the city demands from its inhabitants.
All of the style archetypes seek to present a certain image - a statement of shared identity - and the Urban Chic style is no exception. And so, if you’re seeking more clarity on which archetype (or mix of archetypes!) fits you the best, it can be helpful as one input to consider how you aspire to be perceived. The Urban Chic style may be a good fit for you if you would like to be perceived as:
Powerful. You have the ability to command a room regardless of its context (at home, in the office, your local community center, the gym - you name it)
On-the-go. You have the utmost respect for your own time being a precious and non-renewable resource
Worldly. You have a global rather than provincial outlook, and enjoy the finer things that the world’s greatest cities have to offer
Not sure about how to describe your style? We can help with that! Our in-app Style Quiz can help you take the first step towards defining your three style words. Download for free for on iOS and Android.
The Urban Chic Capsule Wardrobe
The Urban Chic capsule wardrobe consists of simple high quality items in neutral colors that can be easily mixed and matched. However, this style also indulges in color, particularly in jewel toned accessories. Opt mostly for solid colors, and simpler is better when it comes to patterns, such as stripes or plaids in neutral colors. With the exception of purposefully oversized items, all other items should aim to have a perfect fit - a good tailor is key! Fabric is crucial to achieve the chic aspect of Urban Chic; choosing silk, leather (preferably vintage), or cashmere for example.
We find that presenting a capsule wardrobe can be helpful to bring our style archetypes to life and to give you inspiration on how to confidently mix-and-match basic pieces that you may already own in new ways. But, as always, we want to emphasize that there is no one ‘perfect’ capsule wardrobe for everyone. Style is intensely personal, and what is ‘essential’ for one person is completely unimportant for another. You shouldn’t feel the need to rush out and buy all of these items like you’re ticking off a shopping list - that is the opposite of what Indyx is about! Rather, our hope is that this capsule wardrobe list is simply an illuminating tool on your own journey to build a chic, versatile wardrobe that feels uniquely yours.
Without further ado, here are the 12 items that compose our Urban Chic capsule wardrobe:
1. Long wrap coat
This is the perfect investment outerwear item for the winter months, the clean yet unstructured lines bring grace and poise to the look. Choose a coat made of a luxurious or luxe-looking fabric, like cashmere or wool, keeping you soft, chic and cozy.
2. Straight fit jeans
This is the perfect investment outerwear item for the winter months, the clean yet unstructured lines bring grace and poise to the look. Choose a coat made of a luxurious or luxe-looking fabric, like cashmere or wool, keeping you soft, chic and cozy.
3. Silky camisole top
This versatile top is suitable for many occasions - opting for a luxurious-looking fabric such as satin makes it appropriate for work layered under a blazer, and its feminine design makes it the ideal happy hour top on its own. It is breathable for the summer months and can be layered with a turtleneck during colder months.
4. Boyfriend blazer
The oversized blazer is the essential third piece for the Urban Chic woman, elevating any outfit to polished status. You can throw it over trousers, jeans, skirts or dresses to own a board meeting, and even pair it with shorts on your days off. Our tip: invest in good tailoring to make your workhorse blazer custom fitted to you - it really makes a difference.
5. Ankle boots
The Urban Chic attitude comes from its shoes and accessories, none more than the ankle boot. If you tend to have more warm-toned clothing, opt for a dark brown pair, while if you have a more cool-toned wardrobe, black boots are your go-to.
6. Structured leather bag
A luxury (or, appearing-like-luxury!), structured bag is essential for the Urban Chic wardrobe, as it can transform a more loosely fitted outfit into a sophisticated street style look worthy of Phil Oh’s photography.
7. Cashmere sweater
The cashmere sweater is the epitome of Urban Chic style, as it is effortlessly elegant - the perfect balance of modern and timeless. You can dress it up with a skirt, or dress it down with a pair of leather pants. It is also a great layering piece to extend the life of summer pieces into early spring & late fall - one of our favorite looks is a cashmere sweater underneath a simple slip dress.
8. Black oversized sunglasses
The ultimate cool girl accessory that has become the trademark of this style thanks to one Mrs. Victoria Beckham. It really is the accessory that put the chic in Urban Chic
9. Midi skirt with an unexpected detail
Whether it is pleated, with a slit or made of leather, a midi skirt of some variety is a great addition to an Urban Chic wardrobe. It’s the unconventional element of it that makes it modern, so have some fun experimenting a bit.
10. Wide leg trousers
Wide leg trousers earn their place in the Urban Chic capsule wardrobe due to their clean lines, tailored look, and effortlessness. They are easily styled for work with a blazer or for a dinner out with friends with a silk top.
11. Straight leather pants
Leather pants will give your wardrobe a youthful injection, and contrary to popular belief they are not reserved exclusively for rebellious teens. You can safely pair them with anything in this capsule wardrobe without looking like you’re heading to an AC/DC concert.
12. Pointed heels
For the days that call for a more polished look, a pair of pointy heels can be your best friend. Swapping more casual ankle boots or sneakers for pointed pumps or slingbacks gives an instant boost of formality and polish to your look. And, the heel doesn’t need to be sky-high to have this impact - even a relatively low and comfortable kitten heel lends this impression.
Urban Chic Outfit Formulas
There are many possible outfits to pull together with the capsule Urban Chic wardrobe - and even more if you take advantage of our Indyx styling services! But, to give some inspiration on how to re-style your own wardrobe, we’ve put together two outfit formulas: one for warmer and another for cooler months.
Fall/Winter
Spring/Summer
Urban Chic Style Inspiration
Creators to follow
Sylvie Mus, Hannah Desai, Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth, and Claire Rose Cliteur
Celebrity muses
Karlie Kloss, Victoria Beckham, and Meghan Markle
Brands to shop
$$$: Marella, Bottega Venetta, Victoria Beckham, Altuzarra, Marni
$$: Reiss, Club Monaco, Massimo Dutti, Nili Lotan, Smythe, Whistles
$: Zara, & Other Stories, Aritzia, Mango
Rebecca is a fashion stylist and writer, recently graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and currently living in London. She enjoys reading, skiing and having people cook for her.